The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1878-06-20
PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION FRAUDS.

! litical Quarrels-A Perilous Period for
| the Union.
| From the New York Commercial Advertiser.l
The Washington correspondent of the
Springfield Republican writes that
statements are made, with fine details,
that personally implicate the President
in some of the Florida and Louisiana
and South Carolina frauds. Jefferson
and John Quincy Adams were both
charged "with fine details that per-
sonally implicated them in bargains,
intrigues and frauds by which they Sc
cured the Presidency. Ii there is any
truth in history, the newspapers of the
day, and the letters Of the public men
of the time, the country in 1900, pend
ing the election of Jefferson, was on the
verge OF revolution and dissolution.
The accounts we have of the Presiden-
tial campaign Of 1900 are exciting and
interesting. New York city, as she has
in nearly all Presidential elections,
played very important part. In fact,
the result in this city settled the cleo
ton in favor of Jefferson, as it did for
Polk in 1914. The Democrats elected
all their candidates for the Legislature
and secured a majority in both houses
and in the State. The Presidential
electors were then chosen by the Leg
islature. The contest in New York city
in the Presidential campaign of 1900
was conducted on one side by Hamilton
and on the other by Burr. The three
rallied their forces at the different polls.
Both spoke in turn from the same
platform. Money was freely used
ON both sides without scruple
and without stint. The best
men in the city worked earnestly day
after day at the polls. Men like Hamil-
ton, Burr, Jay, Schuyler, Clinton and
the Livingstons mixed among the peo-
pie on election day, after the manner of
the Custom House and Tammany follow
ers of to-day. The three days election
closed, and the victory was with the Re-
publicans. Immediately after the result
of the State election was known, Hamil-
ton, with the approval of Federal friends,
addressed letter to Gov. Jay, urging
him to call the old Legislature together,
for the purpose of having an act passed
taking the power of appointing Presi-
Dental electors from the Legislature
just elected and having the State di-
vided into districts for the choice of
Presidential electors by the people.
Had Gov. Jay acquiesced, Jefferson
would have lost New York, and the
game would have been in Hamilton's
hands. Hamilton, "the evil genius of
the country" as Jefferson designated
him. was determined not to be tnwarted
in his designs. He re escorted to every in
trigue and device which his transcendent
talents were capable of suggesting. His
letters, and the letters of other leading
men during this period, show our pub
lie men to have been much more shame
less and INSCRIPTIONS than the private
letters or back-parlor interviews of
our public men of to-day would show.
They were all alike-envious and zeal
GUS, eternally belittling and back
biting each other. Hamilton hated
Adams, and Adams reciprocated.
He scandalized Hamilton in pri-
vate circles. Hamilton demanded
an explanation. Adams refused to re-
ply. Hamilton wrote again denouncing
Adams as a scoundrel and a liar. In
this spirit was the Presidential election
of 1900 carried on. Hamilton's secret
letter to private friends dgainst Adams,
which Burr discovered accidentally and
published, fell like bombshell on the
country. Hamilton was determined by
fair means or foul to defeat Adams.
Congress was in session when the result
of the New York election reached Wash
ington. Tt was then ascertained that a
Democratic President and Vice Presi-
dent could not be elected. Congress
sional caucuses in those days nominated
Presidents and Vice Presidents. The
''rings," cliques, "regencies and
cabals at Washington, Richmond, AL
bany, Harrisburg, Boston, and other
State capitals made and unmade great
men. The same machines are in ex-
istence to-day. If any change has taken
place in eighty years in shaping politics,
we have yet to learn it. Our public
men of to-day are more honest and less
S1TCA w OucSA4 OAAO RAOAAC 11CA VI
1900. Jefferson and Adams were under
stood to be the candidates for the Presi-
dency of the Democratic and Federal
parties. The Vice President was left
undecided. Burr and Gov. Clinton were
spoken of as candidates from New York.
When it became known that the Presi-
Dental electors stood seventy three for
Jefferson to seventy three for Burr, and
there was no election of President, the
excitement throughout the country be-
came intense. Hamilton was busy
intriguing to make Pinckney
President. Electors in Pennsyl-
vania, in New Jersey, and in
the New England States were approached
on this point. Hamilton knew that the
Southern States would vote for Jefferson
in preference to Adams or any Northern
man, and he hoped to divide that vote
with Pinckney. Hamilton is quoted as
saying that "unless Pinckney was chosen
President a revolution would be the con-
sequence. Jefferson in great alarm
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