, 1884-12-11
THE DISAPPOINTED.
THE UNSUCCESSFUL CANDIDATES OF
PAST PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGNS
John Adams Mortifying Defrat-The VA
rions Defeats nf Henry cIay-Men
Who Failed to Get the Nomina-
tioB-GreeIey's Fate.

New York Cor. Cincinnati Enquirerl
One OF the saddest aspects Of an election il
the fact TINT on half Of the candidates must
be disappointed. No man ever likes to DO
beaten, and political defeat is often OF a very
crushing character. The first disappointed
presidential candidate was John Adams, who
In 1900 sought n second term. He was, how
ever, eight ballots behind his rivals, and this
was n Notifying defeat. Thenceforth he
lived In retirement in his native town
Quincy, where he died twenty-six years
afterward. He had passed so many years in
public life that his retirement was very irk-
some. He lived, however, 10 See his son in the
presidential chair, which did much TO COM
pensate for his own defeat. The same can
vass which blighted the hopes of Adams
was equally fatal 10 Aaron Burr; for when
Adams was dropped Burr and jefferson were
a tie. and when this was broken by
politically shelved- Jefferson was reelected
with but little opposition. Madison. who
succeeded Jefferson, had 122 votes against
Charles G. Pinckney'S AZ; but, as the latter
hardly hoped for success, he could scarcely
be called a disappointed man. Madison's
successor Monroel WINS also elected with but
little opposition; but when he retired a sharp
rivalry occurred, and its result was the cleo
ton of John Quincy Adams,
Adams, like his father, was defeated in his
canvass for u second term, having only So
votes against Jackson's 1877. He bore his de-
feat in a philosophical manner, and having
returned 10 Quincy soon accepted the CON
gressional office, until removed by death, ex-
piring in the capitol which had witnessed his
efforts In behalf Of liberty. On Jackson's
second presidential canvass il can hardly b
said that there was a disappointed candidate,
for, though Clay was placed in opposition he
had no expectation Of success When Van
Buren's first presidential canvass took place
he had 40 votes against rs for Harrison,
who really had no hope of an election.
When, however, Van Buren, renewed that
canvass he found himself the victim Of dis
appointment, his vote being only 60 against
2S1 for Harrison. The next disappointed
candidate was Henry Clay, whose defeat
seemed the more a~ggravating since 1t was
clearly the result Of fraud accomplished in
this city, Of which | was a witness. The
polls were under the mastery of the Empire
club, whose terrorism reached an almost in
credible extent. The defeat of Clay was felt
severely both by himself and his friends, es
peciaily as he represented protection OF
American industry. Horace Greeley labored
through this canvass with almost Incredible
ardor and devotion, and the "lost cause al
most crushed him. How little he then
thought that he, too, would share the same
fate, though TO a more intensified degreei
Clay, and also his friends, expected that
he would again be put on the presidential
course, but when the next Wing national
convention assembled, Gen. Taylor's exploits
rendered him n more eligible candidate, and
the great commoner" here received his last
disappointment His record OF failure In
this great expectation is certainly very re-
markable. In 1924 he had 81 votes, and in
1889 he had A.. In 1910 his name was
brought before the Wing national conven-
ton, and had he been nominated his election
would have been certain. He was, however,
set aside in order to give place to Harrison,
and then came his defeat In 1874. In 1913 he
was again set aside to give place to a mill
tary man. What a record OF disappointed
ambitionl His service to the nation, how
ever, was really OF n higher order than that
Of q mere president, and he holds a lofty
and permanent place In the annals Of kmerf-
can stateSmanship.
Cas-, who ran against Gen. Taylor, was
bitterly disappointed. He made, however, a
gratifying l N, since he received 1z7 votes
against 1853 foi his opponent. Gen. Scott who
was the next { appointed candidate, was
deeply mortified by his defeat. He imagined,
indeed, that the same preference for a mill
tary hero which insured the election Of Jack
son, an also Taylor, would prevail equally
In JUS behalf. lie was, however, the worst
beaten candidate on record, since his vote
was only AZ against 24 for Pierce. Daniel
Webster had hoped for the nomination and
was much disappointed when It was given to
Scott He died the same year, but had he
lived a month longer he would have wit
messed Scotts defeat, and with him the
wreck OF the old Wing party. His defeat in
the convention, severe as 1t may have been,
was by no means so crushing as would have
been the inevitable result Of the election.
Fremont was disappointed in 1856, and yet
no had the satisfaction OF getting ia electoral
votes against Buchanan's l74. McClellan's
hopes in 1854 were based on the unpopularity
of the war, but his vote was only % against
9l2 for Lincoln. Horatio Seymour did much
better, since he had 80 against Grants 214.
The most unlucky of modern candidates,
however, was Horace Greely. In 1859 he
was nominated for congress and was again
defented, though ho had the satisfaction OF
u.A4ng 800 ahead of his ticket. His worst
blunder was in accepting the presidential
nomination, which really cost him his life.
Tilden did the best OF all the disappointed
candidates, since the adverse majority was
only one vote, while Hancock was defeated
by Garfield by a majority Of ifty-nine. 1t
may be added that this city contains an I'M
usual number Of disappointed candidates, In
Guiding Mcclellan, Hancock and Tilden,
while poor Greeley is in his grave at Green
wood. AFTER life's ftful fever he sleeps
we'll"