Omaha daily bee., 1896-05-03

liant, few Of the popular men, have been
elected, and, indeed, when we read the
stories of nominating conventions, and of
subsequent elections, 1t would almost seem
as though he who had made a moderate
fame and then waited for the happy turn OF
fortune had far the best chance for success.
HAMILTON CHOSE JEFFERSON.
A rapid glance at the record will confirm
this impression. Adams was the natural
and unopposed successor of Washington,
but the first election of Jefferson was a
striking case in point. Burr and Jefer-
son were the leading candidates and re-
ceived an equal number Of electoral votes.
Under the practice then observed no sepa-
rate vote was taken for vice president.
The candidate receiving the largest number
of electoral votes was declared president
elect, and the vice presidency fell to the
one having the next largest number. No
choice having been made by the electoral
college, the election devolved upon the
house of representatives. There for a week
the result trembled in the balance, and,
save for a strange and unexpected infu-
ence, Jefferson would doubtless have been
defeated. This influence was eXerted by
Alexander Hamilton. The great federalist
was the political opponent Of Jefferson, but
he was also the unrelenting personal enemy
of Burr. and he chose what to him seemed
the lesser OF two evils when he secured the
election Of the first named. This he accom-
plished by inducing the federalist repre-
sentative from Vermont and the one from
Maryland to cast blank ballots, so that in
the final ballot It appeared that ten states,
@ majority of those voting, had given JEFF
ferson their ballots. Thus Aaron Burr by
q hairs breadth escaped election to the
presidency, while to provide against sim
ilar contests in the future an amendment
TO the constitution was adopted requiring
separate ballots for president and vice pres
ident.
QUINCY ADAMS AN ACCIDENT.
Like Jefferson, John Quincy Adams was in
some respects an accidental president. In
1924 the four candidates for the presidency
were Adams, Jackson, Crawford and Clay.
jackson had the popular vote and led In the
electoral college, which, however, failed to
make a choice. Under the constitution the
mouse was to elect, selection being made
from the candidates who had the three
largest votes, Jackson, Adams and Crawford.
What seemed at the moment a trifing mat
Ter finally resulted in the election of Adams.
In Louisiana at that time the presidential
electors were chosen by the legislature and
not by vote of the people. Clay was very
popular in that state, but by a piece Of sharp
practice the vote for presidential electors was |
taken by the legislature at a time when his
friends were nearly all absent from that
body. The electors thus selected voted three
for Jackson and two for Adams, whereas had
the election taken place when Clay's friends
were present, the five electors would have
been Clay mon. This vote of five in the
electoral college would have made Clay's vote
ANs'N WAN mat VI nav III, 4 IL l
stead Of Crawford, would have been a candi-
date before the house, and in such an event
Clay instead of Adams would, in all human
probability, have been elected president by
the house. This mischance was the first OF a
long list Of untoward circumstances which
until Clay's death blocked his way to the
white house.
. HOW CALHOUN LOST THE PRIZE.
In 1928 and again in 1882 death alone could
have prevented the election of Jackson to
the presidency, but in 1886 chance played
dts part in the choice of his successor. Clay
and Webster were then pre-eminent in the
whig party, and Calhoun and Van Buren,
held like places In the democratic party.
but for an untimely quarrel with
jackson, who had at first looked upon him
with favor for the succession, would. with
out doubt, have secured the prize. This
quarrel was provoked by the belated dis
closure {. certain criticisms which Calhoun
mad passed upon General Jackson's conduct
during the Seminole war, many years be-
fore. Calhoun's friends claimed 1t was a
dispute brought on by Van Buren, to sup
plant Calhoun in Jackson's favor, and of
which Jackson was the dupe. This was
denied, but 1t brought upon Calhoun the
implaclble enmity of Jackson, while Van
Buren, gained what Calhoun had lost. When
Jackson sent Van Burenis name to the sem
ate as minister to Great Britain Calhoun
with Clay and Webster to defeat
the nomination. The triumvirate were sue
ce9sful in securing Van Buren's rejection,
nut al the end OF the bitter contest over the
matter, one far-seelng senator remarked
'You have broken a minister, but you have
elected a vice president" This prophecy
proved more than true, for not only did Van
Buren become vice president, but with
powerful aid he became president
as well. Calhoun had ability. experience
and ambition. and he was the idol OF a con-
portion OF his party, yet all these
things could NOT Offset one little blunder.
IKE the personal quarrel with Jackson. {
IL ANTI-CIAY rApAJ &
In 1910 Clay's hour, long delayed, seemed
about to strike at last. He had been for /
sixteen years the most conspicuous aspIrant I
IN his party for the presidential office, and I
he had been during the same period his q
most brilliant and active leader. He I
was In close and constant touch with its I
local leaders In all parts OF the country, and +
The action OF important conventions and n
was influenced by advice from him. I
Moreover, an overwhelming majority q. the d
wings favored his nomination. HoMeYar q