The New York herald., 1876-10-27
The Air Cushion and Rag Baby
Party.

wits of the party press on both sides. Iney
have seemed to regard his nomination as
Prince Hal did the practical joke played on
poor Falstaff at Gadshill. argument for
week. laughter for a month and good jest
forever" Laughter is easy. but the politi-
cal wags may lind out when the campaign is
over that Mr.. Cooper gives one OF the reg
ular parties reason to laugh on the wrong
side OF the face" The greenbaok canvass
has ceased to be the light and amusing topic
which it was in the early part OF the cam
paign. 1t rises into grave importance for rea-
sons which we will state. To be sure there is
no more chance now than there has ever been
of Mr.. Cooper's election. He will not get an
electoral vote in any State. His name will
not appear in the proceedings of the electoral
colleges And yet a possibility has grown
up that Mr. Cooper's canvass may determine
the result Of the Presidential election.
This possibility has arisen since the Octo-
Der elections, and is consequence Of their
indecisive character AS soon as the Ocfo-
Der result was declared it was foreseen by
the leading politicians of both parties, fore
seen by everybody, that this Presidential
election would be the closest that has taken
place since the organization of the govern
ment Third parties are potent just in pro-
portion as the regular parties approach
equality Of strength. When there is only
slight difference in the weights in the two
scales it requires but a small addition or
diminntion on either side to carry one scale
up and the other down. Mr.. Peter Cooper
has become formidable in this canvass be-
cause tho two great parties are 30 evenly
balanced. The gain Of few votes by one
party or the loss Of few by the other may
change the whole political situation.
Victory and defeat may be awarded
by an insignificant squad of voters in a
neck to neck contest between great national
parties. In all close elections the control Of
the government is in the hands of any small,
resolute minority who choose to eight on
their own hook" The October elections
have disclosed SO delicate poise in the
strength Of parties that the SO much ridi-
culed and derided canvass Of Peter Cooper
may decide who is to be our next President.
We will illustrate by examples, although
there is no previous example in which the
strength of parties was SO equal and the re-
suit SO doubtful as seems to be the case at
present. The most noteworthy example in
our former history is furnished by the Pres
idential election Of 1874, when Clay and
Polk were the leading candidates. The
abolitionists Of that day-a party which had
less popular support than the rag baby party
has at present-turned the scale and elected
Polk. That result was SO remarkable and
so illustrative that we may be pardoned for
recalling the figures. Within the whole
ample boundaries of the United States
James G. Birney received only pititul
62, 270 votes; but this small vote for Birney
turned the scale and elected Polk, although
the Birney men did not have single Presi-
Dental elector. The total popular vote for
Polk was 1885, 1874, and for Clay 1907, ,O53,
the plurality for Polk being only 38, 7S1, or
about half Of the Birney vote. As between
Polk and Clay the Birney party would have
preferred Clay, who more nearly represented
their views and yet they elected Polk, as it
is possible that the Peter Cooper men may
now elect Hayes, although the greater part
cratic party. Another conspicuous instance
in which small third party decided Presi-
Dental election was in 1S4S, when the free
soil party which ran Van Buren and Charles
Francis Adams defeated Cass and elected
General Taylor. The Van Buren ticket did
not get single electoral vote but its sup
porters virtually elected the President
Taylor had 1,362,031 votes and Cass
], ,222, ,455-a difference of only 109.57
The Van Buren vote OF 29l. .455 turned
the scale and decided the election. The
similar instance which occurred in 1856 was
not quite SO striking, but in that year also a
feeble third party determined the result. 1t
is incontestable that Fillmore elected Bu-
chanan, although Fillmore received only the
eight electoral votes OF Maryland. He drew
off republicans enough in other States to
defeat Fremont. The Presidential election
now before us is closer and more doubtful
than that Of 1874. when paltry sixty thou
sand votes for Birney defeated Clay and made
Polk President Nobody can regard Peter
Coopers chances rs Of less account now than
Birney's were in 1874 nobody can think the
Cooper canvass more contemplate and ridic-
ulous than the Birney canvass was thought to
be thirty-two years ago and although Peter
Cooper has no more chance to be President
than Birney had it is quite possible that he,
like Birney, may decide the contest between
the two principal candidates. In so close
an election few thousand votes in pivotal
State like New York may turn the
scale, and we accordingly think that
Mr. Cooper's canvass, instead Of being the
huge joke which the political wags and wits
tn fought it when he was brought into the
field, is assuming serious aspect If the
Cooper movement can get ten or fifteen
thousand votes in this State it may decide