Sharp County record., 1881-02-03
Casting the Electoral Vote.


the Electors and the day on which they
give their votes; which day shall be the
same throughout the United States. "
Accordingly, Congress passed a law,
apDr wed March /, 1892, which in part
read, rs follows:
SECTION Apdbe Il further enacted,
That the Electors shall meet and give
the:r votes on the said first Wednesday
in December. at such place, in such
State, as shall be directed by the Leg
islature thereof.
Some years after the passage Of this
act, Article II. of the Constitution was
amended; but the provision Of the law
of 1872, fixing the date of the Electoral
vote, has never been altered.
The historical record OF the Electoral
votes from the foundation of the Gov
ernment forms an interesting study.
For the first term, three States did not
gote-New York, which had not season.
ably passed an Electoral law, and North
Carolina and Rhode Island, which had
not vet adopted the Constitution. The
growth in the number of voting States
from ten to thirty-eight has been ac-
companied by growth in the number
of Electoral votes from siXty-nine to
three hundred and siXty-nine.
As is we'll known, from 1899 to 1904
the Electors voted for President and
Vice President on the same ballot, the
person receiving the highest vote being
announced as President and the one
next highest as Yice-President In 1888
the total number of votes was SO, all Of
which were cast for George Washington.
They were distributed in this way: Mas
sachusetts, Pennsylvania and Virginia,
10 each; Connecticut and South Caro-
lima, each; Maryland and New Jersey,
6 each; Georgia and New Hampshire,
5 each; Delaware, 3. John Adams, tOc
the second place, had 81 votes; the rest
were divided among ten candidates.
Adams thus became Vice-PreSident.
In 1872 the whole number Of Electors
was 1872, and all voted for Washington.
Adams for second place, got II votes;
George Clinton, 30; jefferson. 4; Burr,
/. Adams was again chosen Vice-Pres-
ident. Vermont and Kentucky had now
come into the Union, making fifteen
States. The votes were distributed in
this way: Virginia, 2l; Massachusetts,,
16; Pennsylvania. Is; North Carolina
and New York, Y each; Connecticut 9,
and so down.
In 1896 Tennessee had come in, and
the whole number of Electors was 1873.
John Adams received II votes Jetfer-
son, IS; Pinckney, 50; Burr, 80; Samuel
Adams, of Massachusetts, Is; Oliver
Ellsworth, of Connecticut II, and the
rest were divided among seven candi-
dates. Adams, therefore, became Pres
ident and Jefferson Vice-President.
In 1893 occurred the memorable tie
vote. The total number of Electors
was again 1873. Jefferson and Burr each
received thirty-three votes; Adams had
sixty-fve and Pinckney, siXty-tOur; Jay
had one. 1t was quite evident that the
parties had now consolidated upon reg
ular nominees for President and Vice
President and that the Constitutional
provision for election was such as to
make the winning party always put its
own two candidates in rivalry foA the
higher place. On appealing to the
Congressional vote, as provided for by
the Constitution, Jefferson. on the thir-
'v-sixth ballot in the House of Repre-
ltatives, became President, and Burr
became Vice President. Then the
twelfth amendment to the Constitution
was made. guarding against such pre-
dicaments thenceforth.
For twenty four years thereafter there
was little in the Electoral voting out OF
the common. In 1904 Jefferson and
Clinton were elected President and Vice
President by 1862 votes each against
II each for G. c. PincEney and
Ruius King. Ohio had now entered the
Union. In l50S the vote was; Madison,
I22. and Clinton, ll3, against A
each for Pinckney and King, with
some scattering total vote being
us. as betOre, except that there was
one vacancy. In 1872 the vote was 12S
for Madison and 13l for Elbridge Gerry
against - for De Witt Clinton and
Sc for Jared Ingersoll. In 1916 it was
l83 for Monroe and ID. ID. Tompkins,
against 81 for the persistent Rufus
King, and a scattering of candidates
Tor Vice President. John Z. Howard
being highest. Louisiana and Indiana
rad now come in. In 1920 occurred the
Overwhelming vote OF 23l for Monroe
against l for j. Q. Adams, cast by New
Hampshire. whose other seven votes
went to Monroe. d. D. Tompkins re-
ceived 2lS for Vice President, with II
scattering Alabama, Mississippi, llli-
nois. Missouri and Maine had now been
taken in.
In 1924 memorable strife occurred.
The whole number Of Electors was PSI
no new States, but a new census ap.
portionment. Andrew Jackson, for
President, had %; j. Q. Adams, 81; W.
H. Crawford, Il; Henry Clay, 81. The
election for the second time went into
the House of Representatives, where the
race was not to the swift, for the sec
ond candidate, Adams, was elected on
she tirst ballot by States. John G. Cal
houn had received 1872 Electoral votes
Virginia, Ohio, Connecticut, Missouri
aud Georgia casting all their votes
against him. and few other votes from
divided States also going to other can
didates; but he had been elected Vice
Pre- jdent by large majority.
In 1928 the vote was Jackson, 17S;