Milford chronicle., 1928-07-13

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&C. 1928. Western Newspaper Union.l
3.-When Hamilton Cam
pdigned for Jefferson
N/ERE the present Republican
W majority in the house of repre-
sentativeS to be called upon to picl
our next President from among thu
Democrats, the situation would b.
roughly comparable to that which
prevailed in that strange, turbulent
fourth American election of lS0l
In winch Thomas Jefferson finally
was seated in the Presidents chail
largely through the personal efforts
of his most bitter political antago
mist, Alexander Hamilton.
Bederalist party fortunes under
four years of President John
Adams had fallen low. In OppOsi'
ton. JeffersOnian Republicans
(forerunnerS Of modern DemOcrats)
presented such a solid front that
George Washington, then in retire
ment, despairingly exclaimed: "Let
that party set up brOomStick, and
call it true son of liberty-a
democrat-or give it any other cpl
tibet that will suit their purpose,
and it will command their votes in
toto"
Federalists tried to draft Wash
ington himself for a third term ;
but the "Father Of His Country"
died suddenly in December, 1893,
probably before these oYertures
reached him in the post.
FederaliSts then resigned them
selves to making another campaign
with President Adams. Early in
1900 a caucus of Federallst con-
gressmen selected the President as
their candidate to succeed himself,
with Charles G. Pinckney of South
Carolina as his running-mate.
JefferSOnian congressman, in a
similar caucus, picked the sage of
Monticello to head their ticket,
with Aaron Burr of New York for
vice president.
. AThe factiQlal rift In The EederRis
list ranks at once burst open wide.
Alexander Hamilton, powerful boss
Of the anti-Adams Federalists, is
sued a vindictive letter criticizing
Adams as jealous, egotistical, ILL
tempered, arbitrary. This pamphlet,
designed for quiet circulation only
among a few of HamiltOn's FEEDER
alist friends, promptly fell into the
hands of the crafty Colonel Burr.
He sent copies abroad amORg JEFF
fersOnian newspapers, which printed
them in high glee. alexander
Pamphlet" became a Republican
nickname for the discounted Ham,
iitOn, while furious Adam pamphlet
GERS set to work to refute his criti-
cisms.
Jefferson, for his part, as in the
campaign Of 1900, had to sustain
much personal abuse, largely on the
score of his free thinking in re-
ligious matters.
AS election returns from the
states trickled slowly in, it was ap.
parent that the Federalists were
beaten. Republican elatiOn knew
no bounds. Church bells burst I'M
der too vigorous ringing. FEEDER
alists were facetiously threatened
with a raise in the price of shaves
at the barber shops because their
faces had become so long.
But elation soon gave way to per.
plexitieS with realization that, I'm.
der the old system of voting, JEFF
fersOn and Burr had received a tie
vote of 73 each. Sixty-five votes
went to Adams, Ga to Pinckney, one
to John Jay.
This, Of course, meant that the
choice between Jefferson and Burr
for the Presidency would be thrown
into the lower house of congress.
And there Federalists, not Republi-
cans, controlled a majority of the
state votes
The house of representatives
with exception Of'One sick member,
full attendance for the
decisive event. Another sick menu
Der had himself carried into the
Capitol in his bed rather than miss
participating in the voting.
On the first vote, taken by states
On February II, 1901, eight of the
sixteen states were found to be for
Jefferson, six for Burr, and two,
Vermont and Maryland, divided
giving neither candidate a majority.
These results being steadily main
aimed, congressman sent out for
pillows and nightcaps and snOozed
n their seats or on the floor, be-
ween the successive ballots which
we're taken at intervals all through
he night. -,-------- '''@ --"-"-
At the. prospect that Burr might
De chosen President, none Was f16Fe
ghast than HamiltOn-who later
vas to die by Burr's hand in a duel.
hamilton hated Jefferson. but more
10 diStrustnd tho u,iIv nooDinuIotor