Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1917-01-25
CLOSE ELECTIONS.
Many Great Events Decided by a
Marrow Margin.
-
HISTORY MADE BY ONE VOTE.

In Several Instances In the Life Of Our
Nation, Notably In the Hayes Tiiden
Presidential Contest, a Single Ballot
Turned the Scales.
There have been many close elections
In the cities, counties and states of this
great nation, as well as Ia the nation
ct large itself. In the latter class the
Tilden-Hayes contest was the most
sensational. In that memorable cleo
ton the result turned upon the single
vote Of the fifteenth member Of the
electoral commission, who was chosen
by four judges Of the supreme court.
Our history abounds with Instances
in which the course OF vents has turn
Ell upon single votes, and some of
them may be conveniently selected
from the compilation made by Speaker
Clark for one of his Chautauqua lee
lures.
General jackson was elected major
general OF Tennessee militia by one
could not have fought the battle OF
New Orleans, and politics would have
been different for a quarter Of a cen
fury.
Martin Van Buren, won the presi-
dency through his defeat by one vote
on the confirmation Of his nomination
o. minister to England.
John. G. Calhoun, as vice president,
cast the deciding vote which gave to
Van Buren, what Calhoun never got
for himself, although his claims were
not inferior.
Mward Everett lost the governor
ship Of Massachusetts, by one vote, and
that took him out Of the list of avail
ables for the presidency.
Thomas III. Benton was elected to
the senate by n single vote. The loss
OF that nj vote not only would have
cost him his career of thirty years,
but would have meant the loss to the
senate of one ef It's s strongest and most
famous members in a most trying era.
One of the great characters OF Ameyi-
can history might never have elnersAl
from obscurity.
Henry Clay cast the deciding vote In
the constitutional convention which
admitted Kentucky to the Union as a
slave state. IL Kentucky had entered
tho Union as a free state ii is hardly
doubtful that Missouri would have
done the same, and it is conceivable
that there might have been no Mis-
souri, compromise, and perhaps ever no
war between the states.
The Walker tariff passed the senate
4 nv q single vote. Taft lost the vote Of
Idaho through a tie in the precinct Of
Boise. IL one more man had voted for
Taft Roosevelt would have lost con
troll Of the state.
There Is at least one case in which a
single vote was the entire election. At
the primaries for the Prohibition nofni-
nation for Judge In %Schuylkill county,
Pa, one vote was cast. There being
no other candidate or voter, Richard
-. Koch vas unanimously chosen. a
miss ia said to be ms good as u mile,
and under some conditions one vote is
% good as a million. \
On the other hand. a majority Of
100000 may BE worthless, as was ac-
tually the case in Indiana. At the gem
eral election In November, 1900, a pro.
posed amendment that "tIe general as
sembly shall by law prescribe what
i qualifications shall be necessary for
admission to practice law to all courts
sof Justice was submitted to the cleo
tors.
Nearly 100000 more votes were cast
Tor the amendment than against it.
But ~ did not receive a majority of
votes cast for presidential electors
and governor. The supreme court held.
that had not been carried by the con
stituttonal majority required for the
ratification OF a proposed amendment.
s That was q cas- where an actual ma
j0rtty at the polls lost in the courts.
There would be no end to the precey
dents regarding the value Of a few
votes II the search were extended to.
foreign history. One example will suf-
nce to show that the count Of the votes
= az important as the casting Of them.
In 1911 the Monis ministry fell in
France because 1t was thought to be iii
eaminority or fourteen, when In fact Ii
nd majority Of Ave. According to
the contemporary cablegram:
CRISIS arose over an Interpolation
xN1Axding the attitude Of the government:
&Aa#t0 theSchief command OF the army In
evont q war, and the oflcial list
hoMe6a1 - votes against the government
saNdf "A a favor.
! q S1oniegwas atill On q sick bed as the
g1eoqttsc q IN accident II his colleagues
ect6Adspn restGnation.
Xhs sCartors fact has now beer brought
a oSll9if however that ~ the moment OF
n y afatetul 6lviaion' there was consider
nAs~sAcontuaion ~ regard 10 the votes Tor
N&oSAgatnSt
nn1nbsrof deputies announced that
had appeared on the wrong
D \ IN ofacial fectiiieation was
A1Esd2 With "a sreenlt chat 80 FAR from
81 TN b g1eSn@dAks1ted the government
n M3nna30fity mentioned above.
6og1n 4 fais discovery may the
sga u much spersonal satisfaction to
sNri.ieF III is.sot courae,Etoo late
Neel1ekgshesfateso e III ministry
SzSs l6eS Gres merely 81 misAdven-
u llSlS i5EAf1h WORKING of the mSchinery
HS&f GafAiS