The Harlowton news., 1912-11-29
Other Minority Presidents.

He is not by any means the first
president who has been elected by q
minority vote. In 1892 Grover Cleve-
land received large majority Of the
electoral vote. but his popular vote was
555G,91S to 5,176.1Os for Harrison,
1.O41 ,o28 for Weaver (Popnlist>, 26i,
1873 for Bidwell {prohibition) and IL.
1G4 for Wing Socialist Labor). In
other words. the combined vote OF 9th
er candidates was 6,5D2, 433, nearly
1,oNO.O0U more than Cleveland.
Four years earlier Mr.. Harrison won.
although he had fewer votes than Mr..
Cleveland. The figures were: Harri-
son, 5.44O,216: Cleveland, 5,53S, ,22;355 22;3535
other candidates, 4O2,411. Thus Har
rison was nearly 100000 behind Cleve.
land and 100000 short of the combined
opposition.
In the close and exciting Cleveland
Blaine contest of 1884 the Democratic
candidate was ahead of Mr.. Blaine
but slightly behind the total vote OF
opposing candidates. The result was:
Cleveland, 4,911, 1,O17; Blaine, 4,SI3 333344 /;
st. John (Prohibition). 151 sos; Butler
(Greenback) l33,S25. Thus. while
Cleveland led Blaine by 62,6S3, he was
behind the combined opposition by
222,g51.
In fact. minority presidents have
been the rule, Garfield was one. He
was a slight 1000 ahead Of Hancock,
hr,f hoY all
ponents. The figures were: Garfield,
4,440,O53: Hancock, 4442 OBS; Weaver
(Greenback), 3O7, 1906; Dow (pro.), TO-.
, sos; Phelps (Amer), TOT.
Hayes Far Behind.
Hayes was still more in the minority
being 25OO00 behind Tilden and nearly
345.OOO behind all candidates, The re
suit was: Hayes, 4,O33,95O; Tilden
4,2S4,895; Cooper (Greenb), Sl,74O
Smith Pro9, 1922, and Walker (AmerJ
2,636.
Grant was ahead of all other candi
dates in both his races, as was Lin
coin in his second race. but In 1860 the
great emancipation was elected by a
minority. The figures were: Lincoln
| 1,866,352; Douglas, 1,375,157; Brecken-
ridge, S45.7G3; Bell, 5S9.5s1. Thus the
| combined opposition was 2,slO,501.
which was nearly 100000 ahead OF
Mr.. Lincoln's vote, That was the near.
est parallel to the present election. as
the Democratic party was split then as
the Republican party is split now.
| James Buchanan was minority
president. His vote was 1888. 1850 tc
1871 ,264 for Fremont and 974,53S fol
Millard Fillmore (Amer0, thus leaving
| Buchanan nearly 100000 behind the
combined opposition.
Franklin Pierce had majority oyel
all, but four years earlier Zachary Tay
received 1860, 101 to 1,22O,544 for Lewis
Cass and 201,2G3 for Martin Van Bur
en- (Free Soin, thus being 10000 he,
hind the total vote Of his opponents.
The same was true Of James X. Polk
in 1874. He received 1,337.243 to
1,209,OGS for Henry Clay and 62,3DO fol-
James G. Birney, leaving Polk nearly
25,OOO behind the two.
The elder Harrison had a clear ma
jority in 1S40. as did Van Buren In
| 1886 and Jackson in both of his con
tests, but in 1874 John Quincy Adams
was elected by a minority, the vote be.
Ing: Adams. 1O5,321; Jackson. 155,s72
| Clay, 4G.5S7. aud Crawford, 44.2S2
Adams was $1,000 behind Jackson and
more than 100000 behind all. Yet BIC
was chosen BY the electoral college.
This carries MS back to the beginning
Of the convention and party system
Since that system began majority OF
our presidents have been elected by a