The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1916-11-16
THE HAYES.TILDEN AFFAIR
Gzionel watterson's Reeollectlons Of
The Trouble Of 1876

We seem fatcd, as nation TO go
through this sort Of thing Cyery forty
years or so. Witness the equally dra-
matte. similarly hubbubish, huey-and-
erycy little affair We Democrats stag
ed in the year Of grace, 1876.
We seem TO run by skies. jus, now
we are at skies and sevens. In 1776,
II may be recalled by research work
ers intimate with our country's his
tory, our party's distinguished found
er, Mr.. T. jefferson, spilled quite
little pot Of political beans by making
the astounding assertion that we were
really fl 20 govern ourselves. In 1916
we patched up peace with Great
Britain and Andy Jackson, for whom
some Of US still vote, licked the Brit
ish In New Orleans. We made him
President at later date In 1856 we
pussy footed on the slavery and States
rights question, and sent Buchanan to
the White House
That was our last crack at the Pres
idency until
When the returns from that election
day in the fall Of 1876 came in, 1t was
found that Samuel J. Tilden of New
York had on the face Of things, 206
electoral votes, twenty-one more than
a majority. and popular vote Of
4,30O,3i6, a majority over Rutherford
b. Hayes Of Ohio Of 264, 800. And
then the trouble began.
Now, no less an authority than
Marse- Henry Watterson, the genial, at
times, editor Of the Louisville Courier
Journal, who was active in the cam
paign Of 1876, on Tilden's behalf, lays
the whole blame on a Connecticut
man, the late Senator William H.
Barnum, who was at that time the
finance head of the Democratic Ma
tional Committee. Senator Barnum
sent telegram. And, according to
Colonel Watterson, that telegram
changed history.
II was this way. The morning
newspapers, published on Nov. s, 1876
for the election day, curiously
enough, was on Tuesday, Nov. 7, just
rs it was this year--the morning
papers, both Democratic and Repub-
lican, conceded an overwhelming vic
tory for Tilden. That is, all but the
New York Times 1t sent its first
edition TO press leaving the result in
doubt, but inclining toward Democrat
ic success. 1t was Republican then, was
the Times: nowadays it's trying to
make up for its early errors,
After that early edition had gone 10
press, the staff of the paper, much
cast down by the returns, was sitting
Mt supper, when in came a telegram
from Senator Barnum, asking for
their latest news on Oregon, Louisi-
ana, Florida and South Carolina.
The story of that hectic night in the
Times office is told by Colonel Waiter
son, in an article about year ago in
the New York World, by permission
of the Manhattan Club Of New York.
The article was written in commemor-
alton Of the fftieth anniversary Of the
club. In IL the doughty colonel says
"The Times people, intense Repub-
lican partisans, saw at once an oppor-
tunity. If Barnum did not know, why
might not doubt be raised? AT once
the editorial in the first edition was
revised 10 take decisive tone and de-
clare the election Of Hayes. One OF
the editorial council, Mr.. John c. Reid,
hurried to Republican headquarters in
the Fifth Avenue Hotel which he
found deserted, the triumph Of Tilden
having long before sent everybody to
bed. Mr.. Reid then sought the room
of Senator Zachariah Chandler, chair ;
man Of the National Republican Com
mittee. While upon this errand he
encountered Mr.. William +. Chandler,
lust arrived frcm New Hampshire and ,
very much exasperated by what he had
read.
"The two found Mr.. Zachariah I
Chandler who bade them leave him {
alone and do whatever they thought
best They did so consumingy, send I
ing telegrams to Columbia, Tallahas- (
see and New Orleans stating that the !
result Of the election depended upon 5
his State. To these were appended the 8
signature Of Zachariah Chandler. l
Later in the day, Senator Chandler, t
advised Of what had been set on foot v
and It's possibilities, issued from ma I
tional Republican headquarters this a
laeonic message Hayes has ls5 cleo
toral votes and is elected. Thus began b
and was put in motion the scheme TO o
confuse the returns and make dis d
puted count OF the vote" 81
We'll. the returns were confused in u
Florida. They were confused In South n
and in Louisiana, worst oi Y
all. Everything was confused. "