Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1876-11-16

6, 1876.
Close Presidential Elections.
From tue Boston Traveller
SHOULD the successful candidate owe
his triumph to his having received the
favOrS of small State or two, he
| would not stand alone in the list Of
our consulares, for more than one man
has been made the President of the
United States by meagre majority
cast either in the electoral college, or
at the polls, or at both places. Our
first contested Presidential election, in
l706-9, was decided 80 closely that
the change of two electoral votes
would have placed Thomas Jefferson,
instead of j ohm Adams. at the head of
the nation, as Washington 8 immediate
successor. Mr.. Adams had II votes,
and Mr.. Jefferson 68. One of Mr..
Adams votes came from Virginia, and
another from North Carolina and had
those two votes been given to Mr.. JEFF
ferson, he would have 20 votes, and
Mr.. Adams 69,--and the Virginian
would have been elected by one major.
ity. One Of the electoral votes for
Mr.. Adams, chosen in Maryland, was
obtained by only four majority ; and,
had it been secured for Mr.. Jefferson,
he would have had 50 votes, and Mr..
Adams 70,--and the latter would have
been elected by one majority. There
was l38 electoral votes at that time, or
about A. less than One.half the present
number so that, should the success.
ful candidate on the 7th of November,
1875, receive eight majority in the
electoral college, he would be elected
about as we'll as John Adams was
elected, 80 years since.
Considering who a Id what John
Adams was, eight majority would be
nothing to be ashamed of on the part
of either of our candidates,-and moth
lug to be proud of, it must be added.
Mr. Jefferson defeated President
Adams in 10000, when he had 73
electoral votes, and the president IS,
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 President Madison, who received
l2S electoral votes, while Dewitt Clin.
ton got 80, In 1869, Mr.. Van Buren
would have failed of in election had
there been a change in % electoral
votes, as chosen,-and Pennsylvania,
having 80 such votes, gave him but a
small popular majority. A change of
5000 in that state popular vote would
have defeated him in the colleges, by
sending 30 whig electors to the Penn
sylvania college. As it was, Col, John.
son, the democrat candidate for the
vice presidency, was defeated in the
college, because Virginia would net
support him, her % votes being given
to William Smith, of Alabama. Col
johnson was chosen by the senate, the
only instance of that kind known in
our history. Great as was the popu-
lar majority and the electoral ajority
given for Gen. Harrison in 1804.4l, he
would have been defeated in the col.
leges had it been possible to change
some eight or nine thousand votes in
the four states of New York, Pennsyl.
vania, Maine, and New Jersey. Those
states cast SO electoral votes, which,
added to the 60 such votes that Mr..
! Van Buren received, would have given
just the number necessary to choice;
and yet there would have been popu.
lar majority of more than 0,O0O
against him. The four states named
gave popular vote of almost 9O0,'
600, though their united majOrities fol
Gen. Harrison did not much exceed
l6,0O0,-New York giving him rather
more than 5000, New Jersey about
1900, Maine 40, and Pennsylvania
343. 1t was very close work, and there
would have been great tr0nble had the
democrat vote been so increased as t0
defeat Gen. Harrison in the colleges,
after the people had so decidedly indi.
Gated their preference for him at the
polls. Some men feared that there
would be q prOnunciamentO.
At the election of l844.45, Mr.. Polk
was chosen to the presidency through
the aid of the New York electors, who
were 90 in number and as Mr.. Polk
had l79 votes, and the number neces'
sary to choice was l38,-the whole
number of electors being 275,-he
would have had 1874 votes, had New
York decided against him. Mr.. Clay
had l05 votes, and, had he received
New Y0rk's vote, he wodld have been
chosen by al votes, or by majority
of only five votes. The democratic
popular majority in New York was
small--about 5000, we think ; so that
a small change there would have sub
stituted Mr.. Clay for Mr.. Polk as pres
ident, and thus have changed the whole
current of our political history for the
last 32 years. The wings attributed
their defeat in the Empire State, first
to the action of the liberty party il
running Mr.. Birney for the presidency
and, secondly to the Democratic fraud
ulent voting in New York city. It j!
probable that they were right, and thai
the two things were more than they
could stand; but it never required very
much to kill the wings as politicians
for they were always on the verge O
committing suicide. In 1848-49, th'
change of 10 electoral votes would hav'
given the presidency to Gen. Cass, ant
Gen. Tayl0r's vote was 1853, and that o
Gen. .Cass 127 ,and some of Tayl0r's vote
were got by small majorities. Th
elections since 1848 49 do not requir
particular mention.
Afraid to Take a Bath.
A hungry, ragged, and unusuall,
dirty looking tramp went into the Fiftl
precinct station Philadelphia to inquir
about accommodations for dodgers
Station.keeper Du Bois subjected hin
to the usual rigorous cross.examina
tion, during which it was elected tha
the visitor had walked from New Yorl
in seven days. He was allowed t.
choose between a supperless night ant
breakfastless morning in cell at tn
station or a warm bed and q suppe
and breakfast and bath at the night
clearinghouse. 'Y0u'l have to take
| cold water hath If YOU 90 thero' Sai(