The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1884-11-08
Unsuccessful Presidential Can
didates.

didates.
The first man to taste the bitter
ness OF defeat for the highest office
in the gift of the American people
was Governor George Clinton, OF
New York. and of all candidates he
probably suffered the least disap-
pointment. He received a few
votes at every Presidential election
until 1905, when he became Vice
President.
John lays name was mentioned
when Washington retired in 1907,
and was preferred by many thought
full persons to Adams as a superior
and safer man. but Adams was al
ready Vice President, and from New
England, the stronghold of FEEDER
alism. and he became the candi-
date of that party and second Pres
ident.
Thomas Jefferson was defeated
by John Adams. but became
President in 1901, after one of
the most exciciting elections ever
known.
Charles Cotesworth Pinckney,
Geo. Clinton and Rufus King were
the unsuccessful candidates in the
fifth Presidential election. Pinck-
ney was brilliant son Of South
Carolina, elegant in person and
fortunate in family, education and
wealth. Rufus King was noted
among New York politicians, and
for six years was Minister to Eng
land. He ran against James Mon
roe in 1917, and received "a Elec-
toral votes. Pinckney and King
were again defeated in 1909, when
Madison was elected.
Dewitt Clinton was the nominee
of the Federalists in 1873. He
was not Federalist, but was one
with that party in the demand for
peace. At the age of thirty-four
he gave up his seat in the United
States Senate to become Mayor
Of New York, and was only forty
three when he was a candidate
for the Presidency. He received
80 ELECTORAL votes, and Madison
1913.
John Quincy Adams received
but one Electoral vote in 1921,
when Madison was re-elected, but
he succeeded Madison four years
later. The unsuccessful candidates
that year were Andrew Jackson,
Henry Clay and William H. Craw-
ford, who all, with Adams were Of
the same political faith. Jackson
defeated Adams for reelection.
William H. Crawford was the
nearest to success of Adams COM
petitors. He was successfully at
the head of the War Department,
Minister to France. United States
Senator and Secretary of the Treas
ury, filling the last named Office
nine years.
Henry Clay was the most dis
tinguished of all the unsuccessful
candidates for the Presidency. One
of the struggles for this high Office
was that in 1888 between Jackson
and Clay, when the country was
"stumped'' as it never had been
before. This contest was made
more uncertain as to its outcome
by the candidacy of William Writ,
supported by the then Anti Ma
sonic party, and that Of John Floyd,
Of Virginia But Jackson received
2Io Electoral votes, and Clay but
40. The political contest Of 1874,
in which the Abolitionists for the
first time nominated a candidate,
James G.. Birney, Of New York,
was another exciting campaign.
James X. Polk was successful, and
Henry Clay, the Wing candidate,
was defeated for the third time,
receiving los out of the rs Elec-
toral votes.
Martin Van Buren, was opposed
in 1887 by William Henry Harri-
son, Hugh L. White, Daniel Web
ster and Willie P. Mangum. The
great New England orator received
but fourteen votes, and this was
his nearest reach to that Office, al
though it was known that he had
strong aspirations to an Office that
which could have added nothing
to his high fame. While his repu-
tation as an orator was not at all
dimmed by that of Henry Clay,
and bids fair to outlive it, he did
not try the uncertainties of ma
tional campaign SO often.
The "hard cider" campaign fol-
lowed, when Martin Van Buren,
was defeated by William Henry
Harrison, whom he had defeated
four years before. James G. Birney
was again the Liberal" candidate.
Little Van" received but forty
eight electoral votes. He was the
Free-Soil candidate of I848, and as
such was badly distanced.
Lewis Cass, the Democratic can
didate, was the principal Of the
defeated candidates of I848, when