New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1872-11-22
ELECTORAL AND POPULAR VOTES.


In 1852 Gen. Winfield Scott, the candidate
of one Of the two great opposing National
parties for the Presidency, carried just four
States, with an aggregate Of AZ electoral votes
900 his successful competitor being franklin
Pierce In 1860 the contest was between four
candidates, of whom Stephen A. Douglas
carried barely one State and John Bell two
In 1864, Gen. Geo. b. Mcclellan carried just
three States, with an aggregate of 81 electoral
votes. In 1868, Gov. Seymour carried eight
States with an aggregate of so electoral votes
Mr.. Greeley's strength seems to consist of
seven States-Maryland, Missouri, Kentucky
Tennessee, Louisiana, Georgia, and Texas
having an aggregate of "a electoral votes,
with a possibility that twO more-West Vir-
ginia and Arkansas-may yet be found to
have gone for him by small majoritics.
We pointed out, the other day, the peculi-
arity of Gen. Grants reelection, in that he
seemed to have received-in many of the
States, if not throughout the Union-fewer
votes than in 1863, in spite of the natural in
crease in tho voting population, the addition
of the negro vote, and his greatly increased
majority. We did not suppose the
moral of such o fact could be missed,
but we see that, in sundry quarters,
it has been. 1t has no bearing upon
tho question whether Mr.. Greeley was or
was not a good candidate. Nobody denies
that the supporters Of Gen. Grant thought
the danger serious enough to expend I'M
precedented sums Of money, distribute mil
lions of documents, and use every posi-
bic exertion to get out every possible voter.
Well, the upshot of it all was that in
Pennsylvania, in spite of a natural increase
which should have swelled the Grant vote
30 900, and Of an addition of negro voters since
1863 which should havo given 5000 more,
Gen. Grant has now barely N9,5@ votes,
against his 3492S0 in 1863 In Illinois
he had 250,3O3 in 1868; now -, he
has only 24l,9H. In Maine he had
in 1868, 70.493; in 1872, only 60,759. In Vir-
GINA, the only vote with which we can fairly
make comparison, that Of Gov. Walker, in
1862 was 101 ,204. against 99,4lj for Grant in
1872. In New Hampshire and Connecticut he
also has fewer votes than four years
ago; and as the official returns from other
States come in they seem TO point to the
same result, nearly everywhere, save in New
Jersey. Now Greeley's candidacy, whether
good or bad, is not responsible for this state
of affairs 1t may have affected the nlGjorihes,
but not the number of Grants roteS, since
every effort was made TO get out for him
every vote that could be got, and the result
is that fewer people support him than
in 1868. Gen. Grant himself, we ine well as
sured, has not failed to comprehend the sig
nifcance Of this fact. Neither has he failed
to give weight to the sincere and honest OPP
position he encountered from many of the
old leaders of the party that elected
him, and to the gravity of the reasons
that inpelled their action. Some of those
reasons no has already sought to remove.
His wise course in the Philadelphia Post
Office case gives encouraging promise of
the removal of Others We do not intend W