The Progressive Parmer; llovember 13, 1900
THE LAW OF PEESIDENTIAL CHANCES.
Tie Strange Accidents in' the Political Lot
tery Whereby Great Men Failed: Clay, Cal
houn, Webster, Seward, Tilden; and
Whereby ,Lesser Hen Succeeded: Tyler,
Polk, Pierce, .TJohnson, Hayes The Kind
of Man Most.-Likely to Win.
From The World's Work for November. Pub
lished in The Progressive Farmer by special
permission.!
'Accidents, circumstances beyond
human control, and unlooked-for
events have done more to seat most
of our Presidents and to bar abler
aspirants than all calculable influ
ences and -qualities. - Hardly one of
the great leaders who had already
left his impress on our legislation
and our public policy has been elected
since the earlier days of the Consti
tuion. With the exception of Jack
son, W. H: Harrison, and Gr&nt,
none of the generally popular men
has succeeded, and of these Harri
son's was the popularity of an idea,
and Grant's of a military hero. In
fact, the history of nominating con
ventions and of elections shows that
a man who has won only a moderate
decree of fame and then waited for
some happy turn of fortune has had
by far the best chance of success.
To go back as far as- the first elec
tion of Jefferson Burr and Jeffer
son received an equal number of
electoral votes. Then, of course, the
man who received the largest num
ber of electoral votes became Presi
dent, and. the man who received the
next largest number, Vice-President.
There was no choice in the Electoral
College, and the election was thrown
into the House of Representatives,
where doubtless Jefferson would
have failed of the first place had not
"an unexpected influence been brought
to bear upon the contest. Hamilton,
leader of the Federalists, and the
last man from whom Jefferson could
hope for help, preferred Jefferson as
the less of two evils. Hamilton's
purpose was not accomplished by
directly securing Federalist votes
for Jefferson, but the Federalist rep.
resentatives from Vermont and the
two from Maryland voted blank bal
lots, so that in the final ballot it ap
peared that ten States, a majority of
those voting, had given Jefferson
their ballots. There is no stranger,
more dramatic episode in our political
history than that Jefferson, the I
founder of the Republican party, as
the Democratic party was then called,
owed it to Hamilton, who was the
personification of all that he opposed
in political theory, that he succeeded
John Adams in' the Presidency.
CLAY'S FIRST FAILURE.
Madison and Monroe were, in suc
cession, the predetermined heirs to
Jefferson's political estate ; but John
Quincy Adams, who followed Mon
roe, was in some respects an acci
dental President. There were four
candidates for the office in 1824
Adams Jackson, Crawford, and
Clay. Jackson had a 'majority of
the popular vote ; but there being no
choice in the Electoral College the
election again went to .the House,
which, under the Constitution, was
to select one from the three candi
dates who had received the three
largest votes. These were Adams,
Jackson, and Crawford. Adams was
Jte final choice of the Rouse, but he
owed his election to what seemed at
the moment a comparatively trifling
matter. The State legislatures afe
that time selected the presidential
electors for the States. By what
Clay's friends. termed outright po
litical dishonesty, the legislature of
Louisiana seized or made an oppor
tunity during the absence of Clay's
supporters from that body to vote
for the presidential electors. These
electors voted in the College, three
for Jackson and two for Adams,
whereas, had the election taken
place when Clay's friends were pres
ent, the five electors would all have
voted for Clay, and their votes in
the Electoral College would have
made Clay's electoral vote greater
than Crawford's. He, then, instead J
of Crawford, would have been a can
didate before the House ; and in that
event it is quite certain that Clay
would have been elected President
by the House, of which he was at
that time easily the most popular j
member. Thus robbed of success,
the friends of Clay in the House, act
ing upon the advice of their leader,
gave their support to Adams, and he
was elected.
HOW CALHOUN MISSED THE PRIZE.
It is not too much to say that
death alone could have prevented
the election of Jackson to the Presi
dency in 1828, or his re-election in
1832. But an unlooked-for incident,
or combination of incidents, played
a decisive part in the election of Van
Buren in 1836. When Jackson first
took office two men were prominent
as his possible successors. These
were Clay and Calhoun. In fact,
when Jackson was elected, it was
understood that he should serve a
single term, and that Calhoun, who,
in 1824 and again in 1828, had been
elected Vice-President almost with
out opposition, should become hi3
successor- But this plan was never
carried out. Crawford, who had not
ceased to resent his defeat in 1824,
for which, with or. without reason,
he held Calhoun chiefly responsible,
now wrote to Van Buren, Jackson's
Secretary of State, declaring that in
Monroe's cabinet, of which both he
and Calhoun had been members, Cal
houn had proposed that Jackson's
conduct in the Florida war (during
which Jackson had, in fact, carried
things with a high hand, as was his
custom) he made the subject of in
quiry, and that if the charges against
him were proved, lie be punished
with severity. Van Buren showed
this letter to his .. chief, and the
friendship "of Jackson for Calhoun
changed at once to implacable en
mity. From that day Calhoun was
doomed as Jackson's successor. " -'
Calhoun, of course, charged his
loss of favor to Van Buren ; and when
Jackson sent Van Buren 's name to
the Senate as Minister to. Great
Britain, Calhoun, with Webster and
Clay, set about defeating the nomi
nation. He was rejected in the end, but
with a result unforeseen, save by one
astute Senator, who said, "You have
broken a minister, but you have
elected a Vice-President." His re
jection did all that, and more, for it
fixed in Jackson the determination
to make Van Buren his successor in
the Presidency. This resolve be
came plain when, in 1832, Van Buren
was nominated and elected Vice
President. Four years later he suc
ceeded Jackson in the chief magis
tracy. Van Buren was again the candi
date of his party in 1840, but, what
with the panic of 1837 and the hard
times that followed it, Whig success
in that campaign was from the first
a foregone conclusion. Again acci
dent came into play to make a Presi
dent. The sentiment of hi-- party
was decidedly in favor of tho nomi- j
nation of Clay, and he fully expected !
the honor ; but half a dozen influen
tial Whigs in New York and Pennr
sylvania deemed him unavailable bo-
cause tne anti-Masons maae up a
large portion of the opposition, and
Clay was a Royal Arch Mason.
" GENERAL SCOTT'S FATAL LETTER.
With Clay out of tho field, the
choice of the convention was nar
rowed down to General Harrison and
General Scott, and the Virginia dele
gation was in a position to decide be
tween them. But Scott had written
a letter to Francis Granger, of New
York, in which he evidently sought
to conciliate the anti-slavery senti
ment of that State. Granger showed
it to Thaddeus Stevens, and permit
ted Stevens to use it his own way. j
The headquarters of tho Virginia j
delegation, being the centre of at- i
traction, were always crowded, and
Stevens called there along with many
others. Before leaving, he dropped
Scott's letter on the floor, and it was !
soon discovered and its contents'
made known to the Virginians, That
letter caused the Virginians to sup
port Harrison and to reject Scott.
The nomination was equivalent to an
election.
TYLER INSTEAD OF WEBSTER WON.
Harrison's candidacy was as dra
matic in its sequel as in its inception.
Before the Whig convention met,
Thurlow Weed urged Webster to
take the nomination for Vice-President,
but he rejected the suggestion
with scorn. After Harrison's nomi
nation Clay's friends were urged t
name the candidate, for Vice-President.
They first offered the nomina
tion to Watkins Leigh, of Virginia,
who declined it. Then it was ten
dered to Nathaniel P. Tallmadge.
Had he not put it aside, New York
would have had three Presidents
from the Vice-President's chair.
Next, Samuel Southard, of New Jer
sey, had the offer of the nomination.
He, too, refused it. At last some
one remembered that John Tyler, of
Virginia, had shed tears at Clay's
defeat. As a result, Tyler was named
for "Vice-President, the delegates
feeling that so devoted a follower of
Clay on tho ticket would go far to
heal the wounds that the convention
had caused. Thus by these curious
combinations of accidents, for which
he was in no way responsible, Tyler,
through the death of Harrison, be
came President, after four men had
declined the chance.
Van Buren should have been nom
inated by the Democratic conven
tion in 1844. He had a clear major
ity, but the adoption of the two
thirds rule deprived him of this ad
vantage over his rivals, and pro
longed balloting produced much bad
feeling between his supporters and
the supporters of his chief competi
tor, Cass. On the eighth ballot forty
four delegates voted for James K.
Polk, who up to that time had been
mentioned only as a possible candi
date for Vice-President ; and on the
succeeding ballot, he was unanimous
ly nominated. Polk had been Speaker
of the House, but, he was not a man
of any great national . reputation.
4 'The nomination," says Thomas H.
Benton, 44 was a surprise and marvel
to the country."
clay's second slip.
Clay was nominated by acclama
tion by the Whigs, but again an un
toward accident blocked his path to
the White House. The great Ken
tuckian, at an early stage of his
career, had given serious personal
offence to James G. Birney. The
latter was conspicuous as an Aboli
tionist, and there was some trifling
strength in tho so-called Abolition
party in the North. In New York
State there were a few thousand
scattered Abolitionists, and they
met in a convention and nominated
Birney for the Presidency. He did
not wish to run, and the most intel
ligent of the Abolitionists were op
posed to any organization ; but there
was at that time a general belief that
Birney saw in his candidacy a chance
to punish Clay. Birney therefore
ran, and he had such revenge as
caused the Whig party to lose the
Presidency, for his popular vote of
62,300 was sufficient to turn New
York and Michigan to the Demo
crats. The sequel proved that Clay's po
litical sun had set ; for in 1848, when
it was almost certain that tho Whig
candidate would be elected, ho was i
put aside for Taylor, one of the j
heroes of a war which the Whigs
had denounced as a crime. !
Webster's second chance.
Webster, also, in 1848, missed his
last opportunity to become Presi
dent. Before the Whig convention
met, Thurlow Woed again urged
Webster to become the Whig candi
date for Vice-President. Again he
refused, and the nomination, after
going begging, was finally given to
Millard Fillmore. Taylor died soon
after taking office, Fillmore became
President, and Webster returned to
Washington to serve him as Secre
tary of State, as he had similarly
served the accidental Tyler twelve
years before. In place of either of
them he might have become Presi
dent. The unexpected befell in the Demo
cratic convention of 1852. Cass,
Buchanan, and Douglas were the
leading candidates, but Cass's can
didacy had the stigma of defeat ; I
Buchanan lacked an attached per
sonal following ; and the envy and
the personal hatreds caused by
Douglas's brilliant career as "a leader
in the Senate prevented his nomina
tion. There is little doubt that Dan
iel S. Dickinson, of New York, would
have been nominated as a compro
mise candidate had he not peremp
torily declined to allow his name to
go before the convention, for the
reason that he was pledged to Cass.
Finally the Southern delegates said
to the New Hampshire delegates
that any New Hampshire Democrat
upon whom they could agree would
be supported by the South, and thus,
after a protracted contest, Franklin
Pierce was nominated. Pierce had
been a soldier in the Mexican War
and a member of the Senate, but
was so little known beyond the bor
ders of his own State that many
Democrats had never heard his name.
Scott, robbed of a nomination when
he could have been elected twelve
years before, was now made the
standard-bearer of the Whigs. He
met with one of the most overwhelm
ing defeats on record, only four
States voting for him in the Electoral
College.
seward's disappointment.
In 1856 Buchanan, for many years
an active aspirant for the office, was
chosen President, but the year 1860
wrecked the long cherished hopes of
Douglas, John C. Breckinridge, and
Seward. When the Republicans
met in convention, the nomination
of Seward seemed a foregone con
clusion. But he had made a personal
enemy of Horace Greeley, who was
determined to defeat his nomina
tion. As Greeley could not be
chosen a delegate from New York,
he appeared in the convention with
the proxy of an Oregon member.
He worked in season and out of sea
son, undermining Seward's strength.
Greeley's arguments and the decla
ration of Andrew G . Curtiri, then
candidate for governor of Pennsyl
vania, that he could not carry his
State in the October election if Sew
ard was , nominated, drove enough
i delegates ' from the - eminent New
Yorker to prevent his nomination ;
and Lincoln was named in his stead.
jben: butler might have been presi-
.? : DENT..
- JTo name but Lincoln's was presen
ted to the Republican convention in
1864, and from the first his re-election
was never in serious doubt.
But the abiding issue of that cam
paign, as the sequal proved, was the
nomination and election of ; Andrew
Johnson ta the Vice -Presidency.
Lincoln for good reasons ; preferred
a War Democrat on the ticket with
him, and his first selection was Gen
eral Benjamin F. Butler. But But
ler, when approached by an agent of
the President, declined peremptorily
to permit his name to be considered,
. j
as . the most available mail
for the place. Butler refused be
cause of his personal dislike of Lin
coln. It was a costly refusal, for
Johnson became President within a
year.
, Grant's nomination in 1868 and in
1872 were beyond the power of
chance to prevent ; but in 1876 the
enmity of an angry man helped to
defeat Blaine, the favorite of a ma
jority of the members of his party,
and brought about the unexpected
nomination of Hayes. When Blaine
was Speaker of the House of Rep
resentatives, James N. Tyner, a
member of the House from Indiana,
coveted the chairmanship of the
committee on post offices and post
roads. He asserted that Blaine prom
ised him the place, and then, with
out warning, gave it to another.
Facing the Speaker in his private
room, he declared to Blaine that he
should remember what he called his
betrayal when Blaine should become,
a candidate, a year or two later, for
the presidential nomination. Blaine
laughed at him, it was then said ;
but Tyner, who had some influence
in the politics of his State, was as
good as his word. When in the Re
publican convention of 1876 it be
jcame apparent that Oliver P. Mor
;ton could not be nominated, the Iri
xliana delegation decided to support
Hayes, who up to that time had not
been thought a probable candidate.
Blaine's friends had counted upon
Indiana when Morton was with
drawn ; but Tyner turned them from
;Blaine to Hayes.
later accidental presidents
By tiie Electoral Commission,
whereby Hayes secured the presiden
tial office, although Tilden received
250,000 majority of the popular vote,
was completed the chain of unusual
events w hereby Hayes became Presi
dent. In 18S0 Tilden was certainly the
choice of his party. But in the con-,
fusion of tho Democratic conven
tion confusion caused by a letter
from Tilden expressing the wish that
the convention should not renomi
nate him (which the convention
took seriously, however it was meant
to be taken) an eloquent speech by
Daniel Dougherty, of Pennsylvania,
caused the ill-starred nomination of
Hancock. In the Republican con
vention Blaine, Sherman, and Grant
were presented as candidates, but
Garfield was chosen. Had he kept
the purpose that he once formed,
not to attend the convention, there
is little likelihood that he would
h a ve been nominated . The surprises
since 1S80 may perhaps be said to in
clude the first nominations of both
Cleveland and Harrison.
Among the accidental or unex
pected Presidents in this incomplete
review are Tyler, Polk, Pierce, John
son, Hayes, Arthur ; and among the
men who clearly missed the Presi
dency by chance or an unexpected
turn of events are Clay, Calhoun,
Scott, Webster, Seward, and Tilden,
not to mention Benjamin F. Butler.
TTJSNEE'S ALMANAC FSEE.
A copy of Turner's N. C. Almanac
for 1901 will be sent free to any one
sending us $1 in new subscribers or
$2 in renewals before January 1. Of
course we cannot give a premium to
any one for his own subscription or
renewal, but only as a reward for
securing money from others.
How's This!
We offer One Hundred Dollars Reward for
asy case of Catarrh that cannot be cured by
Hall's Catarrh Cure. e
F J. CHENEY Sc CO., Props , Toledo, O.
We the undei signed, have knonn F. J. Che
ney for the last 15 years, and believe hira per
fectly honorable in all business transactions
and financially able to carry out any obliga
tions made by their firm.
West TauAX, Wholesale Drujrsists, ToJ-ao, O.
W aiding, Kixnan&Mabvix, Wholeeila Drug
gists, Toledo, O.
Hall's Catarrh Curejsjafcsn Internally, cting
directly npon the blsd and mucous surfaces or
the system. PrjJe, 750. per bottle. Bold by all
Droffxfeis. -SseUmoxJala &
JSsJi' s Family Pills are the best.
whole
urinary and
7. K2WT0NHATHAWAT,H.D
-
Write to him or call at his office for a free copy of his new 64 page book and self-exainination
symptom blanks, and for free consultation and advice.
. NEWTON HATHAWAY, M. D. 22 AC-SOUTH BROAD STREET,
Dr. Hathaway & Co. ATLANTA, GA.
WAIITED
YOUNG MAN
Of good character, intelligent and indus
trious, to help care for my apple orchard.
Experience not essential. :: :: :: :: ::
GE0SGE E. B0GGS,
. . , Livingston, "S. C.
BEST BUILDERS AflD AEHIGUL
TUBAL LIME, and Price List to
. FELLS W ORTH LIME WORKS,
Bradley Postoffice,
Augusta Co., Va.
DON'T :: FAIL :: TO :: ORDER
BRANSON'S AGRICULTURAL
ALMANAC FOR 1901.
Better and Better every year I
NO OTHER LIKE IT!
LEVI BRANSON, Publisher,
RALEIGH, N. C.
for sale at fair price. Four months old and
a fine one. For prices or further information,
address : R. LILES,
Box 179, Tarboro, N. C.
SEED WHEAT
MY :: OWN :: GROWING.
$1 per Bushel....
....Samples for Stamps.
W. R. KNOX, Intercourse, Pa.
POSITIONS GUARANTEED,
Under $3,000 Cash Deposit.
Rfcl roa Fare Paid.
Opn all year v Bt&&X L Vry Chap Board.
0orria-ALaba. m a. Xloainefl Coll ego,
Itaroix, Qfurfieu
FARM FOR SALE OR RENT.
The tract of land known as "SPRING GAR
DEN," in Pender Counly, containing 180 acres.
Between 75 and 100 acres under cultivation.
Suitable to all farm produce, especially fine for
trucking. Conveniently situated to market,
onlv 13 miles from Wilmington, two miles from
W. & W. It R. Apply to L. R. HIGHSMITH,
IIARRELL'S STORE, N. C.
Thoroughbred Bronze Turkeys
Two Pair for sale cheap. If you
want one or two pair write me before
November 10th. Address H. P.,
Care of The Progressive Farmer,
Raleigh, N. C.
FREE!
We are going 1o cive free to every one who sends us 30 cents (stamps or mont-y
order) for a year's trial subscription to SOUTHERN FKUIT AND THUCK
GROWER, a practical book on Strawberry Culture. Regular price of paper alone
is 50 cents. Cut this out and mail to the publishers. Sample copies free. Address:
Southern Fruit and Truck Grower,
No black powder shelf on the market comnare with the "NEW RIVAL" in uni
formity and strong shooting qualities, burs li.-e and waterproof. (Jet the genuine.
WINCHESTER REPEATIftS ARMS CO.
Tlis Business Apnt hi ih mi busimess through tb (jl li
State Easiness Agensy other than Fertilizers asd Seeing V
Mieliass. from Ssstantar 1st. 1500. fn AnmsMjt. 1901. S10, W
...c J V VV ilBHII T
The Business Agent Doing the nest Largest Amount of Busi
ness, under above restrietions, will be given $5,
The person ordering the greatest number of the Improved High Ann
Alliance Sewing Maehines through this office from August 1, iyil.7.
August 1, 1901, will be given FREE one Improved High Arm Alliance
mg Machine. ... b0
To the person sending in the second largest number of orders wi
given FREE one HiUsbof o -Sewing .Machine. n411 be
. -To the person sending in the third largest number of ors.,Ma
givei .FREE either a No. 1 Set Buggy Harness tr a 2. rBoss W ashine
chine.
To the lady sending in the largest number of orders for the ' v0
Sewing Machines will be given $5 in cash. This is in addition to tne a
Premium Offers.
T. B. PARKER, STATE BUSINESS AGENT,
HILLSBORO, N. C.
results In a score of .L5!?rt?
1 plications, frequently causing ur
j poisoninz resulting tn uremic
I 13 ture, even when siiVh?'4L. tric-
genital organism and the whole nersmic
The ordinary methods resorted to for a cure are txbi only
ciatinply painful, but frequently cause disorders as serioittCru"
stricture Itself. . . asthe
Dr. Hathaway years ago discarded these old-time barb
methods and perfected a system by which he removes the striT
reducing the thickened walls of the passage to a normal cond'
There is no operation. The treatment is applied by the d t '
himself. It is painless and takes no time from business. The
effected is permanent and all complications of the diseased c J-9
tions are removed. This method of treatment and cure of St;
ture is exclusively used by Dr. Hathaway. r:c"
, , Dr. Hathaway, by a similar method, cures Varicocele with
operation. All Sexual, Urinary, Nervous, Blood and other disea 1
of a chronic nature are treated by him by his exclusive syst
which for 20 years has proved Invariable In its results. em'
Southern
'Railway.
The Standard Railway
of the SOUTH ....
The Direct Line to all Points.
TEXAS,
CALIFORNIA,
FLORIDA,
CUBA and
PORTO RICO.
Strictly FIRT-CLASS Equipment
on all Through and Local Trains
Pullman Palace Sleeping Cars on all
Night Trains ; Fast and Safe Sched
ules. " Travel by the Southern and you
are assured a Safe, Comfortable and
Expeditious Journey.
Apply to Ticket Agents for Time Tables, Hales
and General Information, or address
Jl. I. VERNON, F. ft. DARBY,
T. P. A., C. P. & T. A.,
Charlotte, N. C. Asheville, N. c.
No TROU:LE TO Answer Questions.
FRANK S. GANNON, J. M. GULP, , W. A. TURK,
3d V. P. & Gen. Man. Traf. Man.
G. 1 a.
Washington, D. C.
II
Immediate correspondence with
two young men who desire to go
off to school, one who can w t
type ana one who cau mend
Address Box 60, Littleton, N. C.
shoes.
JULY 1st WE GUT
pricesvand bettered the quality of Page
Write for New Price List, or see o.u aceut.
PACK WOVEN WIRE FENCE CO., AimUN,MK H.
mm
st' ft I i'f I a Wi V'i'WI'
All cases of DEAFNESS or KARD-HEARIKC
aranim f i'ltABLK by our new invent ion: on Ivt-hof ryrn
deaf are incurable, HEAD NOISES tXASB rMEMATHT.
Describe your case. Examination and advic free.
You can cure yourself at homo at a nominal co-it.
International Aural Clinic 'fK
102 E. Eighth St., CHATTANOOGA, TENK.
'EH T JE M
WANTED
7
"NEW-RIVAL"
FACTORY LOADED SKOTGUII SHELLS
New Kayen, Conn,
READ THE PREMIUM OFFERS.
GO TO WORK AN1
I iWuh : : w
IN SO DOING YOU WILL HELP TO CR EL?
$ THE BRETHREN AND THE STATE
'ALLIANCE.