The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1928-11-30
JUST FIGURES BUT INTERESTING
(From The Helena Independentl


The New York Herald-Tribune wrated something
for its editors to do few days after election ard
they were put to work figuring out how many votes
would take to make the vote of Hoover in the eee
toral college unanimous They announced a few days
later that by properly switching 275OOO votes in the
right states, Hoover would have solid vote from every
state in the Union.
The New York Wolrd is never licked-not even in
an election like the recent unpleasantness so the ed
tors of the World probably with the assistance of
Frank Sullivan, humOrst, figured it out that by switch
ing $4,000 votes in 10 states Governor AL Smith
would have been elected.
This started something, and college professors and
newspaper writer's with mathematical trend of mind
have revised the figures several times and one news
paper ventures the assertion that Hoover could have
had 100000 popular majority and still lost the
election and further that Smith could have had $4,000
600 popular votes and not single vote in our electoral
college.
1t sadmtted that all sorts of funny and seemingly
unfair things happen under the electoral college
system, but fortunately for the system they seldom
happen
Until the Harding and Coolidge landslides however,
one election after another showed that switch of
few thousand votes-sometimes few hundred
here and there would have changed the election re-
suit But in 1920 and 1924 rpublican puralities were
huge in many of the most important states that
there was little nourishment in such figuring.
This year the result relatively close in SO
many states that the boys more got out the pen
Gil and paper.
Well, Smiths present yearning for that switch of
half million votes is probably nowhere near as pog-
nant as that of James G. Blaine who with change
of 600 votes in New York in 1884, would have been
elected Cleveland. Those were the DAYS when
the solid south was good and solid and most of the
northern and western states invariably doubtful
In that year Cleveland carried Connecticut $1,000
to $4,000, Delaware 10000 to 10000 Indiana 244OOC
to 298OOO, Maryland $4,000 to S5OOO Missouri 235OOC
to 100000, New Jersey $4,000 to 12SOOO Tennessee
1oS,OOO to $4,000 and Blaine had Californi;
100000 to 100000, Illinois $4,000 to 912.OOO low,
$4,000 to 177,OOO Massachusetts $4,000 to $4,000
New Hampshire $4,000 to $4,000 Ohio 100000 tn 368
600 and so on again.
The two Cleveland Harrison contests show even
closer results in states. In 1883 California wa
carried by 1000 Connecticut by 1884, Indiana by 1900
Mcmgan by $4,000. In 1892 Cleveland carried Cali
forna by 200 votes Delaware by 500 Indiana bv =
900 and lost Ohio by but 1,O72
In 1883 change of 1900 votes in New York alon
would have elected Cleveland over Harrison and i
1917 sWltc hof $4,000 in seven states would hav
elected Harrison over Cleveland
In 1880 Hancock would have been elected If /
could have picked up 1887 Garfield votes in Ne
.orA OF changed ll5l7 others in Maine New Ham,
snlre' connecticut, Indiana and Oregon
In 1876 Tilden had more than 100000 more non,l.
votes and needed no more until the attempt was ma,
TO pllfer some of his electoral college votes
Many more instances would be tedious. but If ms
be noted that such interesting figures have been co
sistently announced as something of a sensation f
long way back switch of 1920 Pennsvlvan
vote from VanBuren in 1886, for instance would ha
thrown that election into the house.
Old Bryan still sometimes that their her
with change in 1896 of 10000 votes in California
diana, Delaware, Kentucky, Oregon and West Virgin
would have defeated Mckinley.
The most classic recent example of what a few lit
votes might do occurred in 1916 when change of
votes in Minnesota would have elected Hughes oy
Wilson. That is really the prize statistic of the
all.