Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1889-01-04

Nlteeil >-ileS. or WHICH All the l1S we're 'Or
George y ash,ugton a. first cha. ce tut On
second choice John Adams received n,
George Clinton 80, Thomas jefferson 4,
Aaron Burr l. Already the people had
totally disregarded tho original plan and
voted with direct reference to the main Of
flee, nor has there ever been an instance in
American history where an elector Jailed to
carry out the will of his constituents, though
en- two occasions there have been whispers
that such was intended. The election of 1893
was the last in which there was any APP
proach to unanimity until 1920.
On Feb s, 1877, the two houses of congress
assembled in the hall of the house Of repre-
sentatives and the certificates of the electors
of sixteen states we're opened as before. The
count showed on the first ballot Z, for John
Adams and 6S for Thomas jefferson, an cleo
ton sufficiently close to give fair warning Of
what was to come There were SO ballots
for Thomas Pinckney, 80 for Aaron Burr, is
for Samuel Adams, II for Oliver Ellsworth,
for Samuel Johnston, Of Massachusetts,; 3
for James Iredel, of North Carolina; 5 for
John Jay, of Connecticut; Z for George Gin
ton, 2 for George Washington, for Charles
Cotesworth Pnckney, of North Carolina,
and 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 time 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-
situation 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 a majority Of
Republican or Democratic electors, they
having 70 to the Federalsts' 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
voted was 1873; but as Thomas jefferson and
Aaron Burr had received rs each to 65 and
"a for John Adams and Charles G. 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,
states being necessary to a choice. On the
18th of February the states voted 0 times,
Thomas Jefferson still lacking state of
having the required 0. On the 18th they bal
loted the twenty ninth time, on the 18th the
thirtieth. thirty-first thirty-second and
thirty-third times. On the 10th they voted
the thirty-fourth time, and on the 18th the
thirty-ffth 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 2 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 G
very active debate upon an amendment tx
the constitution, which was introduced il
the congressional session of 1861 1t wa.
vehemently opposed in both houses by the
Federalists on the ground that it would b.
the means of party intrigue, favoring tn,
election Of a vice president who would be un
fit to discharge the office Of president; thai
the election by the house of representa-
tives would probably be very rare a
any rate; that the house was equally 81
| W SuOosS wan lue tlcClOIdl college,
and that il the house should choose an,
president unfit it would serve as warning
thereafter to both parties to bestow theil
votes in all cases on persons properly quail
fed. 1t was further urged, and with wha
now seems like great show of reason, tha
a change of the constitution was in itself
fault and likely to prevent that veneratior
and prescrptive force which time con ferred
that the constitution was new and not sufii
GENTLY tried to warrant a change, and tina
it was better to submit to partial fault thai
to risk a greater one in an untried expert
ment. Nevertheless, after long debate, thu
amendment was carried by the needed two
thirds, and during 1904 it was ratified by tn
legislatures of three fourths of the states, ant
now stands as the twelfth amendment of tn
constitution. 1t provides that the elector
shall make distinct lists Of all persons votet
for as president and vice president, ant
leaves the other provisions of the consttu
ton very nearly as they were before. Tn
result Of course has been that it was almos
impossible to choose president and vice presi
dent of opposite political parties, but tina
may happen when the choice of president
thrown into the house of representatives TO
in that case the choice Of vice president