The Palatka news and advertiser. [volume] (Palatka, Fla.) 1908-19??, 1915-01-15
THE FIRST NATIONAL
ELECTION IN j. S.
Tampa Tribune Tells OF
Event and Contrasts
with Present.

The following editorial in the Tam
pa Tribune of last week Thursday,
January 7th, gives one clear In,
sight into the manner and cost, and
the difficulty and delay in getting the
returns from National elections in the
early days of the republic, compar--
ed with the present day cost and
meth d, and the rapidity with which
the result is made known:
"One hundred and twenty-nlne
years ago today the first national
election was held in the United States
at which General Washington was
chosen the first President OF the
new republic. Only eleven of the
thirteen States voted in this first
election, North Carolina and Rhode
Island not yet having entered the
Union, and in only three OF these
States, Pennsylvania, Maryland and
Virginia, were popular elections held.
In the other eight States the Legis-
latures chose the electors. New
York did not choose electors because
of a feud between the anti-Federallst
House and the Federalist Senate.
One exciting national incident in this
first election was caused by the fear
on the part of Alexander Hamil-
ton that John Adams, who was on
the ticket for Vice President with
Washington, was plotting to tie the
vote, and thus by throwing the cleo
,, ton into the National House OF KEEP,
resentatives, defeat ne Father Of
! his Country" for Pr ident. SO rea
was this fear in hamilton's breast
: that he dispatched messengers or
horses to Virginia, Connecticut ant
;. New Jersey to stampede the Legls
y latrres of the latter two States II
Washington. So long did it take tt
= gather news that Washington wa
y actually inaugutated President be-
fore some of the remote counties Il
Virginia had sent in their returns
In this first election there was onl
one ticket and there was no cam
paigning. There were only abou
v 100000 inhabitants in the countr
n at that time, and the whole cost .
IS setting up the machinery OF TN
a Presidential election is estimated
n less than 100000.
r. To-day the Presidential elctlor
8, are held under complete flag. Ths
20 is. every square mile of the FEEDER;
n, republic with the exception of tt
District of Columbia is now on tt
" Presidential election map, casting
co popular vote of over 16,OOO,OOO
was not until 1928 that all the Stat,
with the exception of South Carol
.. ma permitted the people to choo
~ electors. South Carolina did n
no grant this popular right until she r
n turned to the Union after the wa
ay Not until 1S49 did all the Stat
u choose their electors on the same d'
n and that day was fixed as Tuesd;
-, after the first Monday in Novemb.t
We Thus a tremendous gain for popul
~ interest in the election and in 10
ne eminent was scored. In 1S4S t
e, GO New Orleans Picayune posted the nj
10 10 election bulletin announcing the "
Ill tory of General Zachary Taylor, a
these first bulletins covered or
a few big centers where the prin
tive telegraph then reached. On t
sh. night of November 9Th, 1872. a
WIS 100000 people received the retur
of the elections by midnight. BY
in o'clock the next morning ninety I
raj cent of the people knew the name
the new President. The machine
to to elect President in l9l2 cost
EAR huge sum of $27, 100000 or $1:oO
every vote cast. The election
se. New York City alone cost ten TIN
ON more than the first national ell
mr. ton, l.