The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1856-10-11

PRESIDENTIAL ELRcTToNs SINCE 1890 -Since
1890, when Monroe was chosen for . second term
with bus one Opposition electoral vote, the Prssi
DENTAL elections have been less decisive than ID
generally supposed. That II to say, the popular
majority for The successfui candidate has never
been excessive; and often be has sctually wanted
amajority, and had only plurality. This was
the case for example, Ia 1874 when the votes cast
for CLAY. and those thrown away on Biruey, ex-
ceeded, In ths aggregate those pollsd for Polk,
making the latter actually minority President
10 60 back to 1924 In that year, four candi.
dates were In the Geld, Jackson. Adams, Craw.
ford and Clay. The first received 90 electoral
votes, the second a. the third Al, and the fourth
81. The election. under these circumstances, dc.
volving on the House, Adams received the vote
OF 10 States, jackson Of Z, and Crawford Of f. In
1873, Jackson was chosen by the popular voice, OBJ
tanning 17S electoral votes out q the o6l which then
son was again chosen by the popular voice, and
this time by an even greater majority, receiving
Clay.
This brings us up to 1885, or twenty wears ago.
In that year Van Buren, though elected President,
beat Harrison In the popular vote only about IA
coo, though he had ITO electoral votes ont of 294-
Four years afterwards Harrison seemed at first
sight, to have had three times many supporters
IS Van Buren, for he obtained 234 electoral votss,
while his antagonist had but 90; yet he only beat
the latter; ia the popular vote about one hundred
and sixty thousand, out of poll of nearly two
millions four hundred thousand. : Another curious
feature of the election of 1910 that the popu.
lar vote exceeded by nearly two-thrds that cast in
1886. Van Buren,, for instance. distanced as he
was, received 1854 900 votes In 1910 more than he
did four years before. In 1874, q we have said
already, Polk was actually minority President;
and yet he beat Clay by larger, majority than
Harrison had beaten Van Buren,; the vote being,
for Polk 1886 1876, for Clay 1895 The cleo
toral college stood, however, ITO for Polk to los
for Clay. In le46 Taylor received 1853 electoral
votes, and Cass 1877. The great State of New
York In this election decided the contest, by going
for Taylor, in consequence of the democracy be
ing divided; and thus Taylor was also minority
President 81. .,--s
When we compare these elections with those
prior to 1890, we see how much more closely con-
tested they have been. Iu 1904, for instance, JEFF
ferson had 162 electoral votes, and Pinckney, his
opponent, IA only. In 1903, Madison had l22, and
Pinckney A. In 1912, Madison had 1913 and Clin-
ton SO. In 1916, Monroe had 1888 and King "a. In
1920, as we have already mentioned, Monroe had
23l only single electoral vote being cast in op-
position. Fl -
|: These statistics show how nearly equally di.
vided the people of these United States are on
cardinal Questions and federal policy. Under
such crcum stances, moderation in the victors is
clearly sound policy. Where two parties approach
closely to each other in numbers, it is folly for
either to urge extreme measures and talk of using
force to compel the minority to submission. It
was not in such spirit that the Union was form.
ed, nor can 1t in such spirit be maintained
Phil LEDGER els .a.s