The Irish standard., 1904-10-08
Aaron Burr Missed the Presidency by
Narrower Margin Than Any Other
Defeated Candidate
Douglas Instead Of Lincoln Would Have
Been Elected But For the Split in
Democratic Party:

harangued the people from their pull
pits and many were the charges and
counter charges Of undue influence
brought to bear in all parts of the
country. The electoral college could
not decide, and, as Jefferson and Burr
were tied, the election passed into the
house of representatives. The FEEDER
alists, hating Jefferson more cordially
than they did his rival, threw their in
1uence to Burr and came very nearly
defeating him. "A deadlock prevailed
until popular clamor frightened the
Federalists and they deserted Burr. A
Federalist who was on the inside in
this fight, not friend of Burr, James
A. Bayard, grandfather of Thomas F.
Bayard, Of President Cleveland's first
cabinet, wrote Immediately after to
Hamilton: "Means existed Of electing
Burr. By deceiving one man Ia great
blockhea0 and tempting two (not in
corruptible) he might have secured
majority of the states. He will never
have another chance to be president of
the United States" Bayard knew
whereof he spoke as a historian, and
later events certainly justified him as
a prophet.
Probably no American ever desired
more earnestly to become president of
the United States than did Daniel
Webster. Everything else had been
his, and the presidency alone was need
ed to round out career that would
certainly have placed his name in
class with the Father of his Country.
He fought for the nomination several
times, but Thurlow Weed, the Whig
leader, knew that party success de-
pended upon a candidate who could
arouse enthusiasm. He manipulated
the nomination of Harrison in 1910 and
Taylor in 1S4s, much to the chagrin
of Webster and of the Great Com
moner, Henry Clay. Weed knew that
in both cases his choice might not
prove an able executive, and under
took to fortify his position by strong
''tail to the Whig kite" In each in
stance he tried to induc. Webster to
accept the second position, but the
senator from Massachusetts stolidly
refused. Both Harrison and Taylor
died soon after Inauguration, and thus
Webster practically thrust from him
the object Of his greatest ambition.
OF Clay it can only be said that he
was never nearer the presidency than
the convention Of 1910. Too brilliant
and too conspicuous a figure not to
have his many influential enemies and
too enthusiastic in behalf of any cause
he espoused to consider it's effect upon
his own political fortunes, his famous
II would rather be right than presi-
dent was a lament as we'll as declar-
alton Of principle.
The Whig party was a remarkable
political organization. It numbered in
it's ranks many Of the ablest men of
the age and exerted a great influence
on the legislation Of the period, but in
all its life it elected only two candi-
dates-men scarcely representative of
the party. Both were followed by
vice presidents who gave great dissat-
isfaction to the men who elected them.
1t is related that in 1910. when the
leaders passed by both Clay and Web
ster, the favorites of the people at
large, one delegate was so affected by
the sacrifice of Clay that he burst in
to tears. This was noticed, and when
it came to the choice of running mate
for Harrison that delegate was chosen
as compliment and slight recon-
pense to the Kentucky orator. Thus
the campaign cry Of the Wings be-
came 'Tippecanoe! and Tyler, too"
Those were costly tears for the party,
for when Tyler succeeded to the chair
he soon alienated the Wing leaders and
made success impossible in 1874. It is
also related that the vice presidential
nomination was not in demand in 1910,
and that had he chosen to accept it
John 81. Clayton, Of Delaware, might
have had the place that was afterward
won by the tear-stained face Of John
Tyler.