New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-05-23
POPULAR OBSERVATIONS.
SUGGESTIVE PARALLELS.
DEFEATED CANDIDATES SUCCESSFUL IN SECOND
RACE WITH THE SAME COMPETITORS.


RACE WITH THE SAME COMPETITORS.
TO the Editcr Of The Tribune.
Sir: History sometimes repeats itself, and although
we may not have exact parallels the similarity OF cir
cumstanccs and conditions frequently striking The
possibilities OF the present Presidential campaign can
10 mind certain facts which, while they do not abso
lutey prove results, certainly be considered as
premonitons.
Since the adoption of the National Constitution
there have been but three instances where the same
candidates the Presidency, the successful and I'M
successful, against each other the second time,
and It at least worthy Of note that In every case
the defeated candidate of the first election became the
successful contestant at the second in other words,
while number Of Presidents have been elected to I'LL
the Office a second time the instance has yet to be
seep o. candidate beating the competitor twice
The first time the defeated candidate turned the
tables on his opponent in the year 1900 In 1916
John Adams and Thomas jefferson were respectively
the candidates of the Federalists and Republicans.
Previous 10 this time, George Washington although
prominent Federalist, had been chosen unanimously
for both his terms. Adams received II electoral
votes, and Jefferson 6s, and Adams was elected The
Administration Of John Adams was popular at the
start but the year 1900 drew his acts in con-
necton with difficulties with France alienated large
body of his friends, and a consequence in meeting
his former opponent Thomas Jefferson, Mr. Adams
was defeated by vote of 70 to IS electoral votes.
The election Of 1924 a peculiar one, the struggle
being principally personal choice between indfvtd-
uals instead of parties. The candidates were Andrew
Jackson John Quincy Adams, William II. Crawford and
Henry Clay. Neither of the candidates having re-
ceived majority Of the electoral votes the election
was thrown into the House Of Representatives where
Mr. Adams received the vote Of thirteen out Of twenty
four States, and was elected In 1928 there were
only two candidates in the fied-Adams and Jackson
resulting in the election Of the latter by electoral
vote of 175 to &c.
In the next eight years. during Jachsons two terms,
parties formed and changed. The Republicans,
der the leadership Of Jackson became the Jacksonan,
and then the National Democratic party what left
of the Federalst party resolved Itself into the National
Republican, and then into the Wing party. The
campaign Of 1886 was bitter and hard fought There
were four candidates IN opposition to Martin Van
Buren, the representative Of the National Democracy,
but they working in unison with the hope OF
throwing the election into this House Of Representa-
tives william Henry Harrison was the Wing leader,
ard he received 73 electoral votes, but Van Buren,
was elected by 40 votes TO 124 for the combined OPP
position This campaign was succeeded by the famous
"lcg-cabin" and hard cider" contest OF 1S4o Whlle
the Abolition party had candidate IN this contest
James G. Brney, the vote he received was not SUM-
Client 10 have made airy difference in the result Tho
fight was between the two chief contestants in the
1886 campaign and the result was something asound-
ing Harrison fairly sung into Office, ana rom
a majority Of 46 in the electoral college after his
first campaign, Van was literally used up man"
in 1910 with only 60 votes against 234 for Harr-
son.
This, IN brief is the result OF the only campaigns
since the foundations of the Government in which
defeated candidate has run second time against ms
successful competitor. 1t may be noted also that
there Is a similarity in the present campaign 10 inc
campaign of 1910, In that It Is a tarn hght: =
tariff for the encouragement Of manufactures was al
vocated by Washington in 1850. The nrst protoetEo
tariff was adopted In 1906. In 1884 Henry CIsy
American System" Of protection to American lhdus-
try was adopted, and the question entered somewhat
into the Presidential election resulting In the triumph
lat not TO the extent that Adams and Clay were ana
his election IN 1928 was considered triumph over
the high protective policy enuncated IN the IN
creased duties In the tariff bill adopted that year IN
1888, the elections Of the preceding year having g0e
against the high protectonists, and South Saronna
threat enng dsunlOn in consequence OF certain acts
OF the Congress Of the United states, purportng 10
be laws laying duties the Importation OF loroigu
commoditess a compromise bill was adopted whlch
radically changed the whole tarih system Ihls re-
ductiUn of the duties resulted in diminished revenues
and a. one of the consequences II made the campaign
Of ls4O tariff fight. One popularity about the
result Of this campaign which is noteworthy IS, mat
Notwithstanding their overwhelming defeat under an
1914, and Thomas Benton said that tho Democratic
party had victory twice before, after It's only
Two national defeats by adopting at once the cand
in whose person It had suffered reverse ter
Buren, at once for tho next nomination. When the
Whig party followed the Democratic example ID tnls
matter OF nominations Il proted by so doing In the
case Of Harrison. WIN the Republican party this
year complete the parallel?
To show in brief from the result Of those elections
in which the candidates have contested for the
prize second time. the following table VIII prove
convenient for reference