purpose of purchasing silver, to be used as a substitute for our more
convenient and less fluctuating fractional currency, which, although
well calculated to enrich owners of silver mines, yet in operation
it will still further oppress, in taxation, an already over-burdened
people.
The Prohibitionists held their national convention at Cleveland, O.,
on the 17th of May, and nominated Greene Clay Smith, of Kentucky,
for President, and G. T. Stewart, of Ohio, for Vice-President, by
acclamation, and adopted the following platform:
The Prohibition Reform party of the United States, organized in
the name of the people to revive, enforce, and perpetuate in the
Government the doctrines of the Declaration of Independence, submit in
this centennial year of the Republic, for the suffrages of all good
citizens, the following platform of national reforms and measures:
1. The legal prohibition in the District of Columbia, the Territories,
and in every other place subject to the laws of Congress, of the
importation, exportation, manufacture, and traffic of all alcoholic
beverages as high crimes against society; an amendment of the national
Constitution to render these prohibitory measures universal and
permanent; and the adoption of treaty stipulations with foreign powers
to prevent the importation and exportation of all alcoholic beverages.
2. The abolition of class legislation and of special privileges in the
Government, and of the adoption of equal suffrage and eligibility to
office without distinction of race, religious creed, property, or sex.
3. The appropriation of the public lands in limited quantities to
actual settlers only; the reduction of the rates of inland and
ocean postage; of telegraphic communication; of railroad and water
transportation and travel to the lowest practicable point by force
of law, wisely and justly framed, with reference not only to the
interests of capital employed, but to the higher claims of the general
good.
4. The suppression by law of lottery and gambling in gold, stocks,
produce, and every form of money and property, and the penal
inhibition of the use of the public mails for advertising schemes of
gambling and lotteries.
5. The abolition of those foul enormities, polygamy and the social
evil, and the protection of purity, peace, and happiness of homes by
ample and efficient legislation.
6. The national observance of the Christian Sabbath, established by
laws prohibiting ordinary labor and business in all departments of
public service and private employment (works of necessity, charity,
and religion excepted) on that day.
7. The establishment by mandatory provisions in national and State
Constitutions, and by all necessary legislation, of a system of free
public schools for the universal and forced education of all the youth
of the land.
8. The free use of the Bible, not as a ground of religious creeds, but
as text-book of the purest morality, the best liberty, and the noblest
literature, in our public schools, that our children may grow up in
its light, and that its spirit and principles may pervade the nation.
9. The separation of the Government in all departments and
institutions, including the public schools and all funds for their
maintenance, from the control of every religious sect or other
association, and the protection alike of all sects by equal laws, with
entire freedom of religious faith and worship.
10. The introduction into all treaties hereafter negotiated with
foreign governments of a provision for the amicable settlement of
international difficulties by arbitration.
11. The abolition of all barbarous modes and instruments of
punishment; the recognition of the laws of God and the claims of
humanity in the discipline of jails and prisons, and of that higher
and wiser civilization worthy of our age and nation, which regards the
reform of criminals as a means for the prevention of crime.
12. The abolition of executive and legislative patronage, and the
election of President, Vice-President, United States Senators, and of
all civil officers, so far as practicable, by the direct vote of the
people.
13. The practice of a friendly and liberal policy to immigrants from
all nations, the guarantee to them of ample protection, and of equal
rights and privileges.
14. The separation of the money of Government from all banking
institutions. The National Government only should exercise the high
prerogative of issuing paper money, and that should be subject to
prompt redemption on demand in gold and silver, the only equal
standards of value recognized by the civilized world.
15. The reduction of the salaries of public officers in a just
ratio with the decline of wages and market prices, the abolition of
sinecures, unnecessary offices, and official fees and perquisites;
the practice of strict economy in Government expenses, and a free
and thorough investigation into any and all alleged abuses of public
trusts.
A mass convention held under the name of the American National party
met in Pittsburg on the 9th of June, 1875, and nominated James B.
Walker, of Illinois, for President, and Donald Kirkpatrick, of New
York, for Vice-President. This political organization made no figure
in the contest of 1876, and did not again appear in the subsequent
national elections. The following platform was adopted:
We hold: 1. That ours is a Christian and not a heathen nation, and
that the God of the Christian Scriptures is the author of civil
government.
2. That God requires and man needs a Sabbath.
3. That the prohibition of the importation, manufacture, and sale of
intoxicating drinks as a beverage is the true policy on the temperance
question.
4. The charters of all secret lodges granted by our Federal and State
Legislatures should be withdrawn, and their oaths prohibited by law.
5. That the civil equality secured to all American citizens by Article
13th, 14th, and 15th of our amended Constitution should be preserved
inviolate.
6. That arbitration of differences with nations is the most direct and
sure method of securing and perpetuating a permanent peace.
7. That to cultivate the intellect without improving the morals
of men, is to make mere adepts and experts; therefore, the Bible
should be associated with books of science and literature in all our
educational institutions.
8. That land and other monopolies should be discountenanced.
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. │Rutherford│ Peter │Green Clay
│ Tilden. │ B. Hayes.│ Cooper. │ 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
══════════════════════════╧══════════╧══════════╧══════════╧══════════
[25] Republican count.
[26] Democratic count.
[27] By Legislature.
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
════════════════╧════════╧════════
The true history of the struggle for the control of the electoral votes
of South Carolina, Florida, and Louisiana has never been written and
now never can be fully written. The ablest men of both sides attended
the contest in those States to battle for or against the action of
the returning boards. All three States had voted for Tilden, but the
returning boards, which had been created by the carpet-bag rule of
the South, set aside the returns on the plea of fraud and certified
the electoral vote for Hayes. The strength of the claim of the
Democrats was practically admitted after the inauguration of Hayes
by the President aiding in the adjustments which gave the Democrats
the Governors and the Legislatures of those States, and ousting the
Republicans who had given the electoral vote to the President.
The chief factor in the bold and revolutionary action that returned
the three States named for the Republican candidate for President was
J. Donald Cameron, then Secretary of War under President Grant, and
later United States Senator. He is nothing if not heroic when occasion
demands it. I remember calling upon him at the Continental Hotel a few
days after the election, and inquired of him whether he really meant to
force the reversal of the vote in those States and have Hayes returned
as elected. He answered with perfect frankness that he had started in
to do it, that he meant to do it, and that it was right to do it, as
the Republicans had not opportunity to vote in the South, and the only
way to meet such frauds was by the strong power of the Government.
But for the assurance that the army and navy would sustain the
returning boards of those States in whatever they did under color
of law, the reversal of the popular vote never could have been
accomplished. The State of Florida was manipulated by Robert W. Mackey,
who was the most accomplished politician the Republicans have ever
produced in Pennsylvania. He was apparently dying of consumption for
ten years, and when it became necessary to send some competent man to
handle Florida, he was selected. He started on his mission, and his
racking cough and general consumptive features gave plausibility to the
statement that he was going South to nurse his health. Two Democratic
visiting committeemen were on the same train, and he overheard them
mature their plans to hold the State for Tilden. He telegraphed to C.
D. Brigham, who had been a prominent editor and Republican politician
in Pittsburg, but who then resided in Florida, to meet him at the
station, and before the Democrats attempted to carry their plans into
execution they were completely blocked by Mackey, who could summon all
the Federal officials to his aid.
Governor Curtin and Senator Sherman met face to face at New Orleans
in the struggle to win the electoral vote of Louisiana, and at one
stage of the battle Tilden could have secured the vote by telegraphing
a single word to Curtin; but Tilden seemed to have lost his cunning,
and hesitation was exhibited by him at every stage of the conflict
when the promptest action was indispensable. I visited him at his
home in Gramercy Park when the contest was on at white heat, and was
amazed to find his table covered with legal briefs, as though his
election depended upon the law that would govern before a competent
and impartial judicial tribunal. He permitted himself and his friends
to become involved in a compromising way in the Oregon dispute for a
single elector, and had the same method been adopted in Louisiana,
he would have won. Instead of discussing the situation as it was, he
presented to me elaborate arguments to show how it should be, and I
could not refrain from reminding him that he was not dealing with
judicial tribunals nor with honest men, and that he must either meet
them on their own ground and with their own weapons or he must fall
in the fight. He seemed to be utterly bewildered, and the man who had
organized his nomination and election with consummate skill shrivelled
up into pitiable indecision and inaction when he had the power to cast
the die for or against himself.
The severe strain upon the popular sentiment of the country that had
given Tilden 250,000 majority for President was greatly tempered,
especially in the South, by a very shrewd movement planned early in
the after-election contest to conciliate the leading people of the
South. They received positive assurances from men very close to Hayes,
and who gave the assurance of Hayes’s approval of the movement, that
if Hayes should be inaugurated President without violence the State
governments of Louisiana, Florida, and South Carolina would be given
to the Democrats. That Hayes approved of the plan is evidenced by the
fact that after he became President he stood resolutely by the promise
made by his friends to give the Democrats control of the governments of
those States.
There was not serious friction in Florida; the Democratic candidate
for Governor was allowed to be inaugurated on a returned majority
of 195 as given by the Supreme Court. In South Carolina the face of
the returns gave Wade Hampton 1134 majority for Governor, with about
a like majority for the Democratic Presidential electors, but the
Returning Board threw out Democratic counties and returned Chamberlain,
Republican, as elected Governor by a majority of 3433, and gave the
Republican electors majorities ranging from 600 to 900.
Two Legislatures were organized and two claimants for the Governorship
were qualified, but after a long siege, in which the friends of
Hampton were with difficulty restrained from taking violent possession
of the Capitol, the Republicans gave up the contest, as they discovered
that President Hayes would not support them, and Hampton and his
associate Democratic candidates and a Democratic Legislature were
accepted.
The great battle was made in Louisiana, where the Returning Board gave
Hayes the State by a majority of 4807, and declared the Republican
electors chosen by about the same majority. The face of the returns
gave a majority of 7876 for Tilden and 8101 for Nichols, Democratic
candidate for Governor. There, as in South Carolina, two Governors
were qualified and two Legislatures organized, and Stephen B. Packard,
who had been counted in as the Republican Governor, and had been
largely instrumental in giving the electoral vote to Hayes, and thereby
electing him, demanded that the President should sustain him, logically
insisting that if Hayes was elected Packard was elected, and that if
Packard must go out Hayes must go out with him.
The faith of the President and his friends were pledged to the people
of property in Louisiana that they should have their own State
government, but it was a most difficult obligation to discharge.
Finally, the President appointed a committee of eminent Republicans,
two of whom were the present Senator Hawley, of Connecticut, and
ex-Attorney-General Wayne MacVeagh, of Washington, to go to New Orleans
and solve the problem. The first necessity to accomplish that result
was to withdraw enough Senators and Representatives from the Packard
Legislature to the Nichols Legislature to give Nichols a quorum in both
houses of undisputed legislators, as that would leave Packard without
a Legislature and clothe Nichols’s government with all the ceremony of
law.
Many of the Packard legislators were negroes, and most of them
commercial. The change could be effected only by purchase, in which
the Hawley and MacVeagh committee had no part. There were enough and
to spare of Packard legislators who were willing to sell out, but the
Democrats were impoverished and could not raise money to buy them. One
of the active men in the movement was Duncan F. Kenner, one of the most
prominent men in the State for many years, and among the Senators in
the market was one of his former slaves, who demanded a high price.
The State had been desolated, business paralyzed, and the people of
Louisiana had not recovered from the universal waste of war, and while
they were more than willing to buy enough of the Packard men to give
Nichols the Legislature, they were absolutely without the means to do
it.