The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1924-08-21
POLIT ICAL
! INTRIGUE.
| ROT TEN
FaIIacy Of Political Purity in
I Founding Fathers" Is
Shown, Says Hard
By WILLIAM HARD.

b."
On the first occasion when the
task Of naming a President de-
volved upon, the House Of Repre-
sentatives--namely, in the year
1800-the episode was marked by
an intrigue so abominable and so
disgraceful that nobody familiar
with it can ever again possibly
be gulled by the ordinary political
platform clap-trap about the per-
feet political purity Of our found
ing forefathers."
Additional nastiness was lent to
this intrigue from the fact that
It, was conducted by the party
which. claimed to be especially the
party of respectability-nam
the Federalist party.
Burr and jefferson Tied.
In those days the electors in the
presidential electoral college did
not vote for anybody for Vice
President. They voted-each of
them-for TWO persons for Presi.
dent. Then the person, who re.
ceived the largest number of cleo
toral votes throughout the country,
II that number was majority of
all the electoral votes cast, became
President; and his nearest unsuc.
cessful rival for the Presidency be.
came Vice President.
In 1900, when the electoral votes
were counted, 1t developed that
two persons had a majority in
the electoral college and that these
TWO persons were tied. Each of
them had seventy-three, votes.
These two persons were Thomas
Jefferson and Aaron Burr. They
were both Democrats, or, to use
the description then more current
tor them. Republicans.
Federalists Desperate.
The, Federalists, thus defeated.
felt that something desperate had
to be done. They proceeded to do
Il. In order to defeat Jefferson
in the House.. of Representatives,
where the election at once went,
the-y started in to try to trade with
Burr and to- try to get him to
promise to act as Federalist in
case they would give him enough
votes in the House OF Representa-.
tives to put him into the White
House over the head of jefferson,
the leader of his party and the &C.
cepted epitome Of the Democratic
Tor Republican, cause.
Burr was not inaccurately de-
scribed by Theodore Sedgwick of
Massachusetts,, the Speaker Of the
Federal House OF Representatives,
as "a profligate, without character
and without property, bankrupt in
both"
Nevertheless, the Federalists in
the House Of Representatives, con.
&rary to the advice Of Alexander
Hamilton, proceeded to vote in mum.
bers for Mr.. Burr while continuing
to negotiate with him as to his
conduct in case he should become
President.
Thirty.Six Ballots.
The struggle lasted through thirty
nix ballots. For thirLy.five ballots
successfully there were eight State
delegations in the House Of Repre-.
centatives for Jefferson, six for
Burr, and two divided and there.
fore blanked. Nine State deIega.
tons were necessary in order to
make a majority, and for thirty
five ballots successfully Jefferson
could get only eight.
Then on the thirty-sixth ballot
The break came through an an.
uouncement by Mr.. Bayard Of Della
ware, Federalist, that he intended
to leave Burr and go to jefferson
He had found that Burr did not
dare to commit himself on the
points demanded by the Federalists
Mr.. Bayard, in the account Of the
whole affair which he subsequently
gave to Hamilton. has two sentences
which throw a glaring light on
the theory that in those days there
was no politics" Said Mr.. Bayard
1.-THE means existed of electing
Burr, but this reouired his IN.