Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-11-03
THE POPULAR VOTE.
Its Distribution Siqqe the 0rganiza-
ton. Of Parties.
LIST OF CANDIDATES SINCE 1928
Growth of the Plebiacite and Per-
centage Of Increase.
WHEN THE STATES CAME IN

Written for The Evening Star.
The popular vote for President is always
a subject of interest, though never the de-
termining factor in the contest. Specula-
ton Is now rife as to the total this vote
will reach and as to its division between
the candidates of the great parties and
among those Of the minor parties, and as
to the plurality and majority of the sue
cessful candidate. After an election per-
sons fond Of looking backward and specu-
lating upon what might have been, those
"saddest words Of tongue or pen," consume
much time and paper in figuring out how
changes Of SO many votes In certain states
would have elected the defeated candidate
Thus it Is shown that a change of less than
5000 votes in 1896 from Mckinley to
Bryan. properly distributed in certain
states. would have given the latter a ma
jority of the electoral votes and elected
him, though the former would still have
had more than half a million majority of
the popular vote over Mr.. Bryan. A coun-
tervailing calculation shows that a change
of less than 5000 from Bryan to McKin-
ley, properly distributed, would have add
ed 81 electoral votes to the latter's column.
swelling his vote to 3O2 and reducing
Bryans to 145. So. too. it may be shown
that with a change of 900 votes in the
state of New York in 1884 Blaine would
a change Of 1900 in 1888 Cleveland would
have been elected over Harrison. Such post
election Speculations may amuse, but they
do not instruct. They simply emphasize the
fact that one candidate was elected and the
other defeated. because one got votes
enough and the other did not, very COM
mon. if not inevitable, result of elections.
1928.
Passing over the first ten elections, be-
cause the records of the popular vote cast
at them are so meager as to be destitute of
value, the eleventh election, 1928, is taken as
a proper date for beginning a review of
the popular vote for President. That year
twenty-four states voted. There were only
two tickets in the field. Andrew Jackson of
Tennessee and John C. Calhoun of South
Carolina. and John Quincy Adams of Mas
sachusetts and Richard Rush of Pennsyl-
vana. This election marked new align
ment of the people into political parties,
there having been no party divisions at the
elections of 1920 and 1924. The Jackson
men dropped the name republican and took
that of democrat. the Adams men taking
that of national republicans. The popular
vote was /. 147 1913, Of which Jackson had
gu, 231 and Adams 5O9,U97, the formers ma
jcrity being 1873, 1874. - 8; I
1892.
At the twelfth election. 1882. again TWEEN
ty- four states voted. This election is nota-
BILE for two things-the holding for the first
time of national CONVENTIONS for the NOM
nation Of candidates for President and Vice
President and for the appearance for the
| first time in American, politics Of third or
minor party, the anti-Massn1c. Inc new
party set the new fashion, by meeting at
Baltimore in September, 1881. more than a
year before the election and nominating for
President William.sWtrt 0fc Maryland and
for Vice President Amos Ellmaker otsPenn-
| sylvanIa. sGhe nationally pnb4icans follow-
ed, meeting at Balttmoresln DeceSnDef. 1851
and nominating Henry Clay of Kentucky
and John Sergeant OF PennSylvanfa. Inc
democrats conformed to- the fashion set by
their opponents, meeting in baltimore IN
March. 1882, and nominating jackson ana
Martin Van Buren, Of New York. The pop
ular vote was ,25o; 7@. an increase over
1923 of 100. All. less than 10 per cent. Jack
son had 6S7.5O2; Clay. $50, 1s9; Floyd Gal
houn democra9 and Writ combined, 81. iOS
Jackson's plurality was 1573l3 his major
ity, 124, POS being $50 about 10 per cent?
less than his popular majority four years
before.
Arkansas and Michigan having been ad-
mitted, there were twenty-six states at the
thirteenth election, 1896 The new political
machinery did not work smoothly that
| year. The democrats held a convention in
Baltimore in May and nominated Van Blu,
| rem for President, but while favoring. did
not nominate Richard NJ. Johnson or Ken
| lucky for Vice President. The WING party,
| made up of d combination or natlonal re-
| publicans and anti-Masons. held no conven-
| ton. but by the old plan of acting through
| state legislatures put forth William Henry
| Harrison Of Ohio and Daniel Webster of
Massa chusetts for President and Francis
Granger of New York for Vice President.
| One faction Of democrats supported Hugh
| l.. White Of Tennessee and another Willie
P. Mangum of North Carolina. Incidental
| ly 1t is noted that in the first syllable OF
Mangum's name Is given the long sound of
| the letter The D0Dular vote l4sS,ED0,
| an increase over 1882 of 247, HOS, nearly 70
per cent. of which Van Buren, had 161, 5i9
to 736, 6J6 for the combined opposition, his
majority being 24,S93, nearly 100000 less
than Jackson's four years before.
| 1910.
! At the fourteenth election, 1910, twenty
six states voted. This year is notable as
the one which saw the birth of the party
platform This innovation was introduced
| by the democrats at their convention in
Baltimore. They renominated Van Buren,.
but omitted to renominate johnson. The
| wings had met at Harrisburg, Pa, In
| December, 1889, and nominated William
Tyler of Virginia for Vice President. The
platform idea did not occur to them. A
new party, the second of the minor parties,
made Its first appearance this year. Its
nents the abolition party. 1t nominated
James G. Birney Of New York for Prest-
dent and Francis Le Moyne of Pennsyl-
vania for Vice President. This year was
further notable for witnessing the first
tidal wave election in our political his
tory. 1t was the year of Tippecanoe and
Tyler. too; of the log cabin and hard cider
campaign, and 1t was conducted with a
hurrah from start to finish. Nothing like
it had ever before been seen in this coun-
try. Never before had popular interest
been 30 aroused. ALL this was reflected In
the result The poRalart vote reached q
total of 2,410,778 an Increase over 1885 OF
912,573. more than 60 per. cent. No such
increase had been seen in the popular vote
before that year. nons has been seen since
Harrison had 1.2T8,017; Wan Buren,, 1,128..
702; Birney, 1853. tHarHson's plurality
was 146,s15, his majority. 1Ss, 2o6
At the fifteenth election, 1914. for the last
time only. twenty-siHp states voted. The
same three parties were In the field as foul
years before. all properly provided will
candidates and platforms The wings nom
mated their idol. Henry Clay Of Kentucky
and with him Theodore Frelinghuysen Of
New Jersey; the democrats. James X. Poll
of Tennessee and George M. Dallas Of
Pennsylvania; the abolitidnists. James g
Birney, then domiciled in Michigan. anG
Thomas Morris of Ohio. Polk was thu
4 ulrl,. A.