The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-06-17
PRESIDENTIAL ACCIDENTS.
THE Many NARROW SLIPS IN the
CONVENTIONS AND ELECTIONS.


Col. McCiure's summary Of the Close Presi-
Dental Batties-The Incidents and Chances
Of High Politics In the United States-How
the Original Idea Of Unpledged Electors
Gave John Adams the Presidency by Three
Notes.-The Jefferson Barr Contest In the
House-A Letter That Defeated Scott In
l~sAO-Polk tho First Dark Horse to
Run-Qucer Accidents and Their Results.
The Republicans OF the country will this
year hold their third National Convention in
Philadelphia to nominate candidates for Pres
ident and Vice President. The first National
Convention Of that party was held In Phila-
delphia Musical Fund Hall on the nth Of June.
1855, and nominated Fremont and Dayton ~
thar national ticket. and the second Republican
National Convention held in Philadelphia was IN
the Academy of Music on the 5th OF June, 1872.
when Grant and Wilson were nominated. The
Whigs held a National Convention in the Chinese
Museum, now the Continental Hotel, on the
7th OF June, is4s, and nominated Taylor and
Fillmore, and the first National Convention ever
held by any party was held in Philadelphia by
the Anti-Masons. In September. 1880. more IMAM
two years before the Presidential election Of
1892. 1t adjourned. however without making
a nomination, and met in Baltimore one year
later. when william Writ was nominated for
President and Amos Ellmaker for Vice-Presi-
dent. The Democrats have never held a Ma
tional Convention In Philadelphia.
Few OF even the more intelligent students Of
our political history have any Just conception
OF the many narrow accidents and Incidents
which have happened to win or lose men the
Presidential Office. The position that is now
regarded as the highest civil trust In the world
A. -. ..u.zll,I L, anntvnnt or
incident apparently little more grave than the
drawing Of lots or the tossing of a coin. and in
quite a number Of our Presidential contests the
successful candidate was a dark horse" or
what in politics Is called an accident"
In 1905 Thomas Jefferson lost the Presidency
and John Adams gained it by three votes in the
Electoral College. Which OF the two had the
larger popular vote cnnnot be ascertained,
as there is no record Of 1t. but a change OF two
votes in tho Electoral College would have made
JEFFERSON President over Adams. II Is worthy
Of note that II Presidential electors had been
chosen As they are now, with distinct obliGa-
tons to sustain the majority vote Of the State.
Adams would have been defeated and Jefferson
elected.
Adams was elected President over jefferson
in the Electoral College by the vote Of II to 81
for jefferson, but three votes were cast for
Adams from States where the popular majority
was for Jefferson. The electoral vote Of Penn
sylvania was IA for jefferson and l for Adams.
that of Virginia was 20 for Jefferson and l for
k.an,; that of North Carolina was II for JefYe-
son and 1 for Adams. In all of those States
the electors were elected by popular vote and
the majority was In favor OF Jefferson. but
the electors were chosen In accord with the
I!- - - N. 49,
should be composed Of Intelligent and dispas-
sionate men. who would exercise the soundest
discretion In the choice Of a President. Should
an eleotor undertake to exercise such indepen-
dent judgment in the presentdayand vote for
u candidate who had not received the popular
vote of the State he would be universally exc
Grated. but 1t was Just this Independent exer-
else OF judgment of three electors In Penn
s~ylvania. Virginia and North Carolina that gave
Adams the Presidency over Jefferson. The
fact that one Virginia elector voted against
Jefferson In disregard Of the popular vote
Of the State does not seem to have excited any
popular reprobation. as the theory In that day
was that Presidential electors should be entirely
free to vote according to the dictates of their
own conscience. Thus John Adams obtained
the Presidency In 1900 by three electors voting
against the popular expressions of their respec-
tive States. when the vote Of two Of them would
have made Jefferson President,
There is not a general understanding of the
narrow escape Jefferson made In gaining the
Presidency over Burr In the contest OF 1900
1901. 1t was objectionable on the part OF
Burr to make a contest against jefferson. be-
cause they had an equal vote In the Electoral
College, and 1t was an objectionable blunder
not to have one or more OF the electors chosen
to make Jefferson President drop Burr. as even
II one had done so it would have made Jeffer-
son President. But party lines were drawn
very sharply In that campaign and all Of the
electors evidently felt bound TO vote for JeYer-
son and Burr. as In choosing q Vice-President
they were compelled to vote for two candi-
dates for President. and the one receiving the
largest vote became President and the one re-
eeiving the second largest vote became Vice
President.
But for the aggressive hostility of Alex
ander Hamilton to Aaron Burr the chances
chosen President over Jefferson in the House
Il he the vote great Set S%stls 81 is1.; F and 'f B"91 d SSs
Jefferson. six for Burr and two blank. the
vote Of nine States being necessary to an
the. movement generally. organized among the
Federalists to make Burr President over
ysasFSG friendly Il was va B nSt fSS as because because they
wanted to defeat JEFFERSON as the leader Of
the opposition to Federal authority. Ham
nton earnestly and very persistently urged
the Federalists of the House not to elect
Burr and that hostility of Hamilton made
Burr his implacable enemy, and doubtless
WAS the he, prMim naT,o cause of the duel between
During the seven days b%allotins between
jefferson and Burr the latter received the
land divided. The change Of a single vote
In the Vermont delegation In the House
would have given the vote of tina I State to
Burr; the change OF a single vote In the Mary
OF that State to Burr, and the change Of a
single vote In the. New Jersey delegation
would have given the vote of that State to
Burr, making the, number necessary to his
son by the House in 1901 Is generally regarded
as an inevitable result. In point Of fact but
for the earnest Intervention of Alexander
Hamilton, the leader Of the ,Federalists.
President instead OF Jefferson.
There were no complications whatever In
the contest for Jeferson's reelection, and
in the election and reelection Of both. Madi-
tie of 1924, between jackson Adams, Craw-
ford and Clay, IN which there was no choice
In the Electoral College. the accident or
incident, that gave TO Adams three. of the
the agreement in tho Legislature that chose
the electors should have been given 10 Clay,
left Clay out of the contest In the House.
The electoral vote. as returned was 90 for
Jackson, 81 for Adams. a. for Crawford and
81. for Clay. The New York electors gave
Adams 20 votes, Crawford 5, Clay 4 and
Jackson l.. They were chosen by the New
York Legislature and the compact was made
between the friends Of Adams and Clay by
which Clay should have received three votes
more than were YiyAn IN him Had tho plpp-