Henderson daily dispatch. (Henderson, N.C.) 1914-1995, 1940-08-28
Many Presidents Have
Been Elected Without
Majority of Popular Votes


1856 through 1886 shows that twice
Il defeated candidate got more votes
than his successful rival.
First Of these was in 1876 when
Samuel j. Tildcn, New York COVER
nor and Democratic candidate, was
counted out by the famous Electoral
Commission which decided that five
is greater than four, by splitting that
way in favor Of Rutherford Hayes.
Even the commission couldn't change
the record OF 100000 popular votes
for -Tilden against 100000 for
Hayes.
1t was another Democrat who got
the long end Of the peoples free and
untrammCled suffrage, but the short
end of the electoral college. That was
Grover Cleveland in 1888, when he
topped Benjamin Harrison by $685.
GOO 10 5,44n,00G but didn't get EN-
III the right place to do him any good.
An !ronIC feature was that his plur-
atty of approximately $4,000 in 1888
was about 10000 more than the mar
gin by which he led James c. Blaine
in 1884 when he was elected for his
first term.
Here's Il brief resume Of the other
races since 1856.
Presidents who had 4 plurality,
but not Il majority:
1856: James Buchanan, Democrat,
led Fremont, Republican, but the
latter and Fillmore, American Party,
rn,D,hinnl hnI Onn nnn ~,
anan'S 100000.
1860: Lincoln, the Republican cam
didate, won with 100000; but his
combined opposition (Stephen Doug
las and J. G. Breckenridge, two kinds
of Democrats, and Bell, Union) divid-
ed 2,800.000 among them.
1880: james A. Garfield topped W.
S. Hancock, Democrat, by scant
1000 in the popular vote (4,449, 900
to 10000 but there was total
Of $4,000 votes for three minor can
didateS.
1884: Cleveland'S 4,911 900 headed
Blaine with 4,848000, but the Pro-
hibition and Grcenbacll candidates
pollcd 285,000.
1892: Cleveland won his second
term with his largest plurality, some
100000 over Harrison; but Weaver
PopuliSt, and two minor candidates
had an aggregate Of l,04l, 900.
1912: Woodrow Wilson won the
famous threc-cornered race with
Teddy Roosevelt and President How
ard Taft, getting some 100000 votes,
to 4,l00,OO for the Rough Rider and
3,500,000 for the incumbent. Then
there were 100000 votes for minor
candidates.
1916: Again Wilson lacked ma
jority, with 100000 to 100000 for
Charles Z. Hughes, and 100000 split
among minor candidates.
Presidents who won with clear
majoritieS were:
1864: Lincoln won reelection over
George B. Mcclellan with 100000
votes to the Generals 100000.
There we're no minor candidates.
1868: Strictly tWo-handed game
in which General U. S. Grant topped
Democrat Seymour, 100000 to B.
100000.
1872: Grant again won handily,
smashing Horace Greeley, running on
the Democratic ticket, 100000 to
100000
1896: William Mckinley crucified
William J. Bryan on Gross OF
Cold, 100000 to the 6,500,0O0 poll
ed by the Great COmmoner' on the
combined Democratic and PopuliSt
tickets. Four minor candidates
amassed only 100000 in the aggre-
gate.
1900: Mckinley again knocked off
Bryan, this time 100000 to $780,
600, with 10000 for minor candl-
dates.
1904: Theodore Roosevelt swamp
ed Judge Alton B. Parker, conserva-
tive Democrat, 100000 to 100000
with 100000 votes going to lesser
lights.
1908: Howard Taft handily dis
posed of Bryan's third effort, 7,7O0,-
600 to 6,4OO,000 Minors split 100000.
1920: Republican Warren G.. Hard
ing slaughtered James Cox, Demo-
crat, 100000 to 100000; the
minors being very minor.
1924: Cal Coolidge mopped up John
w. Davis, Democrat, and Bob La
Toilette, Farmer-Labor, l5,718,OOO to
1887 1862 to 4,822,0OO.
1928: Al Smith almost doubled any
previous Democratic vote, getting
100000, but it wasn't even close
to Herbert Hoover's Fl ,429,OOO.
1882: Franklin RooseVelts 22,OOO,-
600 was 100000 above Hoover's 49,
100000.
1886: Roosevelt the Second i'm
proved on his 1882 showing smash
ing ALI Landon 2775l,OOO to 1851
900.