Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-10-20

The first election for the choice of a
President of the United States was called
on September Ii, 17SS. and fixed for the
first Wednesday of January following.
In those times of no railroads and no
telegraphs that afforded an insufficient
time to arrange for a popular election,
even in some Of the states which in
cl.ned to that method of selecting electors.
Rhode Island and North Carolina had not
yet come into the Union, SO the election
was held only in eleven states. In only
three Of them-Virginia. Pennsylvania
and Maryland-was there a popular cleo
ton held. New York got into such a
row between the anti-federalist house and
the federalist senate that no electors
were chosen and the Empire state had
no vote in the choice Of the first Presi-
dent.
New Hampshire also got into a con-
siderable wrangle over the choice of
electors. The house agreed to select
them by joint ballot, and when that
failed proposed another compromise. But
the senate was adamant and would yield
no point. Therefore, to prevent the state
from going unrepresented, just before
midnight of the last day, the house,
filing protest against its being regarded
as a precedent, agreed to the electors
the senate had chosen without it's as
sstanee. There had been sort Of pop
ular vote taken for the guidance of the
legislature. but it had no effect on the
action of that body.
Massachusetts had an odd method OF
selecting It's electors mat year. Each
congressional district was permitted to
select two candidates for elector. and
from these two the legislature selected
the one who was to cast the vote of that
district. The legislature selected two
electors at large.
There was considerable jockeying over
second place in the first election. most of
1t being planned by
JOckeYing Over Alexander Hamilton.
| So. n,. He either believed.
: Oeconu 1iace or professed to be-
lieve there was some danger that Adams
might run ahead of Washington and
thus force the illustrous father of his
country into second place. Opinions vary
but there seems to be reason for saying
that Adams wanted a free fight for first
place. Hamilton would not have 1t So
and sent word to New England that there
was danger that Virginia might not give
the bulk of its vote to Washington. and
word to Virginia to the effect that there
was danger of New England failing to
make even a fairly unanimous choice OF
Washington for President. He said that
| II Washington and Adams should receive
| the same vote the election would be
thrown into the House. as happened
lafterward when Jefferson and Burr re-
ceived the same vote.
| The day before election in the Connecti-
| cut electoral college post rider galloped
| into Hartford and announced that he bore
O. message from Col. Hamilton showing
that there was danger of Adams running
| even with or ahead of Cen. Washington
| and that he had made some calculations
/ showing that II Connecticut would cast
| two votes against Adams and New Jersey
three this danger would be ayerted. iona
| than Trumbull says: Il exclaimed agains,
/ the proposition and insisted that 1t was
| a deception: but what could my single
i opinion avail against an express rider
/ armed with intelligence and calculations
| from Hamilton Connecticut did throw
two votes away and New Jersey five iQ'