Evening star., 1909-03-03
ERE TAFT WAS CHOSEN
Presidential Campaigns and
Elections of the Past.
QUADRENNIAL CONTESTS
Candidates and Parties They Repre-.
sented.
POPULAR AND ELECTORAL VOTE
Notable Events Recalled When No
Choice Was Made - The Cele-
brated Commission of 1877.
QUADRENNIAL CONTESTS
POPULAR AND ELECTORAL VOTE

Though under the provisions of the
Constitution the thirteen original states
| were entitled to nine-one votes in the
electoral college. by which the President
is chosen, but sixty nine votes from only
ten states were cast in 1889, when Wash
| ington was called to the chair. with John
Adams as Vice President That instru-
ment. framed in 1857 by the convention
in Philadelphia over which Washington
presided, was the middle of the following
year ratified by eleven OF the states. and
September IS by resolution Of the Conti-
| mental Congress the time for beginning
operations was fixed for the first We'd
nesday in March, 1883. The representa-
| ton Of each state including senators
equaled the number Of electors chosen.
and the modes of their selection was left
to the several legislatures. New York
had ratified the Constitution. but had not
chosen electors, and North Carolina and
Rhode Island had not ratified it and
therefore, did not participate in the first
| election OF the ten states voting two
Maryland and Virginia. were short two
votes each, and but sixtynine was the
total counted. The electors were in some
states elected by the people direct, in
others by the legislatures, and in either
event the freemen's voice was heard.
But One Name Mentioned.
There was but one name mentioned for
President and that Washing gton's. but the
electors cast two votes each and these
were counted in the presence of both
houses. the person with the greatest
number, II a majority. becoming Presi-
dent, and the next greatest number the
Vice President After the election of
hi n0fn praCi1nnf
was declared Vice President. having re-
ceived thirty-four votes, and ten others
shared the remaining thirty-hve Mr.
Adams had the votes of New Hampshire.
and Virginia. eight of Pennsylvania and
some others.
In 1892 an act was passed requiring the
appointment of electors within the thirty
four days preceding the first wednesday
in December. when the votes were to be
given, that they be sent to the seat of
government by the first Wednesday In
January and opened the second Wednes-
day OF February. Under this law the
second election took place. the thirteen
original states and two new ones cf1oos-
ing 1872 electoral votes Washington and
Adams were again elected. the former
unanimously and the latter having sew
enty-seven. all the states excepting New
York Virginia North Carolina and
Georgia, which cast fifty votes for George
Clinton of New York, and kentucky,
which cast four for Thomas Jefferson OF
Virginia.
Third Term Declined.
For the third term Washington declined
an election. and in 1897 the principal
candidates were M. Adams. Mr.. Jeffer-
son, Thomas Pinkney Of South Carolina
and Aaron Burr of New York. The po-
litical parties federalists and anti-fed-
hn nf Adams
Jefferson. respectively. The 139 electors
from sixteen states, Tennessee having
been added, cast seventy-one votes Tor
Adams, sixty-eight for Jefferson, fifty
nine for Pinckney and thirty for Burr;
Samuel Adams of Massachusetts received
fifteen from Virginia and eight others
shared in thirty-three votes. Therefore
Adams and Jefferson were seated.
No Election.
In 1901 Jefferson Burr, Adams and c.
c. Pinckney of South Carolina were the
candidates and for the first time there
was no election and in the House of Rep
resentatives the states decided for the
first named The votes were seventy-three
each for Jefferson and Burr-the states
Of New York, Virginia, Kentucky. Ten
nessee, South Carolina and Georgia. Ad-
ans and Pinckney carried the five New
England states, New Jersey and Della
ware, SlNtS-HNt. Inc NOlSS VI ~ a
mia and Maryland were divided. In the
House thirty-six ballots were necessary,
each state having one vote, and till the
last ballot Mr.. Jefferson had eight. Mr..
Burr six and blank. two; then MARYLAND
and Vermont changed to Mr.. Jefferson,
who was elected with ten votes. New
Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island
and Connecticut voting for Burr, and Del
aware and South Carolina voting blank.
In 1908 an amendment to the Constitu-
ton was prepared, ratified and promul-
gated in 1904. This provided that dis
tinctive ballots be voted for President
and Vice President: that if no one has
majority of votes the House choose by
ballot from the then highest on the list;
that should it fail to choose till March
4 the Vice President should act, etc.
Seventeen states, Ohio being the last
with 40 votes. were represented In the
fifth election and the anti-federalists or
republicans reelected Jefferson President
with George Clinton Vice President, with
162 votes. Mr.. Pinckney of South Carolina
and Rufus King Of New York carried but
two states. Connecticut and Delaware.
with but fourteen votes.
Election Of Madison.
In 1909 James Madison of Virginia and
George Clinton, republican. were declared
elected. receiving. respectively 1o2 and 113
of the 175 votes of twelve states. Pinckey
and King, federalists, had AZ votes, Of
New Hampshire Massachusetts,. Rhode
Island Connecticut and Delaware Mr.
Madison with Elbridge Gerry of Massa-
chusetts in 1913 were elected. having of
the 217 votes of eighteen states 12S and
131, respectively: Dewitt Clinton of New
York and Jared Ingersoll receiving 50 and
SO. respectively. the states carried four
years before by Pinckney and King. with
the addition of New York and New Jer-
sey and five of Maryland. In 1917 James
Monroe of Virginia and D. d. Tompkins
of New York. republicans or anti-federal-
lists and Rufus King of New York and
John E. Howard Of Maryland, the feder-
alists were the candidates. Certificates
from nineteen states of PIT votes showed
the former had 1873 votes and the latter
"a votes which included those of Massa-
chusetts Connecticut and Delaware. Mon
roe and Tompkins in 1921 came near
unanimous reelection. carrying all the
twenty-four states. 231 and 21S, re-
spectively, Of the go votes.
An Exciting Election.
The next election. for the tenth term.
1S25-29 was an exciting one. the very
Opposite of that of 1921. There were a
quartet of candidates leading as many
more, Andrew Jackson of Tennessee, w
H. Crawford of Georgia, Henry Clay Of
Kentucky. nti-federalists. and Mr.
Adoms coaljtioniSt tho nripcinols