Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1852-1859, 1853-02-08
THE Late PresidentiaI alaotion

The overwhelming defeat that the candidate oi
the Wings encountered at the last Presidential cleo
ton, says The Alexandra Gazette, induced the par
ty to submit in silence to thegerdict of the people,
and few had the disposition to enquire farther into
the matter that 10 look at the general result, and
meet the calamity with all the composure they
could muster on the occasion. Subsequently how
ever some have investigated the facts and turned
over the tguresj and tits well that they should be
remembered by all. In recent debate in the
oenate' Mr.. Borland' of Arkansas, undertook to
speak OF the Wing party a "mseIable minority"
In reply to this, Mr.. Underwood, of KY. took oc-
casion say as follows: rsFE
"t shall turn the tables upon him by a few Main
facts, showing that his party is exactly in that Sit
natlon. Now, sir, how many votes did General
Pierce receive? Look at the tables which have
been published, ard you will find that he received
less than 1,500, 900. How many voters are there
IN tue United States! Sir, for other purposes, ap-
plled at the Census Bureau to ascertain the num-
Der OF free white males the age of twenty one
years, and found there were in 1850, the date of
the census, upwards of 100000. You have then
less than one third of the voting population of the
United States, who elected the candidate OF the
Democratic party. And yet, we are perpetually
tainted with the declaration that we, the Wings
have been overwhelmed with defeat, and that you
the Democrats, are in a triumphant majority Thus
the democratic party contrive to make triuu,,-
plant majority, by electng their candidate with the
votes OF less than third of the voting population
OF the United States. Such is the state of facts
Sr' you might get every electoral vote, provided
you could get a majority of one in the popular
vote IN each State of the Union-and majority of
one has sometimes elected Governor of a State
say you might get every electoral vote save those
OF one state. rose to state these facts, and to
snow this ooastlng party, which is SO constantly
taunti us with being in a miserable minority
that when the amount of support hich it received
IS compared with the whole voting population of
the United states, that party occupies the yely
to us.
1t may be said, III reply, that if the whole popu
tion had voted, the relative proportion which each
party would received would have been the same:
and that is the only reply which can be made to
the facts have pr, Senletl. The fact that the men
pie did not go to the polls and vote, shows n dis
satisfaction, If may be allowed the expression
win ooth The great parties; and, if l had time
could SHOW the foundation of that dissatisfaction
But will not go into it. / will however state
The tact, that in the State o! Kentucky where tho
whole voting population was 163, 0O5 in 1854 nc
cording to the official report of the State Auditor
only lil'ol' Went to the polls at the late PIesi-
dental election, leaving 81 1888, or nearly one
third, who did not vote at ALL knew some of
the reasons which kept them at Eome but | will
MOI go INTO that subject now. There is no ground
ut contehaing That the proportion or votes would
have been the same had ali the voters gone to the
polls. " 0
Sir. General Pierce is ina minority of At 900 in
the New England States, of the actual votes given
II you VIII put the votes which the gentleman who
occupies the seat 10 my left (Nr. Hale) received
with those Of Gen. Scott. And ifyou take N. York,
PENNSYLVANIA, New jersey, Delaware and Mary,
land, "sth them, he will still be III minority Of
more than 10000 Of the votes actually given. Yom
many carry on these calculations throughout the
whole of the Atlantic States, it will be found that
General Pierce, did not obtain half the votes cast
III 'hoSe otiteS. sir, these boasts which nre made
here by way oftaunting US, on all occasions. have
no iacts upon which they can rest. -.
Mr.. Borlanl, upon hearing this, exclaimed, .that
IN the remarks he had made, he did not EXPECT to
call forth any statistical accounts of the Presidep
tal election Doubtless he did not. But he.
found them ready, nevertheless.