Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1880-12-24
The Vote of the United States.

took place.
The Vote of the United States.
According to calculations made
from the official records, 9,192, ,595
men deposited their ballots in the
last Presidential election. This is
probably the largest vote that has
ever been cast in the world. This vast
mass were nearly equally divided as
to the party which should have con.
troll of the Governments, ,439, AIS
men declared for Garfield and the
Republicans, and 4,436, Ola men for
Hancock and the Democrats. But
among these latter were the 16 solid
States of the South. Garfeld's plur-
ality over Hancock in the whole
country was therefore only 3,4O1.
But while the popular majority for
that candidate was SO small the Elsc-
toral majority is quite large. He
will have 213 votes, allowing the loss
Of Que vote in consequence of error
in Indiana, in the Electoral College,
against 155 for Hancock. The Re.
publicans show steady growth in
their voting. In 1864 their total
vote was 2,11G,067; in 1868, 3,O15,-
OIL; in 1872, 3,597,O ,O7O; in 1876,
4 ,2S4, ,2G4; and in 1880, as above
stated, 4,439, AIS. The increase,
however, during the last four years
was much smaller than during any
of the preceding terms.
But under our system popular ma
jorities usually do not count for
much. 1t is possible for a candidate
for the Presidency to receive q min
ority oAthe popular vote and ma
joity in the electoral College. In
1874 Polk had "a, ,119 popular ma
jority against him, yet he counted
ITO electoral votes to 105 for Clay.
In 1S4S General Taylor had a popu-
lar majority OF Isl sos against him,
but received 163 electoral votes
against 127 for Mr.. Cass. Similar
ly, Hayes in 1876 had popular ma
jority against him of 157 1894. but he
had one more vote in the Electoral
College than Tilden. But where
there is popular majority the elec-
toral majority is likely to be proper
tional greater. This results from
the fact that all States, big and lit
tie, have two electoral votes for their
Senators. If all the electoral votes
of the States were based on their
members of Congress, the popular
majority and the electoral majority
would always be relatively the same.
But while S,975 ,429 men were di-
vided in their opinions between Gar
field and Hancock, 305, ,629 pinned
their faith to Weaver and 9,644 went
for Neal Dow, the Prohibitionist
candidate. In addition, there were
1,793 citizens who threw away their
votes by supporting some friend or
patron. The total vote 8, 1872 ,595 in
total population of fifty and half
millions indicates a proportion OF
voters in the United States of one to
every 81 population. But for all
that, in some places the voters ap-
peared to be in 4; in others l in 3;
in one place, stranoest Of all, l in 2.
Probably when allowances are made
for these and other statistical vagar-
les the total vote will be reduced to
figures which will yield the proper.
ton of l voter in every 6 inhabitants,
which appears to be the true one.
WHAT a cowardly, skulking, de-
testable, villainous, shriveled up and
pusillanimous look he has; how
snake-like and sneaking is his walk
how sickening and disgusting hiE
very breath! Such is the habitua
slanderer-the man or the woman
whose delight and business it is tc
villify, abuse and backbite neigh
Dor. If there is one compartment
in hell hotter aud more horrible thar
another, the slanderer should bt
placed in it and roasted until hi
rascally tongue is completely cleaned
of its wickedness and venom.
HERE IS man IN Virginia wh(
has lived fifty years Of welded life
His name is HoaSland. He frs
welded q widow lady with one
daughter. This daughter had be-
come a widow with one child wher
Hoagland's wife died, and he mar
ried the widowed daughter. Finally
the widowed daughter died, and he
married her daughter ten years later
He says they Were excellent wives
and so much alike they all seemed
to him the same woman with theil
youth renewed.
The Signal Service observer, OF
the top of Pixies Peak, holds thu
highest office in the gift OF the ma
! ton.
\ rose-tr of Hanover is said t,