Ka kammala wannan magana: A lokacin yakin neman zabe na 1876 tsakanin Samuel J. Tilden da Rutherford B. Hayes, Dougherty ya sake shiga siyasa, yana ba da jawabi a madadin Tilden, Democrat, a Cooper Union a Birnin New York. A 1880, ya halarci
Taron kasa na jam'iyyar Democrat a matsayin mai goyon bayan dan uwansa na Pennsylvania Winfield Scott Hancock. Kodayake ba memba ne na tawagar ba, wani wakili ya ba Dougherty matsayinsa a kan bene don ba wa mai magana damar yin jawabin sanya sunan Hancock a cikin gabatarwa. Jawabinsa ya kasance takaice, amma mai karfi a cikin yabo ga Hancock: