Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1877-07-18
YermOnps Early History.

We are indebted to n correspondent Of the Low
ell Mass Citizen, for the enclosed which will be
Of especial interest to many Of orr readers
Passing from the long and extended life OF
Governor Crafts it might not be out OF place to
revert to the memorable campaign Of 1910, which
has called forth the foregoing. Vermont and
Kentucky were regarded as two representative
states Of the Wing party North and South, as
regards majorities, and it was rival contest IN
that campaign as 10 which should give Harrison
the largest proportional vote The result showed
for Kentucky fifty-eight thousand four hundred
and eighty-nne In n total Of ninety-one thousand
one hundred and five votes, or "a 10 per cent.
while Vermont gave for him thirty-two thousand
four hundred and forty votes in total of fifty
thousand four hundred aud ninety or 6i-32
per cent Of the whole thus making herself the
banner wing state by a fraction of 1900 Of one
per cent In 1874 when Henry Clay, citizen OF
Kentucky, was the WING candidate for President
notwithstanding the liberty party in Vermont
poed nearly four thousand votes, that state
again exceeded Kentucky in giving larger
proportional Wing majority in the total vote
Vermont remained n Wing state until after
1852 a. also did Kentucky, aud with Massachu-
sets and Tennessee alone cast their electoral yote'
for Winfield Scott Then followed the disruption
OF the Wing party, and the two rival states for the
championship Of their party, politically went In
different directions Vermont upon the organ
ization of the Republican party became its banner
state which position she has maintained for the
twenty years Of ts existence Last year she gave
President Hayes forty-four thousand and ninety
two in a total of sxty-four thousand four hundred
and sixty votes, or over sixty-eight per cent. oi
her entire vote Kansas gave the same candidate
seventy-eight thousand three hundred and twelve
in total Of one hundred and twenty-four thou
sand and ffty-seven or over sixty-three per cent,
and ranks next after Vermont a. n Republican
state Kentucky, after the disruption Of the Wig
party, elected one American state ticket, but
soon attached herself to the democracy, which
party she under the lead of Henry Clay and John
u Crittenden, had repudiated at successive cleo
tions for a generation or more and she gave the
largest democratic maiorities of any state against
Abraham Lincoln in 1884 and Ulysses 5. Grant
in 1868
vermont was admitted as a state in 1891, and
therefore did not take part in the first Presidential
election. In the twenty-five quadrennal contests
in which she has been actor she has four times
virtually decided the election, or held the balance
of power In 1869 the total electoral vote was
seventy-one for John Adams, and sxty-eight for
Thomas jefferson. Vermont cast her four votes
all she was entitled to, for the former. Had she
decided for the latter he would have had seventy
two votes to sixty-seven for Adams In 1900 o.
bya defect in the original constitution, the election
for President was thrown into the House of Repre-
sentatives, the contestants being Thomas Jeiiei-
son and Aaron Burr, who had been supported by
the same party for President and Vice-Presi-
dent, and received an equal number in the cleo
toral colleges Thirty-fve ballotings were held
without an election, when, on the next trial,
Vermont for the first time voted for jefferson by
her Congressional delegation, and he was elected.
The next contest in which she held so important
part was that of lSi4-5, when the election again
went to the house, and thirteen state delegations,
including that of Vermont, voted for John Quincy
Adams against eleven in opposition. The events
of last year, when it was not known for time
but that possible mistake might defeat the cleo
ton of Rutherford b Hayes through the electoral
college of Vermont, are too freshly remembered
to be dwelt upon. No other state has held the
balance OF power in deciding four Presidential
elections, for while in three cases referred to, Mas
sachusetts, New Hampshire and Rhode Island
voted with Vermont in the contest of 1901 then
decision was against the election of jefferson, al
though all voted for him four years later, when
he would have had more than two-thirds of the
electoral votes had they gone against him, Jetfer-
son having one hundred and sixty-two votes to
fourteen in opposition, so marked had been the
change of public opinion in four years resulting
! in the almost total humiliation of the old Federal
| party. ".