The Big Stone Gap post. [volume] (Big Stone Gap, Wise County, Va.) 1892-1928, 1916-11-15
CONTEST RECALLS
ELECTION OF 1875
Long Uncertainty Over Hayes
TlIdsn Vote.
CLOSE MARGIN DECIDES

40 In This Election, tho Flight Besw,,,
Hayes and Tildsn Was Long In Doub,
Cleveland Blaine Race In tse4 Ai.o
similar-Returns Very Late In Ar.
riving.
Close national elections alwnya recall
the historic contest OF 1870, whnp
rutherford d. Hayes. Republican. was
declared elected president by n margin
of one electoral vote over Samuel !
'rilden, Democrat, almost four month.
after the election. On election night
in November. 1870. Tilden's election
was announced In the first editions OF
all the newspapers and at 80 o'clo,I-
was conceded by the Republican lead.
ers.
Decided by Close Margin.
Tho other memorable instance AZ
close national elections was in 1881
when It was not known until Frl1av
after election day whether Grover
Cleveland or James G. Blaine had been
chosen president, and then the contest
was decided in New York state hy ii
margin of LOO votes. 1t was ut TN,
election that John Y. McKane. tho
Democratic boss OF Couey Islnnd, who
later went TO Sing Sing for overzenlous
political activity, gave the Cleveland
ticket plurality In Grnyesend that
exceeded by 2,oo0 the total number of
men. women and children In the town.
which was 5000.
The contest OF 1876, which brought
wholesale charges or fraud. gun play
intimidation and murder, some OF
which were also proved, started Oh
election night when 1t became nppar-
ent ON the returns not to DO doubted
that Tlldcn had 1874 electoral votes mud
lInyes 165. with twenty votes doubt
full. One hundred and eighty. five were
necessary for n choice. The twenty
doubtful votes were distributed in ore.
gon, Louisiana. Florida and South Car.
olIna.
by sunup OF the next morning both
Republicans and Democrats started
after these twenty votes. IL the Re.
publicans got them all It meant that
Hayes would be elected by margin
OF one electoral vote.
Theft of Election Charged.
It was freely charged that Tlldrn
had been fraudulcntly deprived of sey.
eral electoral votes and the election
His popular vote exceeded that Of
Hayes ny 25o,o35. AS in the election
Just passed. the doubtful states were
California and some OF the middle
western states, notably Nebraska
Florida remained puzzle for long
time. In those days the south was
not solid when 1t came to voting he
cause OF the punitive measures en-.
forced by the north after the civil war,
which restricted suffrage I'm the rebel
states.
For n day or so after the presiIeii
TIM election III 1892 there was consld-
cradle doubt as to the result. Many
Republican papers claimed that Benja-
min Harrison. Republican. had been
reelected over Grover Cleveland, Dem
ocrat by comfortable margin. lndi.
ana and Illinois were claimed by both
sides, and it looked for awhile. judy
Ing by the scattering returns. that Ilar
rlsoa 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 ~
against li5 for Harrison.
lint the race was SO close for awhile
that the newspapers OF New York sue
gested that the next president OF the
United States might have to be elert.
ed by congress.
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