The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1876-11-24
Close Presidential Election.

favors Of small State or two, he would
not stand alone in the list of our con-
sulares, for more than one man has
been made President of the United
States by a meager majority-cast
either in the electoral colleges, or at the
polls, or at both places. Our first con-
tested Presidential election, in 1896 81,
was decided so closely that the change
of ttOO electoralvotes would have placed
Thomas Jefferson, instead of John
Adams, at the head Of the Nation, as
Washington's immediate successor.
Mr.. Adams had Il votes, and Mr.. JEFF
ferson 68. One of Mr.. Adams's votes
came from Virginia, and another from
North Carolina; and had those two
votes been given for Mr.. Jefferson, he
would have had 30 votes and MIR. Adams
69-and the Nirginian would have been
elected by one majority. One of the
electoral votes for Mr.. Adams, chosen
in Maryland, was obtained by only four
majority; and had il been secured for
Mr.. Jefferson, he would have had 90
votes and Mr.. Adams 20, and the latter
would have been elected by one
majority. There were 1873 elector-
al votes at that time, IT about
A less than one-half the present
number; so that, should the successful
candidate on the 9TH of November, 1876,
receive eight majority of the Electoral
College, he would be elected about as
well as John Adams was elected eighty
years since. Considering who and what
John Adams was, eight Majority in 1876
would be nothing to be ashamed Of on
the part of either of our candidates
and nothing 10 be proud of, it must be
added. Mr.. Jefferson defeated Presi-
dent Adams in l80O-0l, when he had 10
electoral votes and the President 65, or
a majority of eight-equal TO about 20
majority in 1867. In 1928, a
change Of 20 votes In the colleges would
have prevented the reelection of Presi-
dent Madison, who received l2S elector-
al votes, while Dewitt Clinton got SO.
In 1868, Mr.. Van Buren, would have
failed of an election had there been
change in % electoral votes, as he had
but p over the number necessary to a
choice-and Pennsylvania, having 30
such votes, gave him but a small popu-
lar majority. 4 change Of 5000, i'm that
States popular vote would have defeated
him in the colleges, by sending 80 Wing
Electors 20 the Pennsylvania college.
As il was, Col. johnson, the Democrat
ic candidate for the Nice-Presidency,
was defeated in the colleges, because
Virginia would not support him, her %
votes being given for William Smith, Of
Alabama. Col. Johnson was chosen by
the Senate, the only Instance of the kind
known in our history. Great as were
the popular majority and the electoral
majority given for Gen. Harrison in
1904, he would have been defeated
in the colleges had it been possible 10
change some eight or nine thousand
votes in the four States of New York,
Pennsylvania, Maine and New jersey.
Those States cast IS electoral votes,
which, added 20 the 90 such votes that
Mr.. Van Buren, received, would have
siven him just the number necessary TO
a choice, and yet there would have been
n popular majority of more than 1O0,-
600 against him. The four States NAM
ed gave popular vote of almost 900,
600, though their united maiorities for
Gen. Harrison did not much exceed
16,0O0-New York giving him rather
more than $4,000, New Jersey about
? 800, Maine 4l0 and PENNSYLVANIA
3i3. IL was very close work, and there
would have been great trouble had the
Democratic vote been so increased as
10 defeat Gen. Harrison in the colleges, |
after the people had so decidedly indi- |
Gated their preference for him at the /
nollS Sama man foaraI that tbaro i
would ne pronunciamiento. At the /
election of lS44-45, Mr.. Polk was chosen /
to the Presidency through the aid of the /
New York electors, who were 30 in /
and as Mr.. Polk had 40 votes,
and the number necessary TO choice |
was l3S-the whole number of electors /
beng 275-he would have had 1874 votes,
had New York decided against him.
MIR. Clay had los votes; and, had he /
received New York's vote, he would /
have been chosen by al votes, or by a |
of only fire votes. The Demo- |
cratic popular majority in New York |
was small-about 5000, we think; so
hat small change there would have |
Mr.. Clay for Mr.. Polk as
President, and thus have changed the /
whole current of our political history |
Tor the last thirty-two years. In 1882 /
he change of 10 electoral votes would /
have given the Presidency to Gen. Cass,
rs Gen. Taylor's vote was 1863 and that of /
Gen. Cass l27; and some of the Taylor /
votes were got by small majorities. The /
elections since 1859 do not require /
particular mention.-BOSton Traveller.