Union and American. [volume] (Greeneville, Tenn.) 1875-1877, 1877-01-18
THE PRESIDENTIAL DIFFICULTY

THE PRESIDENTIAL DIFFICULTY
This is not the first we have
had. We take the following brief
and interesting summary:
"The Constitution, as originally
framed did not provide for the di.
rect election Of VicesPresident.
The State Electors were each to
vote for two per.ons. and he who
received the highest number Of
votes, If it was majority Of the
whole, was to be President, and
the next highest was to be Vice.
President, vheher the had ma.
jofity or not.
Under this rule Washington was
twice unanimously elected Presi-
dent, in 1888 and 1892, and John
Adams at both elections had the
next highest number of votes,
md became Vice. President. In
1896, for the first time, there were
rival candidates for tie Presidency y
Adams and Jefferson. The whole
number Of votes WAS 140, of which
Adams had IA, just enough to
elect him, and Jefferson had GO.
The former became President, the
latter Vice. President.
In 1900 all the Electors of the
Jeffersonian party voted for Jef-
ferson and Aaron Burr. The op-
posing party voted for Adams aud
Charles c.. Pinkney. Jefferson
and Burr had 70 votes out of 1913:
Adams had IS, and Pinkney a.
.As both Jefferson ind Burr had q
majority ard on equal number of
votes the choice Of q President
bccams the duty Of the House Of
Representatives,.
The Constitution provides that
in such case each State should
have orc vote and the majority Of
States should DO necessary to q
choice. Although it was not in>
tended by his Supporters that Burr
thould 60 higher than the Vice
Presidency, he aspired to be Pres
ident, and the contest between him
and Jefferson was very fierce. The
House began baIlotting on the 11th
Of February, 1901, ond continued
in session. with an occasional re-
GEES, fer seven days.
On the first ball t, J,ffelson hal
the votes of eight Of the sixteen
States, Burr those of six States {;
and two States, Vermont and Ma
ryland, we're evenly divided, and
therefore voted blank. The two
blank votes were counted against
Lolh candidates, and neither had a
majority. This continued to be
the state of the ballot for q whole
week. On the afternoon of the
18th Of February. the thirtyssixth
ballot was taken. Vermont and
Maryland yielded, and voted for
Jefferson, giving him ten States.
This made him President, and
Aaron Burr became Vice Presi.
dent.
There wss great excitement in
the country while this election by
the Honse of Representatives was
taking place. After the struggle
was ended, peace and calmness
soon returned, but the event had
revealed a danger to the young
Republic. Before the next cleo,
tion camc around an amendment
to the Constitution had been adop,
ted. which gave us our present sys.
TEN. The Electors we're thereaf
ter to vote in distinct ballot, for
President and Vices President, ex,
pressing upon them for which of.
fee the vote was given.
In 1904 Jefferson had oil but
fourteen Of the votes for President
and George Clinton had the same
number for Vice. President. The
rext four elections ere very quie,
Madison having twice very decided
maiorities, and Monroe larger still
iAAt tho second election of Monroe,
in1820, he would have been unan
imously chosen, but that one of the
New Hampshire Electors thought
that no one Washington ought
to have ali the votes and he cast
his vote for John Quincy Adrms.
aF The canvass of 1924 opened
with FIVE candidates John OUR cy
], Adams, Andrew jackson, VIM. N
4 Crawford, Henry Clay, and John
10. Calhoun. Mr.. Calhoun with.
drew, however, as q candidate fol
shS first place, end was elected tc
tho second by majority Of more
than 100 electoral votes. The
votes for Pr sident were divided