The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1877-03-03


ed to ballot for president, the result of the
first ballot, being eight states for jefferson,
six for Burr, and two divided, Vermont
being among the latter-the votes Of nine
states being necessary for a choice.
The balloting continued throughout that
day and the following night, the
twenty-sixth ballot being taken at
eight o'clock on the morning of the 18th.
The balloting continued with the same re-
suit from day to day, without any formal
adjournment OF the house, until the seven
teenth, when, on the thirty-sixth ballot,
Mr.. Jefferson was elected receiving the
votes Of the requisite number of states.
The result was brought about by Lewis II.
Morris, the federal representative from
Vermont, absenting himself from the house
and allowing Matthew Lyon to cast the
vote of the state for Jefferson. II is a Gu
rious fact in connection with this election,
that the house consisted of one hundred
and four members, and that while Aaron
Burr received flfty-three votes, and Mr..
jefferson at no time more than flfty-one
votes, yet such was the geographical dis
tribution of the members that Mr.. Jeffer-
son, on the first and every succeeding bal
lot, received the votes of eight states, and
1t only required the change of one vote, or
the absence of one member, TO give him
majority of the states and secure his cleo
ton.
The next bitter contest was in 1926 but
that was exceedingly short lived. The re-
suit of the vote in the electoral college was,
Andrew Jackson, ninety-nine John Quincy
Adams, eighty-four; William II. Craw-
ford, forty-one; and Henry Clay, thirty
seven. There was no choice, and the cleo
ton devolved upon the house Of representa-
tives-Messrs. Adams, Crawford and jack
son being the constitutional candidates.
This was on the ninth of February. The
house separated, and long and bitter
struggle was expected. The balloting CON-
menced, the vote Of each state being de-
posted In box by Itself and placed on the
table. Daniel Webster and John Randolph
acted as tellers. Upon the first ballot, to
the surprise of every one, even, as the his
torian tells us, of "the best informed poll
ticians," John Quincy Adams received
the votes of thirteen states and was elected.
The first contest lasted but six days; the
second, only one while that which ended
Friday may be said to have commenced
with the opening Of congress, on the first
Monday in December, and to have lasted
three months. But without regarding the
preliminary struggle, the work of the
house and senate committees, or the time
consumed in the passage of the electoral
bill, the actual counting, the final struggle,
commenced on the frat day of February
when the vote Of Alabama was counted,
and the certificates from Florida were
opened and referred to the electoral CON-
mission. 1t eliminated over the certificate
from Vermont, and terminated at four
o'clock on the morning of Friday, March
I'd, with the announcement OF the election
of Rutherford 3. Hayes, or one month and
two days after the count commenced.
The final result was reached, in each
case, after sort of compromise. The end
aimed at, in each instance, was peace. A
president, in each instance, was legally and
constitutionally elected and the result, in
the first two cases, was submitted to with
out an approach to disturbsnce-and SO it
will be in this instance. The election of
Jefferson resulted in making the party
which he represented more compact, and
enabled it to retain power for three-quart-
ers of century. The election Of John
Quincy Adams disintegrated the party
which supported him, and gave the ad-
ministration of the government to his OPP
ponents for twelve years. Let us trust
that the administration of Hayes may be 80
wise, just, bene1cent and patriotic that it
will result in building up party that may
retain the reins of power for years to
come, and that it will insure the country
good government, pure administration,
and economy. integrity and capacity in all
brs ,hes of the civil service.