The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-01-10
MEN WHO VOTED FOR LINCOLN.
Few Survivors of New York's Elec-
toral College of 1850.

At the time of the first election OF Abra-
ham Lincoln, in lSe0, there Were thirty
three states. and New York had thirty
five Of the 800 electors or more than 10 per
cent of the whole number. New York was
carried by the Republicans in the first
national election in which that party en-
gagged for Fremont and Dayton, but it
was not until the presidential election OF
1850 that the electoral votes of New York
state were made TO count in the Repuoli-
can column in favor of Mr.. Lincoln.
When the thirty-five Lincoln electors
met in the city of Albany to declare the
choice Of the voters at the election preced-
ing. John A. King of Jamaica, former gov
ernor, was elected president of the elect
oral college in New York. and Stewart L.
woodford, afterwards lieutenant governor.
and now one OF the active campaigners for
Mckinley and Hobart, was the messenger
who took the certificates OF New York 5
thirty-five votes for Mr. Lincoln to he
city of Washington. Only a few IF the
original Lincoln electors now survive and
very few, even OF the survivors, continue
to take an active part in politics.
At the head OF the Lincoln electoral tick
ct was William Cullen Bryant. the poet
and editor. who was al that time 81 years
of age. Mr.. Bryant. though his fame rests
chiefly upon his poetic work. was one OF
the active supporters of the anti-sl1very
movement. He held no political office
then or afterward but was a regent Of The
state university when at the head IF the
Lincoln electoral ticket. Mr.. Bryant died
In 1873. His associate as elector at large
was James o. Putnam, of Chautauqua.
and among the other Lincoln electors were
Judge William Fl. Robertson, Republican
leader for more than thirty years in West
chester county politics and still active
there; Gen. James S. Wadsworth, whose
son Is member of congress from the
Livingston county district; John A. King.
the former governor: Robert s. Hale, of
Washington county and Frank l.. Jones,
of Tioga. In the political changes inci-
dent TO a lapse of thirty-six years, the
other electors chosen 30 give their support
10 Mr.. Lincoln have either died or retir I'd.
The qualifications OF electors are no.
fixed by congress. but by the respective
legislatures. and the only GU ain ,atiol is
that mo person boiling an office of trust
or profit under the United States shall he
a presidential electors. 1t has long been
the custom OF both political parties to
choose men of mature years for the rely
honorary Office OF electors, and man of
so in 1850 would be Sc this year. Former
Judge Robertson was one of the excep-
tons He was born in 1923 and was 81
years of age when he cast his vote for Mr..
Lincoln. He is now 70. In the succeeding
presidential election of 1864. Lincoln elect
ors were chosen for the second time in
New York: but II is fact not generally
known that Mr.. Lincoln's majority on his
second election was materially less than
on the first Horace Greeley was the pres
ident of the Lincoln electoral college In
New York in 1894. Some other Survivors
are James s. T. Stranahan, Of Brooklyn;
a. j. Dittenhoefer of New York city;
John Tweddle. of Albany. after whom the
Tweddle hall was called: Allen G. Church.
I'll, afterward secretary of state at Albany.
and John J. Knox. There are several sur
vivors OF the Republican electoral ticket
of 1872 Andrew ID. White, Semuel III
Wales and Stewart /. Woodford among
them. Frederick Douglass was on this &C.
casion the messenger to Washington-a
distinction closely following the establish
ment of negro suffrage.