The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1888-12-29

second choice John Adams received a,
George Clinton 80, Thomas jefferson :,
Aaron Burr |. Already the people had
totally diSregarded the original plan and
voted with direct reference 10 the main Of
flee, nor has there ever been an instance IN
American history where an elector failed TO
carry out the will OF his constituents, though
~ two occasions there have been whispers
that such was intended The election of 1913
was the last in which there was any APP
proach To unanimity until 1870
On Feb S, l791, the two houses OF congress
assembled in the hall of the house OF repre-
sentatives and the certificates of the electors
Of sixteen states were opened rs before. The
count showed on the first ballot Z; for John
Adams and Us for Thomas jefferson, an cleo
ton sufficiently close to give fair warning OF
what was TO come, There were 80 ballots
for Thomas Pinckney, 80 for Aaron Burr, 10
for Samuel Adams, II for Oliver Ellsworth,
9 for Samuel Johnston, of Massachusetts; 3
for James lredel of North Carolina; for
John Jay, of Connecticut; for George Gin
ton, . for George Washington, for Charles
Cotesworth Pinckney, of North Carolina,
and 9 for John Henry, of Maryland, the
whole number of votes cast being just twice
the number of electors. 1t did not escape
observation at the ii me that in announcing
the votes the president added this appeal:
"And may the sovereign of the universe, the
ordainer of civil government on earth for
the preservation OF liberty, justice and peace
among men, enable both to discharge the
duties of these offices conformably to the con-
stitution of the United States, with consci-
entiousness, diligence, punctuality and per-
severance" The long disputed question as
to whether the United States is in any sense
christian government" had already been
raised, and the vice president had previously
contented himself with a dry and formal
statement of the result of the vote
In the fourth election for president and
vice president parties were sharply defined,
and the campaign Of 1900 equaled any that
have succeeded it in the violent fury of party
passion and the zeal with which it was fought
to conclusion. The result was majority of
Republican or Democratic electors, they
having 70 TO the Federalists' 65; but the Re-
publicans managed SO badly that they cast
an exactly equal vote for Thomas jefferson
and Aaron Burr On the 18th of February,
1901, the two houses of congress convened in
the senate chamber, and, after the count of
votes as before, the vice president announced
that the whole number of electors who had
voted was 1888, but as Thomas jefferson and
Aaron Burr had received 70 each to Go and
"a for John Adams and Charles c. Pinckney
and | for John Jay, there was no election
either for president or vice president. So
the election devolved upon the house of rep.
resentatives.
In that body long and furious contro-
versy followed and most rigid rules were
adopted to prevent error or even the suspi
cion of fraud, and beginning Immediately
after returning to their own chamber the
house of representatives voted 10 times, 8
states being necessary to choice. On the
18th of February the states voted 0 times,
Thomas jefferson still lacking | state of
having the required O. On the 18th they bal
loted the twenty ninth time, on the l4th the
thirteth, thirty-tirst, thirty second and
thirty-thrd times. On the 10th they voted
the thrty-fourth time, and on the 18th the
thirty-fifth and thirty sixth and last time
The result of the last ballot was that the
votes of 10 states were given to Thomas JEFF
ferson, states to Aaron Burr and states in
blank, and consequently Thomas jefferson
was chosen president. The senate chose
Aaron Burr vice president.
1t is not difficult for Us to conceive the agi-
tation, both in and out of congress, during
this protracted balloting All sorts of in
trigues were charged, and of some of them
there is abundant proof. 1t was at one time
proposed that the Federalists should cast
their vote for Aaron Burr, which, with his
Republican strength, would have elected him
president; but the Republicans openly threat
ened revolutionary resistance in case this was
done, and Alexander Hamilton is credited
with having prevented it. The usual propo-
sitions were also made for compromise, and
at one time it was proposed to Mr.. jefferson
that If he would make certain pledges in
Guiding one to sustain the navy as projected
by the Federalists and to not remove Fed
eralists from Office the controversy should
end He refused to listen to any such propo-
sition. The trouble and the danger of greater
trouble which was realized by all led to a
very active debate upon an amendment to
the constitution, which was introduced in
the congressional session of 1904 1t was
vehemently opposed in both houses by the
Federalists on the ground that it would be
the means of party intrigue, favoring the
election of vice president who would be un-
fit to discharge the office of president; that
the election by the house of representa-
tives would probably be very rare at
any rate; that the house was equally fit
to choose with the electoral college;
and that if the house should choose any
president unfit it would serve as warning
thereafter to both parties to bestow their
votes in all cases on persons properly quail
fled. 1t was further urged, and with what
now seems like a great show of reason, that
change of the constitution was in itself
fault and likely to prevent that veneration
and prescriptive force which time con erred !;
that the constitution was new and not sufii-
GENTLY tried to warrant change, and that
it was better to submit to partial fault than
to risk a greater one in an untried expert
ment Nevertheless, after long debate, the
amendment was carried by the needed two
thirds, and during 1904 it was ratified by the
legislatures of three-fourths OF the states, and
now stands as the twelfth amendment of the
constitution. 1t provides that the electors
shall make distinct lists of all persons voted
for as president and vice president, and
leaves the other provisions of the consttu-
ton very nearly as they were before. The
result of course has been that it was almost
impossible to choose president and vice presi-
dent of opposite political parties, but that
may happen when the choice of president is