Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1876-12-06
A PARALLEL IN HISTORY
The Intense Excitement Of the In
decisive Presidential Election
oft8Oo, and How 1t Came.
Out

was in this campaign that the Demo-
cratic party first crystallized and laid
the foundation upon which that great
structure has rested.
Virginia, the mother of States ard
the mother of Presidents, and the al
most "solid South" were the archi-
tccts and builders of the Democratic
party. In almost every Electoral
College, from Thomas Jefferson to
Samuel j. Tilden, and in every
Congress as well, Virginia has been |
potential power. Her vote, with
that Of the slavcholding States, was
invariably cast as unit for the sue
ccssful Democratic President. In
deed, we might say since the organi-
cation of the Government, Virginia
and the solid South have dictated to
the great Northern States of New
York, Pennsylvania and Massachu-
sets the candidate of the Democratic
party, and the next most important
man in the Government, the Speaker
of the House of Representatives. If
their candidate was not n Southern
man, he was Northern man with
Southern principles" In no one
instance does the record of the Prcsi-
Dental Electoral Colleges show that
she cast her vote for Northern man
for President, except in the case of
Martin Van Buren,, who served the
solid South withaunblushing fidelity
up to the hour when he began to ex-
hibit weakness on the question of the
annexation of Texas. The South de-
serted him as il did Douglass, Web
ster and every other Northern man.
She was true to Pierce and Buchanan
because she knew her men. The
motherof. States. is no longer a great
power in the land.
The campaign OF 1900, rs we have
stated, was one of great excitement.
1t was a campaign of intrigue, trick
cry, bargain and sale. The custom
of holding national conventions, and
of States instructing their delcga-
tons to vote for Presidential candi-
dates, had not then come into use.
Electors were not then nominated at
conventions and voted for by the
people of the respective States at
general election as now. Prcsiden-
tial Electors were chosen by the Leg
islaturcs of the respective States, and
these bodies were open to all sorts of
intrigucrs and chickering's. Hamilton
and Burr, two of the ablest men in
many respects the county has ever
: produced, were most shameless and
reckless intrigues. They stopped at
nothing. Hamilton's dislike of Adams
had demoralized and paralyzed the
old Washington and Federal party
: Hamilton was eternally plotting tC
1 circumvent Adams, Burr and Jcffcr.
o son. lie made several unsuccessful
/, efforts to use John JAY to accomplish
. his purposes.
It In the Spring of 1900, when it be-
IS gan to be evident that Thomas Jeffcr'
4 son would be the successful Anti
Federal candidate for President, hi
wrote to Governor Jay that, unless hi
u called an extra session of the Legisla
,, ture, and favored the passage of {
% bill to choose presidential electors by
: the people, Jefferson's election coult
J, not be prevented. Governor Jay de
clined. and New York chose electors
II in favor of Jefferson, with the aid o
Ii Burr, who had been playing fast ant
n loose with both parties, hoping by in
- trigucs and combinations which HI
1. and his friends attempted, to secur,
Of the prize himself. The vote show
A. how well Burr and his friends count
Is ed. 1t was charged and pretty wei
established, that Jefferson secured tn
/ vote of Pennsylvania by bargain ant
lc sale. : 1t would appear from this tina
4 the Keystone State inherits its in
II trinity to trade and dickcr. Variou
- other States, it is stated in the paper
u of the day, were secured for Jefferson
le and Burr by most disrcputable mean
al means that would shock the aver
# age voter of to-day. No one cal
d read the. political history of the pas
without coming to the conclusion tina
!. our politics are less corrupt than ever
of under Washington's administration
ID and better than under jefferson, Jack
u son, Van Buren,, Polk, Pierce, an,
:. Buchanan. The Electoral Colleg
IS met under an intense cxcitcmen,
which pcrvaded all sections of tn
Is country. Party feeling was up +
e concert pitch, and staggering ant
y blathering politicians talked evel
= more wildly then than now. TIL
u country was alarmed by the menace
1t of idiotic partisans. The vote in tn
N Electoral College stood-73 for Jefler
a son, 70 for Aaron Burr, 65 for JOIN
- Adams, and GA for G. G. Pinckney
The vote for Jefferson and Burr be
,. ing equal, no chocie was made by tn
10 people, the election under the provis
=, ions of the constitution going to tn
- House of Representatives. Their
u were charges of fraud and corruption
but Congress never thought of goin!
behind the legislatures who chose tn
@ Electors. When the fact becam
;, known to the people that there wa
= no choice, the excitement increased
l. and partisanship became more inten
m sified. On Wednesday, Feb. IL, 1901
A. the House Of Representatives met t
make choice of q President. Their
u was no doubt in the mind of any on
Of which of the two the popular will in
rs tended to make Presinent. The Fed
,f eralists controlled the voice of 81,
States and neutralized two more
There were sixteen States, nine 0
Is which were necessary to elect. MI
G, Jefferson had but eight in his favor
PC He, therefore, could not be choseI
without their assent, expressed o
implied. 1t was enough that the
80 had the power to change the resul
l. for them to be tempted to use il
irI These Federal or Northern States ha'
,f no great love for Jefferson or Burr
To them it was choice between tw'
y evils. Hamilton was in quandar,
between the two. Patriotism ant
ns personal consideration finally moved
= him to favor Jefferson. The histOr
, of the struggle from day to day, last
= ing from the llth to the 18th Of Feb
l. ruary, was severe strain upon tn
,s nation, as ii threatened dissolution
" of the government. On the 18th
writes John Randolph, "on the thirty
g sixth ballot there appeared ten State
IN for Thomas Jefferson; four (Ney
England) for A. Burr, and two blanI
10 ballots delaware and South Carroll
na). This was the second time W
y ballotted to-day. The four Burrite
in of Maryland put blanks into the DO
y of that State. The vote was, therefore
unanimous. Mr.. Morris, of Vermon1
left his seat, and the result was
s. therefore, Jefferson" Burr havin,
;, received the next highest vote to JET
!. fcrson in the Electoral College be
~ came Vice-Presidcnt. The countr
al drew long breath, partisanship qui
te eted down, and rejoicings wen
through the land that the Union wa
safe. The nation had passed through
u great many trials and tribulations
r as all nations have and will to the en-,
ic of time. 1t is passing through sc
,o we're trial now. 1t will come OH
. safely and satisfactory. Believe il
fha iptalIincnca nf tho npOn1a
= Rubber boots q shoes of all kinds
Z at Phillips. VT