The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1892-06-27
INCREASE IN THE POPULAR VOTE.

How Presidential Election Figures Have
sweiled Since 1S24-Cost ALSO Rising.
Philadelphia Press.
The campaign that Is about to begin for
the control of the national government
promises TO be one of the most interesting
of the twenty-six presidential campaigns
the country has seen. 1t may be lacking
in the dramatic surprises that have
marked some of them. and there may be
less excitement than some close contests In
the past have aroused, but there will BIO
enough interesting features to make it
worthy of study and attention. Unpleas-
ant as the connection aroused by ono OF
these great national struggles may be TO
popular educators and worth to the people
all the time. money and effort that they
Quadrennlally cost.
One of the most interesting features of
popular vote. The record of the first nine
elections 10, however, defective. When
Washington WAS elected to the presidency
the electoral vote was cast by the State
legislatures, as the Constitution permits nc
to be. This method continued in use in
South Carolina until 1860, but the popular
vote method was In use In some States as
early as 1900. No complete vote of the
country at a presidential election, how
ever. Is accessible previous to the election
of 1874. In that election 352,O62 votes were
cast, but there nust have been a large In
crease in the number of legal voters dur
ing the next four years, as the election of
1892 showed q total popular vote of 1,156,-
326.
From that time on the gain Is steady,
only one election proving an exception.
that of 1868, when a smaller vote was cast
than in 1851, owing TO the fact that eleven
States were in rebellion and did not par
licipate. The election of 1910 saw the poll
make one of its longest strides. the sweep
and popular enthusiasm which carried
| William Henry Harrison into the presiden-
\ fiot chair adHinO almnGt IDl ono Unfes IN
the total, 2.410, i12 votes having been cast,
against, 1,4gS. POS in 1886. The three-milIion
mark was not passed until 1852, when !, 142,-
/ 81. votes were polled. and four years later
4.O52, 967 ballots dropped into the boxes. 1t
was twelve years later. or in 1868. when
another mineral was added to the front
figure, and 5,724. GA votes were polled.
Each Guadrennial contest since then has
seen from 200. COO To 100000 votes added TO
tho total poll, until in 1855 the poll reached
II, 34. 9S7. Next November will doubtless
sec IL, 500. 600 votes cast. and If there were
fair elections in the South the total would
be 13,000.0 600.
Another interesting feature Is the rapid
~ increasing cost of electlng q President
1t Is no exaggeration to say, probably. that
every vote cast next November will cost
81. This includes the expense of printing
the ballots and receiving and counting
them. This year the cost will be larger
than ever before on account of the great
number of votes to be cast and the adop-
ton of the Australian system In many
States. The cost of the great nominating
conventions held every four years is enor.
mons. but 1t can only he conjectured. If to
1t are added the cost of the ward. district,
county and State conventions, which lead
MP TO educational convention. the statement
that the expense of nominating presiden-
tial candidates is s.. 10000 600 may not be-
much of an exsggeration. When to this
sum is added the money spent during the
campaign in organizing the party. on street
pnrades, in holding meetings.. getting out
the vote. and other necessary things. 1t
will be seen that we pay a pretty high
price for our politics.
Does it payf 1t is a large sum Of money.
and a superficial observer would say that
Ii is thrown away. But u different verdict
will be given by those who look more CLOSE
w.. There is no better popular educator