Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1877-01-25
CHRONICLE.
ST, CLAIRSVILLE. OHIO.
THURSDAY. JAN. 25. 1877.
MINORITY PRESIDENTS.

MINORITY PRESIDENTS.
The Democrats are continually telling u!
that Governor Tilden has been elected by ar
overwhelming majority of the popular vote,
which seems to us a work of supererogation
on their part, because no one calls the fact in
question. Everybody admits that if there
had been a direct popular vote taken fol
President, Governor Tilden would be entitled
to occupy the White House during the next
four years az the Chief Magistrate of the
nation.
But the Democrats, in our humble judg-
ment, display great weakness in harping upon
the fact necessarily that their candidate has
been elected by the popular vote. They know
| as well as they are living. that candidate for
the Presidency might have an overwhelming
majority of the popular vote, and yet not be
elected in accordance with the provisions of
the constitution When they tell us, there
fore, that Mr. Tilden has been chosen by the
popular vote, and studiously avoid saying he
has been elected by the electoral vote, in our
opinion, they yield the whole question. The
Oregon business does not present a good face,
and the part played in it by Pelton. Mr..
Tilden's nephew, demonstrates pretty clearly
that the friends of the New York reform Gov
ernor did Eot, and do not, believe that he has
been elected in the way the constitution pro
vides. They evidently felt when they sent
that eight thousand dollars to Oregon that
they needed at least one vote to secure vic
tory, and while there is room for doubt as to
whether Watts should be allowed to cast his
vote for Hayes, it must be admitted that they
did not take the most honorable way of
achieving triumph. There is no doubt that
the State of Oregon gave majority for the
Republican ticket, and if the people voted
ignorantly for an ineligible candidate, they
should not be cheated out of the candidates of
their choice, if by any means, consistent with
the constitution, it can be avoided.
But when the Democrats talk about Mr..
Hayes being defeated on the popular vote,
they try to create the impression that minor
| there have been both Democratic and Repub-
lican Presidents who did not receive q major
ity of the popular vote. We need not go far
back in the Presidential history of the coun.
try to prove this. James Buchanan, whatever
may be said of his conduct in the incipient
stages of the rebellion, was favorite son at
least with the Democracy of Pennsylvania,
and statesman of no mean order, yet he was
a minority President. In 1856 the entire vote
cast for the Presidential ticket was 4, ,053. 967,
of which Buchanan received only 1888, 1859,
while fillmore and Fremont polled 2, 215, 1893,
or 1899 more than Buchanan Compare
The result of 1856 with that of 1876, and we
find that Hayes had forty-seven Thousand
more votes over all opposing candidates than
! buchanan had. There is no room for the
Democrats to talk about the Republican can
didate being in the minority en- the popular
vote, for he stands nearly fifty thousand bet
! Ter on it than the last Democrat who occupied
! the Presidential chair
| -Four years after the election of Buchanan,
the total popular vote cast was 1850, 1913, of
which Mr.. Lincoln received only 1896, 152, or
| In 1874 Polk received 1885,, ,24S votes, and
Clay and Birney 1861 1892, yet Polk was
elected in accordance with the constitution.
But these things are generally known. and
where they are not, those who desire to do 80
can, by referring to the returns, very soon
see fer themselves that large number of
those who have exercised supreme rule and
| authority over the Union were not elected by
majority of the popular vote, and under the
constitution, as it stands at present, it is not
necessary that any candidate should be. 1t
only befEays the weakness of their cause,
then, for the Democrats to talk about Tilden
having received large majoii y of the direct
vote of the people over Hayes. The latter re
eeived at the late election larger number of
votes than was given to any Republican can
didate before him. .4 sua 5yE
I'VE do not care how the people voted, sec
tionally, for we do not recognize political Sec
tions in a union of States, still, it may be well
worth while TO note the fact, that in the
twenty two Northern States Hayes has plu-
rality of votes over Tildea amounting to
256, ,949, which shows that the Republican
party has large majority among those who
fought to preserve the Union. But it is no
less significant, on the other hand, that, in the
sixteen Southern States, Tilden has plurality
over Hayes of sos, ,145. This is by far too
large majority for Democratic candidate to
have in States where there are so many ne
groes who are supposed TO be friendly towards
the Republican party, to whom they owe
their emancipation from bondage
1t does not make whit of difference wheth-
er Hayes has been elected by the popular vote
or not. If he has received one .huRdred and
eighty five electoral votes he is, constitution
ally, the President-elect of the United States,
and is just as much entitled to rule over the
country for four years as if he had received
seven million out of the more than eight mil
lion votes cast at the recent election-[ Pitts.
I Dispatch. 'i-