Goldsboro weekly argus. [volume] (Goldsboro, N.C.) 1885-1909, 1896-09-17
SOME POLITICAL HISTORY.

AS the Atlanta journal says
there have been only two instances
in our history in which presidents
of the United States were elected
by the House of Representatives,
and in both cases the contests in
the House were pre- tracted and ex-
citing, and the results greatly ag-
gravated the animosity between
the opposing political parties.
The first instance was the cleo
ton of Thomas Jefferson for his
first term. According to the consti-
tuition then in force, the presiden-
tial electors voted for two per-
sons, and the person receiving
the highest vote will be president,
and the next highest to be vice
president, The candidates were
Thomas Jefferson and Aaron Burr,
Republicans. on one ticket, and
John Adams and Thomas
Pinckney, Federalists, on the
other. 1t was we'll under~
TODD by the voters that Jefferson
and Adams were the opposing
candidates for the presidency,
and Burr and Pinckney for the
vice presidency, and the expecta-
ton was that to carry out this
understanding. the electors
would cast at least one more vote
to- the presidential candidate of
their party than for the vice
presidential candidate. The Fed
eral electors did this, giving
Adams IS and Pinckney ga. But
Republican electors cast rs votes
for both jefferson and Burr, thus
making tie between them
throwing the election into the
house. 1t is probable that this
tie in the Republican electoral
vote was brought about by an
intrigue of Burr, who hoped that
y throwing the election into the
house he might himself be chosen
president, the Federalists pres
ferring him to Jefferson. His
subsequent career exposed his
intriguing, INSCRIPTIONS and
desperate character. But the
representatives in
the house stood firm through
out the long struggle, and
eventually elected Jefferson, he
votes of 10 States, and
Burr the votes of 4.
The excitement attending this
election revealed fault in the
practical operation of the mode
of electing the President, and
was followed by the constitu-
tional amendment providing that
the electors should designate the
person voted for President,
and the person for Vice Presi
plan now in force.
The second instance of an elec>
ton of a President by the house
was that Of John Quincy Adams,
in 1925. There were four condi-
dates for the presidency-Adams,
Henry Clay, William H. Craw.
ford and Andrew Jackson. There
was no election by the people or
electors, and after a stubborn
and angry contest in the house,
the friends Of Adams and Clay
united, electing the former. This
result, too, caused great excite
ment throughout the country,
and many charges of bargain and
At the present time novel
complication. presenting a situa-
ton never known Or cont em>
plated before, suggests the pos
sibility of another instance in
which the electoral machinery
will not work as smoothly as the
constitution designed.
The selfish and silly contest be-
tween the supporters of Sewall
and those of Watson may cause
thedefeat of Bryan, though both
thefes actions accept him. Thus
Bryan may be the choice of the
people, but not of the electoral
college. Should the election be
thrown into the house because of
this disagreement, there can
hardly be a doubt Of the choice of
the Republican candidate. and
4hus the opposing factions will
tealize their folly in sacrificing
rhe policies and principles, which
they profess to regard as of
vital portance, to an obstinate
adherence to personal prefer>
ences or sectional prejudices.