Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1892-01-15
glWRITTEN CHAPTER.
MEMoRADLE TILpEs-HAYEs
MsToRY OF 1876.

aIe mtue uDu unilaue; prlnclp0lltleS
rise and fall; great characters pass
before our view, hold our attention
for a brief space, and then giso place
to other actors in the drama of life,
while we can only judge their con
duct by the causes which appear on
: the surface. The keenest judges of
human nature will at The time differ
as to the motives which have infiu-
ehced the motives of II public man or
the forces which have moulded
some great event
The majority of the adult popula
ton can readily remember tho excite
ing Presidential campaign of 1876;
the claims of the supporters of the
rival candidates; the long period of
suspense while the result was still in
doubt, the formation of tho celeb,at.
ed Electoral Commissions; the long
and tedious investigation; the final
decision and Inauguration of Ruther.
ford B. Hayes.
The decision of tho Elcctora Com
mission was that of the three hun.
dred and siXty-nino votes of the Elec-
toral College, Rutherford Is. HAYES
had received one hundred and eighty
Eve and Samuel j. Tilden one hun
dred and eighty-four, majority of
one vote for Hayes. The votes of
reveral Southern States, notably
Louisiana and Florida, wero, in spite
OF strenuous opposition, given to
Hayes.
The State of Florida, through a
succession of peculiar circumstances
cast her four votes for the head of
the Republican ticket, by the slender
majority of eighty-one ballots. But
for this chain of circumstances which
it is the intention of this article to
explain, these four votes would have
been cast for Samuel j. Tilden and
secured his election by one hundred
and eighty eight votes to one hun
--dred and eigbty-one for Rutherford
B. Hayes.
Boyd e. Furnas, tho prcacnt aud
itor of Miami county, Ohio, was for u
number of years employed Dy several
eastern illustrated papers as n t,rav.
cling correspondent, sketching with
the pencil the scenery or events de.
scribed by his ready pen. During
the winter of lS7G-77 he was en-.
ployed by the Cincinnati Gazette
the Detroit Free Press and the Chi
cage Tribune to travel through the
South and report the proceedings oil
the Electoral Commission.
February found the Commission
and the attendant newspaper mer
comfortably installed III jackson
vile, enjoying the bright sun ant
balmy breezes OF the Florida winter
while the inspection of the official re
turns and the hearing of evidenc,
went slowly on.
The hotel accommodations of til,
city were much behind the adyan
tages travellers at present enjoy nnt
Boyd found himself sharing room
in this old Florida House with an ole
time acquaintance, YIN. 81. Hardin
of Columbia county.
Tall, handsome, both in face ant
figure, brilliant, scion of one of th,
Oldest and most distinguished South
ern families, young Hardin hat
started in'life with the most rosent
prospects for prosperous career
The business depression in th,
South, the result of the Civi! War
coupled with his extravaganza tastes
had completely ruined him. 70 snt
lsfy these tastes and desires he hat
resorted to multifarious and ofte,
questionable ways of raising the ne
cessary means with which to gratif,
them.
Before the election the leaders O
both parties were aware that the re
suit would be very close and had re
sorted to every means known to poll
tieians, to attain success for their fac
ton. Hardin. himself successful
politician, was entrusted with tire
hundred and fifty dollars by til
Democratic State Committee to b
placed to the best advantage Quiet
y pocketing the money be treate
with the Republicans and for q brib