gan, shown in the "landslide" year, 1890. An act was passed by that legislature reëstablishing the system of choosing electors by districts. Maryland, the last State to cling to this method, had abandoned it in 1836. It was a device, in the case of Michigan, to enable a party which was conscious of being in a minority to secure a few electors. The constitutionality of the measure was attacked; but it was clearly within the power of the legislature to pass such an act, and the Supreme Court of Michigan so decided.

The result of the election was a great surprise to men of all parties. Not only was the South "solid once more for the Democratic candidates, not only did all the usually doubtful States support Mr. Cleveland by large majorities, but Illinois, Wisconsin, and California were drawn into the Democratic ranks. Even Ohio, which had not given an electoral vote to a Democrat since there had been a Republican party, was so closely divided that one Cleveland elector slipped in. The fusion against the Republicans was successful in Colorado, Idaho, Kansas, and Nevada. It was partially successful in North Dakota and Oregon. The popular vote for the several candidates is given in the following table, as nearly as it can be stated, but the "official returns" vary so greatly as to render absolute accuracy impossible. The appended figures are made up by a careful comparison of several sets of "official" returns, and a choice of those that seem most trustworthy. It should be borne in mind that the Populist vote is overstated, and the Democratic vote understated, by reason of the alliances just mentioned.

Forty-four States participated in the election, six new States having been admitted since the previous election, -North and South Dakota, Montana, Idaho, Washington, and Wyoming. In all the States, electors were chosen by popular vote; in all, save Michigan, on a general ticket. The electoral vote is appended to the popular vote.

The count of the electoral vote took place on February 8, 1893. The proceedings of 1889 were followed exactly. No incident occurred to enliven the occasion more important than a round of Democratic applause when the vote of Illinois was announced.

APPENDIX.

:

THE first National Convention in 1896 to nominate candidates for President and Vice-President was that of the Prohibition party, held at Pittsburg, May 27. Mr. A. A. Stevens, of Pennsylvania, was the temporary chairman, and Mr. Oliver W. Stewart, of Illinois, the permanent president, of the convention.

The assembly was divided from the first into two factions, — the "narrow gaugers," who wished to limit the declarations of the platform to the issue of prohibition; and the "broad gaugers," who favored resolutions on a variety of other topics, but chiefly one for the free coinage of silver. The platform, reported on the second day of the convention, consisted of six resolutions, all of which referred to the liquor traffic. The minority presented fifteen additional resolutions, the first of which demanded the free and unlimited coinage of silver at the ratio of sixteen to one. The convention first voted, yeas 492, nays 310, to make the minority report a part of the platform, and then proceeded to consider the resolutions, one by one. The first six were adopted by acclamation. The next, opposing all bank currency and advocating the free coinage of silver, was warmly debated, and was defeated by a vote of yeas 387, nays 427. A motion was then made, and was carried almost unanimously, to substitute for the platform already adopted the following, which became the platform of the convention:

1 See the third resolution of the National party, p. 496.

We, the members of the Prohibition party, in National Convention assembled, renewing our declaration of allegiance to Almighty God as the rightful Ruler of the universe, lay down the following as our declaration of political purpose:

The Prohibition party, in National Convention assembled, declares its firm conviction that the manufacture, exportation, importation, and sale of alcoholic beverages has produced such social, commercial, industrial, and political wrongs, and is now so threatening the perpetuity of all our social and political institutions, that the suppression of the same, by a national party organized therefor, is the greatest object to be accomplished by the voters of our country, and is of such importance that it of right ought to control the political actions of all our patriotic citizens until such suppression is accomplished.

The urgency of this course demands the union, without further delay, of all citizens who desire the prohibition of the liquor traffic; therefore be it

Resolved, That we favor the legal prohibition by state and na tional legislation of the manufacture, importation, and sale of alcoholic beverages. That we declare our purpose to organize and unite all the friends of prohibition into one party, and in order to accomplish this end we deem it of right to leave every Prohibitionist the freedom of his own convictions upon all other political questions, and trust our representatives to take such action upon other political questions as the changes occasioned by prohibition and the welfare of the whole people shall demand. The following additional resolution was moved from the floor and unanimously adopted :—

Resolved, That the right of suffrage ought not to be abridged on account of sex.

Immediately after the adoption of the substitute platform a delegate requested all members of the convention who "wanted to work for humanity" to withdraw, whereupon the "broad gaugers" retired from the hall. Those who remained proceeded to make nominations. Joshua Levering, of Maryland, was nominated for President of the United States by acclamation. A ballot was taken for a candidate for Vice-President, and Hale John