The state of North Carolina is currently dealing with a hotly contested congressional race. I thought I might introduce you to Samuel Tilden who had the presidency of the U.S. stolen from him. There is not much new in politics. The 1876 presidential election pitted Democrat Samuel Tilden of New York against Republican Ohio Governor Rutherford Hayes. Tilden won the popular vote and failed to win the electoral vote by a single vote. To make matters worse, three southern states which were still run by republicans were accused of voter fraud by preventing blacks from voting. This resulted in the congress awarding 20 compromised electoral votes to Hayes. The entire election seemed to be so unfair that even Republicans were calling the president elect "Rutherfraud." So the congress appointed a bipartisan commission to straighten out the mess to avoid the public losing faith in the electoral system. The commission worked out what is known as the Great Compromise of 1877. The democrats withdrew their claim to presidency. The republicans agreed to remove the last of the Union troops from the southern states. The country gained by finally putting an end to the post war reconstruction. Hayes became the 19th president of the U.S. Poor Mr Tilden was thrown under the cart and went home to New York. Nothing new about election disputes.
