The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1876-11-23
Close Presidential Elections


triumph to his having received the favors
of assmall State or two, he would not
tandialone in the list of our consdlsres
for more than one man has. been made the
President Of the United States by mea-
ger mo ority-cast either isaha Electoral
College or at the polls, or at both places.
Our first contested Presidential election,
in 1798-G, was decided so closely that the
| change OF too electoral votes would have
placed Thomas Jefferson, instead of John
Adams, at the head of the Nation, as
" ashlngton,s lmMediate successor. MI.
Aaanis had seventy -one votes, ant Mr..
Jefferson sixty-eight. One of Mr.. Adams
votes came from Virginia. and another
from North Carolina; and had those two
votes been given for Mn~Jeferson, he
would have had seventy votdsAndN1r. AID.
ans sixty nine sandrtfe Vir9inian would
have been elected by ohe mai ority. One Of.
theciHctoral votes for Mr.. Adams. chosen in
Maryland, was obtained by only foHr ma.
Jority; and, had it been secured for Mr..
Jefferson, he. would have had sixty-nine
votes and MI. Adamss seventy-and the
latter would have been elected hy one ma
Jorlty:. There were 3Sselector1 fotes. at
That time, or about forty seven less than
one-half the present number; SO that,
shouldthe successful candidateen. the 9TH
OF November; 1876, receive light maaxi-
ty in 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 ma
jority would be nothing to be ashamed of
on the part of either of our candidates.
and nothing to be proud OF, lit must be
added. Mr.. Jefferson defeated Pres
dent Adams lin 1800-01, when he had
seventy three electoral votes, and the
President sixty, five, or "a ma
jority of eight, equal to about
twenty majority in ts76-77: In 1S12-13,
change Of twenty votes. in the colleges
would have prevented the reelection of
President Madison, who received 1923 elec-
toral votes, while Dewitt Clinton got
eighty nine. In 1S36A87, Mr. Van Buren
would have failed of an election had
there been . change in twenty three cleo
toral votes, as he had but twenty two over
the number necessary to a choice, and
Pennsylvania, having thirty such votes,
gave him but small popular majority. A
change of 5000 in that States popular vote
would have defeated him in the colleges,
by sending thirty Wing electors to the
Pennsylvania College. As it was, Col.
johnson, the Democratic candidate for
the Vice Presidency, was defeated in, the
colleges, because Virginia you'd not sup
port him. her twenty three votes being
given fofsa William Smith,.of Alabama
Col. johnson was chosen by the Senate,
the only instance Of the KIND Kn5Wn In
our history. Great as were the popular
majority and the electoral majority given
for Gen. Harrison in 1S4O-4l, he would
have been defeated in the cottages had lit
been possibles to change sDm6 eight @or
nine tfousandsvotes in tifeafour States of
New York, Pennsy lyania, Maine and New
Jersey. Those States cast eighty eight
electoral votes, which. added to the sixty
| such votes that Mr.. Van Buren, received,
would have gwen him just the .nuwe
necessary TO q choice; and tet thereHbuid
have have h g q, popular majority II more
named gave a 3. popular vote Of al
most 100000, though their united
majoritics tor Gen. Harrison did not
much exceed 16,OO0-New York giving
him rather more than 1900, New Jersey
about 2 300, Maine 40, and Pennsylvania
343. 1t was very close work, and there
would have been great troubleShad the
Democratic vote been So increased as to
defeat Gen. Harrison in the colleges, after
the people had 50 decidedly indicated their
preference. for him at the polh. Some
men feared that there would he pro-
nuncianliento. At the ELECTION of1SH 45,
Mr.. Polk was chosen to- the Presidency
through the aid Of the New York electors,
who weresthirty six in nsmbers; andas Mr..
Polk ladi7O votes, and the number nee
| essary to a%choice was 138-the whole
number Of electors being 275-he would
have had 1874 votes, had New York de-
cided ag4inst him, Mr.. CLAY had Jos
votes; sanH, had he receitedE New York,s
vote, he would have been chosen by al
votes, or by majority of only foe votes.
The Democratic popular mai ority>in New
York was small-about 5000, we think !;
so that small change there would have
substituted MIR. Clay for Mr.. Po1k as
President, and thus have changed the
whole currentsof our political history for
the last thirty-two years. In 1S48 40, the
change of nineteen electoral votes would
have given the Presidency to Gen. !Cass,
and Gen. Taylpr's tdte iwas a63, and that
of Gen Cass 127; and some Of the Taylor
votes were got by small. nlajorities. Ehe
elections since 1848 ~ do not require
particular mention.-Boston Traveller.