The Grenada sentinel. [volume] (Grenada, Miss.) 1868-1955, 1912-12-06
looking Backward.
(From the Kansas City Journal.)

(rrOm the haISds Oity JOuEudL)
The figures bearing on the presiden-
tial elections of the past are of curious
interest in connection with the election
of 1912, and there are both interesting
parallels and instructive contrasts in
the history of the contests of the days
since Washington.
Prior to 1924 there was no such a
thing as a popular vote, the legislatures
of the several states having before that
time named the electors. With the
campaign of 1924, however, which re-
suited in the election of the younger
Adams, the people at large voted for
the first time for electors, which has
continued to the present time to be the
nearest approach to voting directly for
Jackson received both a popular and an
| electoral plurality, but still fail d of
election, as the electoral plurality was
not a constitutional majority and the
contest was decided by the house of
representatives. So far as the statist-
les show, Jackson was the only candi-
date since 1920 who received a plurality
of the electoral vote and still failed to
become president.
1t has been fortunate for a number of
presidents that a popular majority was
not required, as few of the chief exec
utives during the past seventy. five
years have received a majority of all
the votes cast for presidential electors.
Several have received popular plurali-
ties but failed to secure enough electo-
raj votes notably Cleveland in 1888,
when he beat Harrison by SO, OFT, but
was defeated. Until Wilson'S election,
every successful candidate since 1896
inclusive received not only an electoral
but a popular majority. Wilson, how
ever, fell far short of a popular major
ity, but his electoral majority will be
the largest v given to a president in
the history of the republic.
In the matter of close votes, the Til
dem Hayes campaign of 1876 will un
doubtedly hold . the record for all
time. Tilden received a popular plu-
rality of ISL, 0S7. but lost the presi-
dency in the electoral college by one
vote-under circumstance which will
always constitute a most regrettable
situation. Next to this campaign that
of 1880 was the "narrowest escape"
since 1924, Garfield receiving a popular
plurality of only 7,0lS in a total popular
vote Of more than 3, 900. 900. The Pro-
hibition candidate, received a popular
vote of 10, 305 and General Weaver, the
G%reenback candidate, received a popular
vote of 3O7, 306, or about forty-five times
more than the popular plurality of Gar
field. The latter, however, received
an electoral majority cf fifty-nine.
Since 1924 the following successful
candidates were elected by q minority
popular vote: Adams, Van Buren,,
Polk, Taylor, Buchanan, Lincoln lin
1860; Garfield, Cleveland lin 1884 and
1892, and Wilson. AS before noted,
jackson lin 1924, Tilden, and Cleve-
land On 1885, received popular plurali- |
ties. (Tilden also received a popular
majority, but failed of election.) Van
Buren,. however, it should be noted, was
opposed by four Wing candidates. Re-
garded as Wing votes, Van Buren, re-
ceived a popular majority, but as the
votes OF individual candidates he re-
ceived only a plurality.
The following are the only presidents
to receive popular majorities: Jackson
lin 1923 and 1882, William Henry Har-
rison, Pierce, Lincoln lin 1861, Grant
at both elections, Roosevelt and Taft.
Previously to 1894 each elector voted
for two candidates for president, the
one receiving the second largest vote
being made vice precedent. Under this
system Adams was elected in 1896 by a
plurality of only three electoral votes.
Jefferson came back" in 1900 after a
Embarrassing tie with Burr, each re-
ceiving seventy-three votes. The House
elected Jefferson by a state vote of ten
to four, and Burr became vice nresi-
dent.
beginning with 1904, each e%lector
voted for a president and vice presi-
dent, and there were no very close
votes during the twenty years between
1904 and 1924, when the people voted
for presidential electors. A remarkable
feature of the election Of 1920 was the
fact that Monroe received for re-elec-
ton 23l votes and John Quincy Adams
of massachusetts, only one vote an
electoral majority of 230, which has re-
manned the record until 1913, or for
l24 years. Monroe would have been
unanimously elected but for the senti-
mental refusal of one elector who
would not give Monroe what Washing
ton did no. receive. That one patriot
has been m%uiuriied until he numbers