Our Presidents and how we make them

by Alexander K. McClure

18. Municipal self-government.

19. Direct vote and secret ballots in all elections. Universal and equal right of suffrage without regard to color, creed, or sex. Election days to be legal holidays. The principle of proportional representation to be introduced.

20. All public officers to be subject to recall by their respective constituencies.

21. Uniform civil and criminal law throughout the United States. Administration of justice to be free of charge. Abolition of capital punishment.

The great battle of 1896 is yet fresh in the memories of the people. Its most notable feature was the unexampled campaign made by Bryan, the Democratic candidate for President. He covered a larger portion of territory and delivered more speeches during the campaign than had ever before been accomplished by any man in our political history, and he enthused his followers to a very remarkable degree. Considering the complications which confronted him, resulting from the internal feuds of his own household, and an open split on the Vice-Presidency, he made the most memorable Presidential campaign of the Republic and swept every State west of the Mississippi, with the exception of California, Oregon and North Dakota. Even Kansas and Nebraska, two rock-ribbed Republican States, gave Bryan large majorities, but Bryan did not carry a single electoral vote east of the Mississippi and north of the Ohio and the Potomac. The following tables exhibit the popular and electoral votes of 1896:

STATES.	William McKinley, Ohio.	William J. Bryan, Nebraska.	Bryan and Watson.[31]	John M. Palmer, Illinois.	Joshua Levering, Maryland.	Charles E. Bentley, Nebraska.	Charles H. Matchett, New York.
Alabama	54,737	131,226	24,089	6,462	2,147	——	——
Arkansas	37,512	110,103	——	——	839	893	——
California	146,688	144,766	21,730	2,006	2,573	1,047	1,611
Colorado	26,271	161,269	2,389	1	1,717	386	160
Connecticut	110,285	56,740	——	4,336	1,806	——	1,223
Delaware	20,452	16,615	——	966	602	——	——
Florida	11,257	31,958	1,977	1,772	644	——	——
Georgia	60,091	94,672	440	2,708	5,716	——	——
Idaho	6,324	23,192	——	——	181	——	——
Illinois	607,130	464,523	1,090	6,390	9,796	793	1,147
Indiana	323,754	305,573	——	2,145	3,056	2,267	324
Iowa	289,293	223,741	——	4,516	3,192	352	453
Kansas	159,541	171,810	46,194	1,209	1,921	630	——
Kentucky	218,171	217,890	——	5,114	4,781	——	——
Louisiana	22,037	77,175	——	1,915	——	——	——
Maine	80,461	34,587	2,387	1,866	1,589	——	——
Maryland	136,978	104,746	——	2,507	5,922	136	588
Massachusetts	278,976	105,711	15,181	11,749	2,998	——	2,114
Michigan	293,582	237,268	——	6,968	5,025	1,995	297
Minnesota	193,503	139,735	——	3,222	4,363	——	954
Mississippi	5,123	63,793	7,517	1,071	485	——	——
Missouri	304,940	363,652	——	2,355	2,169	293	599
Montana	10,494	42,537	——	——	186	——	——
Nebraska	103,064	115,999	——	2,797	1,243	797	186
Nevada	1,938	8,377	575	——	——	——	——
New Hampshire	57,444	21,650	379	3,520	779	49	228
New Jersey	221,367	133,675	——	6,373	5,614	——	3,985
New York	819,838	551,369	——	18,950	16,052	——	17,667
North Carolina	155,222	174,488	——	578	676	245	——
North Dakota	26,335	20,686	——	——	358	——	——
Ohio	525,991	477,497	2,615	1,858	5,068	2,716	1,167
Oregon	48,779	46,662	——	977	919	——	——
Pennsylvania	728,300	433,230	11,176	10,921	19,274	870	1,683
Rhode Island	37,437	14,459	——	1,166	1,160	5	558
South Carolina	9,313	58,801	——	824	——	——	——
South Dakota	41,042	41,225	——	——	683	——	——
Tennessee	148,773	166,268	4,525	1,951	3,098	——	——
Texas	167,520	370,434	79,572	5,046	1,786	——	——
Utah	13,491	64,607	——	21	——	——	——
Vermont	50,991	10,607	461	1,329	728	——	——
Virginia	135,388	154,985	——	2,127	2,350	——	115
Washington	39,153	51,646	——	1,668	968	148	——
West Virginia	104,414	92,927	——	677	1,203	——	——
Wisconsin	268,135	165,523	——	4,584	7,509	346	1,314
Wyoming	10,072	10,655	286	——	136	——	——
Totals	7,111,607	6,509,052	222,583	134,645	131,312	13,968	36,373

ELECTORAL VOTE.

STATES.	President.		Vice-President.
	McKinley.	Bryan.	Hobart.	Sewall.	Watson.
Alabama	—	11	—	11	—
Arkansas	—	8	—	5	3
California	8	1	8	1	—
Colorado	—	4	—	4	—
Connecticut	6	—	6	—	—
Delaware	3	—	3	—	—
Florida	—	4	—	4	—
Georgia	—	13	—	13	—
Idaho	—	3	—	3	—
Illinois	24	—	24	—	—
Indiana	15	—	15	—	—
Iowa	13	—	13	—	—
Kansas	—	10	—	10	—
Kentucky	12	1	12	1	—
Louisiana	—	8	—	4	4
Maine	6	—	6	—	—
Maryland	8	—	8	—	—
Massachusetts	15	—	15	—	—
Michigan	14	—	14	—	—
Minnesota	9	—	9	—	—
Mississippi	—	9	—	9	—
Missouri	—	17	—	13	4
Montana	—	3	—	2	1
Nebraska	—	8	—	4	4
Nevada	—	3	—	3	—
New Hampshire	4	—	4	—	—
New Jersey	10	—	10	—	—
New York	36	—	36	—	—
North Carolina	—	11	—	6	5
North Dakota	3	—	3	—	—
Ohio	23	—	23	—	—
Oregon	4	—	4	—	—
Pennsylvania	32	—	32	—	—
Rhode Island	4	—	4	—	—
South Carolina	—	9	—	9	—
South Dakota	—	4	—	2	2
Tennessee	—	12	—	12	—
Texas	—	15	—	15	—
Utah	—	3	—	2	1
Vermont	4	—	4	—	—
Virginia	—	12	—	12	—
Washington	—	4	—	2	2
West Virginia	6	—	6	—	—
Wisconsin	12	—	12	—	—
Wyoming	—	3	—	2	1
Totals	271	176	271	149	27

No mere party contest in the history of the country, and indeed no other contest, with the single exception of the issue of secession and civil war, ever exhibited so large a measure of political independence as is shown in the vote for President in 1896. While the Democrats had a sound-money national ticket with such acceptable candidates as Palmer and Buckner, a very small proportion of the sound-money Democratic vote of the country was cast for that ticket. McKinley certainly received 500,000 Democratic votes, cast for him directly to assure the defeat of Bryan, and Bryan certainly received not less than 250,000 Republican votes.

It was not until six weeks before the election that the Republicans felt confident of Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois. The first canvass of the Republican State committee made in Ohio indicated the defeat of McKinley, but as the business and industrial interests of the country faced the question of cheap money, and the business convulsion it must produce, the Republican ranks were steadily increased, and the States which were regarded as doubtful in September gave large majorities for McKinley in November.

This campaign gave a most impressive illustration of the true independence of American journalism. A number of the leading newspapers of the country which had supported Cleveland in his three contests, repudiated the Chicago platform and its candidate, and they stood in the forefront of American journalism, embracing such journals as the Boston Herald and Globe, the Hartford Times, the New York World, Sun, Herald, Times, and Evening Post, the Philadelphia Times and Record, the Baltimore Sun, the Louisville Courier-Journal, and others. These journals were all strongly owned and entirely independent in their political action. Not one of them ever had conference or communication with the McKinley leaders, or received or proposed any terms for their support, or ever sought, accepted, or desired favors from the McKinley administration. Some of them suffered pecuniary sacrifice, but they performed a heroic duty, and it was the inspiration they gave to the conservative Democratic sentiment of the country that made McKinley President by an overwhelming majority.