The Big Sandy news. [volume] (Louisa, Ky.) 1885-1929, 1916-11-17
CONTEST RECALLS !
ELECTION OF 1876
Long Uncertainty Over Hayes
TiIdsn Vote.
CLOSE nARGlN DECIDES

AZ In This Election, the Fight Between
Hayes and Tildsn Was Long In Doubt.
Cleveland aine Race In 1884 Also
similar-Re,utn Very Late In Ar
irving. &
Close national elections always recall
the historic contest of 1876. when
Rutherford u. Hayes, Republican. was
declared elected president By margin
OF one electoral vote over Samuel ].
'rllden, Democrat. almost four months
after the election. on election night
In November. 1876, Tilden's election
was announced In the lrst editions OF
all the newspapers and at / 80 O'Clock
was conceded by the Republican lead
ers.
Decided by Close Margin.
The other memorable instance Of
close nHtionsl elections was In 1884.
when II was not known until Friday
after election day whether Grover
Cleveland or James G. Blaine had been
chosen president, and then the contest
was decided In New York state by
margin OF LOO votes II was ut this
election that John Y. McKAne. the
Democratic boss OF Coney Island. who
later went 60 Sing Sing for oyerzeaious
political activity, gave the Cleveland
ticket plurality In Grnyescnd that
exceeded By 700 the total number OF
men, women aud children In the town.
which was 5000,
The contest OF 1916, which brought
aholcsnlc charges OF fraud. gun play,
intimidation and murder some OF
which were also proved. started on
election night when II became appar-
ent on the returns not 10 DO doubted
that Tilden had 1874 electoral votes and
Hayes i65. with twenty votes doubt
full one hundred and eighty ave were
necessary Tor choice. The twenty
doubtful votes were distributed In Ore
gon. Louisiana. Florida and South Car.
olinh.
by sunup OF the next morning both
Republicans and Democrats started
after these twenty votea II tho Re
publlcans got them all II meant that
Hayes would be elected by a margin
ofsone electoral vote.
Theft of Election Charged.
II was freely charged that Tilden
had been fraudulently deprived OF sew
erai electoral votes and the election.
His popular vote exceeded that OF
Hayes by 80 35, As In tho election
just passed. the doubtful states were
California and some Of the middle
western states. notably Nebraska.
Florida remained n puzzle for hong
time. In those days the south Was
not solid when II came TO voting be-
cause OF the punitive measures en-
forced by the north after the civil war.
which restricted suffrage In tho rebel
states.
For n day or so after tho preaiden-
tial election In 1892 there was consid.
cradle doubt MS TO the result Many
Republican payers claimed that BenJa-
min Harrison. Republican, had been
reelected over Grover Cleveland. Dem
ocrat. by a comfortable margin lndi-
ana and Illinois were claimed by both
sides. aud II looked for awhile. Judg-
Ing by the scattering returns. that Har-
rIson would carry both Delaware and
West Virginia.
The second day. however. proved
Mr.. Clevelands election for second
term with handsome majority In the
electoral college, his vote being 277
against ld5 for Harrison.
But the race was 80 close for awhile
that the newspapers OF New York sug-
gested that the next president Of the
United States might have to DO elect
ed by congress.