The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-11-04
Percentages of Increase, by Quad
renniaI Periods, Range from
@ in 1S4S to GO I'm $40.
ONE DECREASE IN THE TOTAL
CIVIL WAR CAUSED 1T AT LINCOLN'S
SECOND ELECTION.
Comparisons of Majority and Minority
Ffgures-Relation of Popular
to the Electoral Vote.

vote for President is always a subject OF
interest, though never the determining fac
tor in the contest. Speculation Is now rl1e
as to the total this vote will reach and
as to its division between the candidates
OF the great parties and among those or
the minor parties, and as to the plurality
and majority of the successful candidate
After an election persons fond OF looking
backward and specializing 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 dis
tributed in certain States. would have given,
the latter majority of the electoral votes
and elected him, though the former would
still have had more than half a million ma
iority of the popular vote over Mr.. Bryan.
A. countervailing calculation shows that
change of less than 5000 votes from Bryan
to Mckinley, properly distributed, would
have added thirty-one electoral votes to
the latter's column, swelling his vote to
COZ and reducing Bryan's to las. So, too,
1t may be shown that with a change of
600 votes In the State OF New York in 1884
Blaine would have been elected over Cleve-
land, and Of 1850 in 1883 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 Che got enough
votes and the other did not, very common
If not Inevitable, result of elections
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 the proper year to begin 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 Massachusetts, and Richard Rush, of
Pennsylvania. This election marked a
new alignment of the people into political
parties. there having been no party d.
visions at the elections Of 1920 and 1921
Jackson men dropped the name Repub
lican and took that of Democrat, the Ad
ans men taking that of National Republic
an. The poular vote was 1,147,S2S, of which
Jackson had 6i7.231; Adams, 609,097. the for
mer's majority being 13S, 13i.
THE FIRST CONVENTIONS.
At the twelfth election 1892, again TWEEN
ty-four States voted. This election is not
able for two things, the holding for the
first time Of national conventions for the
nomination Of candidates for President
and Vice President, and the appearance
for the first time in American politics of
a third minor party, the anti-Masonic.
The new party set the new fashion by
meeting at Baltimore in September, 1881,
more than year before the election, and
nominating for President William Writ, of
Maryland, and for Vice President Amos
Ellmaker, of Pennsylvania. The National
Republicans followed, meeting at Balti-
more in December, 1891, and nominating
Henry Clay. OF Kentucky, and John Ser
geant, of Pennsylvania. The Democrats
conformed to the fashion set by their op-
ponents, meeting at Baltimore in March,
1892, and nominating Jackson and Martin
Van Buren,, of New York. The popular
vote was i,250 799, an increase over 1923 OF
103 All, less than 10 per cent. Jackson had
6S7.5O2; Clay, 5SO,1ss; Floyd Calhoun Dem
ocraD and Writ combined, SS,1OS. jack
sons plurality was 157.31S; his majority
tLan his popular majority four years be-
fore.
Arkansas and Michigan having been ad-
mitted, there were twenty-six States at
the thirteenth election in 1896. The new
political machinery did not work smooth
ly that year. The Democrats held q con-
vention at Baltimore in May and nomI-
mated Van Buren, for President, but
while favoring, did not nominate,
Richard NJ. Johnson, of Kentucky,
for Vice President. The Whig party, ma lie
up by a combination of National Repub-
licans 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 Massachusetts,, and Francis Granger, of
New York, for Vice President. One fac
ton of Democrats supported Hugh l..
White, of Tennessee, and another Willie
p. Mangum, of North Carolina. Incident
ally ii is noted that the in the first syl-
liable of Mangums name is given the long
sound of the letter. The popular vote was
1.49s 205, an increase over 1892 of 247, 400
nearly 20 per cent, OF which Van Buren,
had 76l,549 to 1865 for the combined Of
| position, his majority being 24.s9S, nearly
| 100000 less than Jacksons four years be-
| fore.
| AT the fourteenth election, 1910, twenty
| six States voted. This years election is
notable as the one which saw the birth Of
| the party platform. This innovation was
| introduced by the Democrats at their con-
vention in Baltimore. They renominated
| Van Buren,, but omitted TO renominate
| Johnson. The Wings had met at Harris
burg. Penn, in December. 1889. and nom-
| mated William Henry Harrison for Pres
! ident and John Tyler. of Virginia. for Vice
| President. The platform idea did not occur
| to them. new party. the second OF the
minor parties, made its first appearance
! this year. It's members called II the Lib
erty, its opponents the Abolition party. II
nominated James G.. Birney. of New York
| for President and Francis lie Moyne, OF
| Pennsylvania, for Vice President This
| year was further notable for witnessing
| the first tidal wave election in our political
history. 1t was the year OF Tippecanoe
and Tyler, too; OF the log cabin and hard
| cider campaign. and IL was conducted with
| q hurrah from start TO inish. Nothing
like 1t had ever before been seen In the