Our Presidents and how we make them

by Alexander K. McClure

9. That the Government should furnish the people with an ample and sound currency, and a return to specie payment as soon as practicable.

10. That maintenance of the public credit, protection to all loyal citizens, and justice to Indians are essential to the honor and safety of our nation.

11. And finally, we demand for the American people the abolition of electoral colleges, and a direct vote for President and Vice-President of the United States.

The contest of 1876 was conducted with great earnestness, but it was not distinguished for the defamation of candidates. The popular tide seemed to be with Tilden, as the reformation he had wrought in the Democratic party by the overthrow of Tweed in New York presented him in bold contrast to the administration of Grant, that had brought a tempest of scandals upon the party; but misfortune seemed to multiply upon Tilden from the beginning to the close of the battle. His first disaster, and what in the end proved to be a fatal one, was the result of the admission of Colorado into the Union. Thomas N. Patterson, an active Democrat, had been chosen as a delegate to Congress from Colorado in 1874 by a majority of 2163, and he gave the Democrats, who largely controlled the House, the positive assurance that the admission of Colorado would bring in another Democratic State. They had the power to exclude Colorado, but believing that the large majority of the Democrats had, under Patterson’s lead in 1874, anchored the Territory safely in the Democratic column, the Democrats admitted the new State, and her three electoral votes decided the election against Tilden, as even with South Carolina, Florida, and Louisiana taken from Tilden, all of which had voted for him, Hayes was chosen by a single vote.

The first State election in Colorado was held in the summer of 1876, and to the utter consternation of the Democrats the Republicans elected the entire State ticket with 25 majority on joint ballot in the Legislature, and it was settled before the State election that the new State would not be put to the trouble and expense of another election for President in the fall, and that the Legislature would choose the electors, as it did. Tilden thus started in the contest with three electoral votes positively assured against him in the new State, that had been admitted because it was confidently expected to be Democratic.

On the popular vote Tilden had, according to the Republican returns, 252,224 majority over Hayes, and had the electoral colleges cast their votes as the popular vote was cast in Louisiana, Florida, and South Carolina, Tilden would have received 203 to 156 for Hayes. The following table presents the popular vote and gives the Democratic and Republican returns of Florida and Louisiana, with the totals as they would appear with either count accepted:

STATES.	Samuel J. Tilden.	Rutherford B. Hayes.	Peter Cooper.	Green Clay Smith.
Maine	49,917	66,300	663	——
New Hampshire	38,509	41,539	76	——
Vermont	20,350	44,428	——	——
Massachusetts	108,777	150,063	779	84
Rhode Island	10,712	15,787	68	60
Connecticut	61,934	59,034	774	378
New York	521,949	489,207	1,987	2,359
New Jersey	115,962	103,517	712	43
Pennsylvania	366,204	384,184	7,187	1,319
Delaware	13,381	10,752	——	——
Maryland	91,780	71,981	33	10
Virginia	139,670	95,558	——	——
West Virginia	56,495	42,046	1,373	——
North Carolina	125,427	108,417	——	——
South Carolina	90,896	91,870	——	——
Georgia	130,088	50,446	——	——
Florida[25]	22,927	23,849	——	——
Florida[26]	24,434	24,340	——	——
Alabama	102,989	68,708	——	——
Mississippi	112,173	52,605	——	——
Louisiana[25]	70,508	75,315	——	——
Louisiana[26]	83,723	77,174	——	——
Texas	104,803	44,803	——	——
Arkansas	58,071	38,669	289	——
Missouri	203,077	145,029	3,498	64
Tennessee	133,166	89,566	——	——
Kentucky	159,696	97,156	1,944	818
Ohio	323,182	330,698	3,057	1,636
Michigan	141,095	166,534	9,060	766
Indiana	213,526	208,011	17,233	141
Illinois	258,601	278,232	9,533	——
Wisconsin	123,926	130,070	1,509	27
Minnesota	48,799	72,962	2,311	72
Iowa	112,121	171,326	9,901	36
Nebraska	17,554	31,916	2,320	1,599
Kansas	37,902	78,322	7,776	110
Colorado[27]	——	——	——	——
Nevada	9,308	10,383	——	——
California	76,468	78,322	44	——
Oregon	14,149	15,206	510	——
Total, Republican count	4,285,992	4,033,768	81,737	9,522
Total, Democratic count	4,300,590	4,036,298	81,737	9,522

On the morning after the election, newspapers of all parties announced the election of Tilden for President, but a murmur of the coming storm came at the same time from Senator Chandler, of New Hampshire, who was secretary of the national committee, of which Senator Zachariah Chandler, of Michigan, was chairman, who announced that Hayes was elected, and declared that the States of Florida, Louisiana, and South Carolina had honestly voted for Hayes, and that he would finally receive their electoral votes. With the whole machinery of the Government in the hands of the Republicans, it was almost a hopeless battle for Tilden to fight for the disputed Southern States, but the Democratic people became violently aroused, and threats were freely made that the inauguration of Hayes would be prevented by mob violence if attempted.

So grave had the situation become that both branches of Congress finally passed an act, creating what was known as the Electoral Commission, that should be a tribunal of last resort, to determine the disputed election. The bill passed the House by the vote of 158 Democrats and 33 Republicans, with 68 Republicans and 18 Democrats voting in the negative; and in the Senate the bill was passed by the votes of 26 Democrats and 21 Republicans, with 16 Republicans and 1 Democrat voting against it. The measure was approved by the President on the 29th of January. As a majority of the Democrats in both Houses favored the measure, it was assumed that Tilden desired them to support it, but in point of fact Tilden was irresolute, and put it upon his friends to decide what should be done. Had any other man been the Democratic candidate, he would have been a great leader and an aggressive one; but from the beginning to the close of the post-election battle Tilden was apparently dwarfed into utter helplessness, and when it became evident that the Commission would decide against him, he distinctly disclaimed all responsibility for the creation of the tribunal. The Electoral Commission was finally made up under the law, composed of Senators Edmunds, Morton, Frelinghuysen, Republicans, and Thurman and Bayard, Democrats; of Representatives Payne, Hunton, and Abbott, Democrats, and Garfield and Hoar, Republicans, with Justices Strong and Miller, Republicans, and Clifford and Field, Democrats, and the fifth member of the court to be chosen by the four. Justice David Davis was first chosen as the fifth judicial member of the court, but he declined, as he had just been elected to the Senate by Illinois, and Justice Bradley was then selected to fill his place. Had Davis remained on the Commission, it is reasonably certain that the vote of the Electoral Commission would have been 8 for Tilden and 7 for Hayes. This Commission, whose judgment was to be final, decided in favor of Hayes on every disputed proposition by a vote of 8 to 7, and thus made him President by the following electoral vote:

STATES.	Hayes.	Tilden.
Maine	7	—
New Hampshire	5	—
Vermont	5	—
Massachusetts	13	—
Rhode Island	4	—
Connecticut	—	6
New York	—	35
New Jersey	—	9
Pennsylvania	29	—
Delaware	—	3
Maryland	—	8
Virginia	—	11
West Virginia	—	5
North Carolina	—	10
South Carolina	7	—
Georgia	—	11
Florida	4	—
Alabama	—	10
Mississippi	—	8
Louisiana	8	—
Texas	—	8
Arkansas	—	6
Missouri	—	15
Tennessee	—	12
Kentucky	—	12
Ohio	22	—
Michigan	11	—
Indiana	—	15
Illinois	21	—
Wisconsin	10	—
Minnesota	5	—
Iowa	11	—
Nebraska	3	—
Kansas	5	—
Colorado	3	—
Nevada	3	—
California	6	—
Oregon	3	—
	185	184