The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1884-06-20
THE NEW ELEMENTS IN PRESIDENTIAL
CALCULATIONS.

~SSOAAS
revision of the old Presidential calcu-
lations necessary. The electoral
College of 1872, based on the ninth
Census, contained 366 votes. The ad-
mission of Colorado in the centennial
year increased the number to 369. In
the Presidential election of that year it
was decided that Hayes had lS5 votes
against 1874 for Tilden. In 1880 the
number of the Electoral College being
still 369, Garfield obtained 2l4 votes
to l55 for Hancock, though by the
popular vote the former had only a
plurality of 1884. Under the tenth
Census the Electoral College has been
increased from 500 20 40l. This time
POI votes will be required to elect the
President of the United States.
The adjustment by which the Elec-
torial College was increased from 1863
to 401 members, was about as fair as
could have been devised. The number
of the members of the House was in
creased from 293 to 325. The new
seats, 80 in all, were nearl " equally
divided between the North and the
South, in proportion to population.
The Electoral College is based on the
numbers of the Senate and the House.
One elector is allowed for each Senator
and Representative, which br- gs up
the total number to 401, as already
stated. But any calculation based ex-
,clusively on the vote of 1880 must
necessarily prove defective for two
reasons: Q) The redistribution of
political power; and ~ the political
changes that have since taken place.
In 1880 Garfield carried eighteen
States and had a plurality in one.
Hancock carried seventeen States and
had a plurality in two. The State
majorities in the case of both candi-
dates were very small. The largest
majority which Garfield had was
polled in Massachusetts,, namely,
4S,O0S. Hancock's largest ajority
was in Texas-that is to say, 67,400.
The off-years developed no new move
ments in politics. The ofi-years in the
preceding interval brought on the
scene in some places the Workingmen's
party; and in others the Greenbackers.
Hard times, such as these were, stimu-
lated the former into activity. The
country had fallen into stagnant con-
dition as the result of the speculation
which preceded 1878. The contraction
necessary to reach resumption closed
out large masses of improvident debt
ors. The Greenback movement was
one in the interest of that class. They
made fierce struggle for initiation by
which they could have scaled their
debts. But resumption became an
absolute financial necessity and they
we,e forced one side. Finally the
Workingmen and Greenbackers
coalesced. But as they had nothing in
common these united factions made no
headway. AS matter of fact incon-
vertible paper is the most complete de-
vice ever invented for cheating labor
of its rewards.
But in the of-years this time, in
stead of the formation of third parties,
the Republicans began to develop, one
of their hereditary tendencies, so to
speak, of sumptuary laws. They be-
came committed to Such legislation in
Kansas, Iowa and several other States
The result was new Democratic
TidaI-Wave, which removed several
States from the Republican column,
arrested the tendency in the United
States Senate to Republican majority,
afterwards secured by mere political
accident, and gave us a large Demo
cratic majority i'll the House. But in
later political contests, the Republicans
have laid aside the notion which
brought them nothing but defeat.
Since then the Tariff. which both
parties for long time rather evaded,
has become living positive issue. The
Republicans distinctly uphold Protec-
ton, as the majority of the Democrats
lean toward Free Trade. The question
is much better understood now than
in former years. 1t was indirectly an