The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1893-02-28

one elector in South Carolina would vote
for Jefferson and Clinton, but the failure
OF TINS threw the election into the House.
VI the opposing candidates for the PreSi-
dency Adams was President and Jeffer-
son was Nice-President, each prevented
by MS Office from taking an active. open
part IN the campaign. On the Democratic
side Burr had conducted the canvass with
consnmmate ability and claimed tie
fruits OF the victory, and probably would
dissolution of the Union but for the
patriotism of Hamilton. In the House
nine States were necessary for an cleo
tlon. Inc balloting began February 18th
ana thlrty-ive ballots were taken. JET
ferson received the vote of eight States.
The votes of Maryland and Vermont
were divided. For several days and
nights the members did not leave the
House. Some were sick and one was at
tended by his wife. The tederalits were
wiling to see Burr elected in order to in
Jure the opposite party. Then Hamilton
came to the rescue. The matter was fl
nally settled by six Federalist members
voting blank, which gave Jefferson ten
States. 1t had been rumored that the
Federalists were bent upon preventing
an election in order to pass law to put
the Government in the hands of an OIL
Ger. Jefferson declared that this would
have been followed by another constitu-
t!onal convention, and it was openly de-
clared that the Middle States would arm
to prevent any such usurpation. This
danger happily averted, the twelfth
amendment was adopted to prevent its
recurrence
This occasion and in 1874, when none of
the four candidates, j. q. Adams, Jack
son, Crawford nor Clayreceived majority
OF the ELECTORAL votes, were the only two
| Tunes that the election has ever gone into
the House.
ELECTORS CHOSEN BY THE PEOPLE.
In the first years of the Republic as has
already been stated, the common mode
of selecting electors was by the State
Legislatures. Virginia was the first to
elect by popular vote, and she was closely
followed by Pennsylvania and Maryland.
by 1882 electors were chosen by the peo-
pie in all the States except South Caro-
lima, which continued to elect by the
Legislature until 1868.
AS appointments by the Legislature
were gradually abandoned election by
Congress districts was substituted. This
was regarded as by far the fairest method
and, whilst retaining the idea of the cleo
ton OF the President by States. it came
nearest 10 an election by the people, for
under this district system it was next to
w OlOOI a IIlIlu W ZIG resi-
dency against the will OF a majority of the
people. This has been done several
times under the system which now pre-
walls. The adoption of the present sys-
TEN came from partiSanship. That party
which was in majority in a State was
unwilling that the minority party should
nave any part of the electoral vote, as
would inevitably occur in nearly all the
States under the district system.
by 1873 all all the States except Mary
land and South Carolina were electing
their electors on general ticket. The lat
ter State appointed by the Legislature
and Maryland held on to the district sys-
tenn because the Legislature was in the
hands OF party which could not count
on majority in the State. Under the old
Constitution of Maryland the State Sem
ate was elected by electors and was unani-
nous in its politics. There electors were
appointed in the State in such way
that the Federalist or Wing minority, as
the case might be, could elect majority
OF them and SO usually secure the whole
Senate. Under the district system, there
fore, the Wings or Federalsits could de-
pend upon getting a portion of the cleo
toral vote, while, II the election had been
by general ticket. they would probably
have secured none. But in 1882 Mary
land abandoned the system and it has
never been revived in any of the States
until Michigan did so for the present cleo
ton. Under the general-ticket system it
was supposed, of course, that the vote of
State would be solid for one or the
other party, as voter would scarcely
vote for some of the men on the ticket to
elect one candidate and for others to
counteract them. At the present election
the electoral vote is divided in four States,
namely: Ohio, California, Oregon and
North Dakota. This is the first time
such a thing has ever occurred.
MARYLAND'S VOTE.
The Presidential election Monday was
the twenty-seventh that has taken place
in the United States. At these elections
the vote Of Maryland, which was six
under the first apportionment, has been
as follows:
In 1889, for Washington and Robert TT.
Harrison &; in 1898, Tor Washington and
Adams s; in 1899, for Adams Z, Jefferson
Z, Thomas Pinckney 4, Burr 3, John
Henry 2; in 1901, Jefferson ). Burr }.
Adams 5, c. C. Pinckney 5; in 1905. for
Jefferson and Clinton 8, c. C.. Pinckney
and Rufus King 2; in 1909, Madison and
Clinton 8, Pinckney and King =; in 1913.
Madison and Gerry 6, Clinton and Inger-
soil 5; in 1917. Monroe and Tompkins S:
in 1871, for President Monroe IL, for
Nice-President, Tompkins 10, Robert q.
Harper l; in 1875, for President, Adams 3.
Crawford l, Jackson i for Vice-Presi-
dent, Calhoun 10, Andrew Jackson l.
Clay 2; in 1929, Jackson and Calhoun 5,
Adams and Rush 8; in 1898, Jackson and
Van Buren, 3, Clay and Sergeant 5; in
1887, Harrison and Tyler 10; in 1871,
Harrison and Tyler 10; in 1915, Clay and
Frelinghuysen s, in lS49, Taylor and Fill
more s; in 1858, Pierce and King S.; in
1857, Fillmore and A. J. Donaldson s: in
1861, Breckenridge and Lane s; in 1865,
Lincoln and Johnson Z; in 1869, Seymour
and Blair Z; in 1873, Thomas A. Hendricks
and q. Gratz Brown s; in 1877, Tilden
and Hendricks s; in 1881, Hancock and
English s; in 1885, Cleveland and Hem
bricks s; in 1889, Cleveland and Thur
man s; in 1898, Cleveland and Steven
son S.-Baltimore Sun.