The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1907-07-27
GEOGRAPHY AND PRESIDENTS.

Pivotal states in presidential elections have,
since the war, and probably WILL as long as party
preiudiees appealed to, furnish the candidates
for president and vice president of the country
who will be successful New York and Indiana,
and Ohio and New York are pretty successful COM
binations, Judging from the results of elections
during the past forty years 1t is not probable that
these states have produced greater statesmen wis
er politicians than other states, 50 we must con-
clude that political expediency has elevated mer
to the presidency while other men have been denied
the privilege of running for Office because they
didn't happen to live in doubtful state
A writer in the North American Review who
signs himself "a National Democrat" wants the
Democratic party to nominate southern for
the presidency. No doubt the south has as great
statesmen, thoroughly competent as any
coming. from any northern state to fill the Office of
president of the United States but the south is not
likely to have the opportunity of presenting any
man as a candidate of the Democracy as long "a
the electoral votes OF those states are cast sodly
Sfor the Democratic candidate from the north. The
nomination of a southern would do much to
suppress that feeling of sectonalism suggested by
the writer in the Review but that would be mighty
poor politics, because the votes of the southern
states are not sufficient to elect any candidate
Since the war, Grant, Hayes Garfield, Cleve-
land, Harrison, Mckinley and Roosevelt have beer
elected to the presidency Grants war record was
unquestionably an important factor leading to his
nomination and election. Sectionalism in 1868 was
strong, and there much bitterness not only be-
tween the north and south, but among the polti-
clans representing the two great parties of the
north. Grant no doubt was the most popular man
who could have been chosen as a candidate, and To-
add strength to the ticket, with the hope of getting
the electoral votes of state torn by dissension,
Colfax of Indiana was named as his running mate.
study of the geography of our presidents and
vice presidents since then shows plainly that the
south has little opportunity of making presiden-
tia candidate In 1868 Grant (Ill.) and Colfax
Qnd0 were successful over Seymour On. " and
Blair MOI. Grant CHI and Wilson (Mass.) de-
featel. reeley On. " and Brown (Mo.) in 1872.
On March 2, 1877, Hayes CO., and Wheeler On "
were declared elected by the fifteen men comprising
the Joint High Commission after memorable
campaign being given 1876 electoral votes in the
electoral college to 1874 for Tilden On W and
Hendricks Qnd) In 1880 the Democratic party
mating Hancock (Pa) and English (Ind.) but
Garfield CO., and Arthur On " won under the
banner of the Republican party. Cleveland On.
" and Hendricks Qnd) defeated Blaine (DIe.)
and Logan Qll.) in 1884 The next campaign in
1888, the Republican party got back to the proper
geographical position with Harrison Qnd) and
Morton On. " and defeated Cleveland On V
and Thurman CO., In 1892 Cleveland On " and
Stevenson Qll) we're elected over Harrison Ond)
and Reid On. ". Bryan (Neb.) and SeweIl (Me)
went down before Mckinley CO.. and Hobart IN
j. in 1896, and four years later Bryan (Neb.) and
Stevenson Ill) were defeated by Mckinley col
and Roosevelt On " At the last election, in
1904, Roosevelt IN. " and Fairbanks Qnd) de-
feated Parker On. " and Davis CIV. Va)
While we are not pretending that the geograph-
zeal location of the various candidates homes was
the only thing considered when they were nomi
mated it is evident that candidates were named
with the hope of landing the electoral votes of
doubtful states that it needs no argument Ten
national campaigns have been fought since Lin
coin was elected. Without considering the Green
hackers in 1876, when they nominated Cooper IN.
" and Carey CO.,, during these forty years. the
states furnishing candidates for president and vice
president of the Republican and Democratic par
ties are as follows: New York. 10; Indiana. 7:
Ohio, 5; Illinois, 8; Missouri, 2; Maine, 3; Ne
braska, 2; Massachusetts, Pennsylvania New Jer
sey and West Virginia each 1, total of 40 cam
didates.
The states furnishing successful candidates
were as follows: New York Z; Ohio, 4: Indiana
4; Illinois, Massachusetts,, New Jersey, each l. 20
in all. So that of the 40 candidates. three states
New York, Indiana and Ohio furnished 25; and
of the 20 elected, Is came from these states.
Good men, every one Of them, but from tbe