The Wolf Point herald. (Wolf Point, Mont.) 1913-1940, 1928-12-07

that by switching $4,000 votes in
10 states, Governor All Smith
would have been elected.
This started something, and col
lege professors and newspaper
writer's with a mathmetical trend
of mind. have revised the figures
several times and n newspaper
ventures the assertion that HooY-
er could have had a 10000 OO pop
ular majority and still lost the
election, and further that Smith
could have had 100000 popular
votes and not a single vote in u
electoral college.
1t is admitted that all sorts of
funny and seemingly unfair things
can happen under the electoral
college system, but fortunately for
the system they seldom happen.
Until the Harding and Coolidge
landslides, however n election
after another showed that a
switch of a few thousand votes
sometimes even a few hundred
here and there would have chang
ed the election result. But in
1920 and 1924 republican plurali-
ties were so huge in so many of
the most important states that
there was little nourishment in
such figuring.
This year the result was so rel
atively close in so many states
that the boys once more got out
the pencil and paper.
Well, Smiths present yearning
Tor that switch of a half million
votes is probably nowhere nea as
poignant IS that of James G.
Blaine, who with a change of 600
votes in New York in 1884, would
have been elected oven Cleveland.
Those were the days when the
south vas good and solid
and most of the northern ard
western states were invariably
doubtful.
In that year Cleveland carried
$1,000 to $4,000, Della
10000 to 10000, Indiana 244,-
238,000, Maryland 10000 to 49,
Missouri $4,000 to 1900, New
Jersey $4,000 to 1913, 900 Tonnes
zee 1896 900 to $4,000 and so on.
Blaine had California 100000 to I
70, 900, Illinois $4,000 to $4,000,
owa 1877, 900 to III, 1000, Massachu-
etts 10000 to 1921 New
hampshire 43,0OG to $4,000, Ohio
90, 900 to $3.50 and so on again.
The two Cleveland Harrison
ontests show even closer results
4 some states. In 1883 California
Tas carried by 1000, Connecticut
y 1874, Indiana by 1000, Michigan
y 290 votes, Delaware by 500, In
by 1000 and lost Ohio by ,
ut 1,702. +,
In 1888 a change of 1900 votes ]
New York alone would have /,
.ected Cleveland over Harrison {
nd in 1892 a switch of of $4,000 :
seven states would have elect =
Harrison over Cleveland. =
In 1880 Hancock would have :
zen elected if he could have pick :
up 1857 Garfield votes in New :
ork or changed 11,517 others in !
aine, New Hampshire, Connect
1t, Indiana and Oregon.
In 1876 Tilden had more than :
$1,000 more popular votes and
eeded no more until the attempt
made to pilfer some of his
ectoral college votes.
Many more instances would be :
but it may be notes that /
lch interesting figures have been ;,
)nsistently announced as some :
ling of a sensation for a long :
back. A switch of 1920
ennsylvania vote from Van Bu- :
N in 1886, for instance, would
ave thrown that election into the
)use.
Old Bryan men still sometimes
oan that their hero, with a
lange in 1896 of $4,000 votes in
a%lifornia, Indiana, Delaware,
entucky, Oregon and West Vir-
MIA, would have defeated Nc
The most classic recent exam
of what a few little votes
light do occurred in 1916, when
change of 1877 votes in Mime ;.
TIA would have elected Hughes 2
'er Wilson. That one is really
e prize statistic of them all.