Statistics for October 3rd, 1876 elections

Governor

John Routt (R) 14,154

Bela Hughes (D) 13,316

Lt.Gov.

Lafayette Head (R) 14,191

Michael Beshoar (D) 13,093

Sect. of State

William Clark (R) 14,582

James Smith (D) 12,843

Auditor

David Crawford (R) 12,843

J.F. Benedict (D) 13,295

State treasurer

George Corning (R) 14,038

Thomas Field (D) 13,310

Atty General

A.J. Sampson (R) 13,310

G.Q. Richmond (D) 13,182

Supt. Public Instruction

Joseph Shattuck (R) 14,304

G.B. Groesbeck (D) 12,473

Congress: October election for congress included short term (Dec. 4, 1876 to March 4, 1877) for 44th congress and full two year term March 1877-79, for 45th congress.

James Belford (R) (he had been a territorial supreme court justice, from 1870-75)

Thomas Patterson (D)

Short term: Belford 13,302, Patterson, 12,865

Long term: Belford, 13,532 Patterson, 12,544

Holding both congressional elections at the same times was based on Section 6 of the enabling act passed by congress allowing Colorado to form a constitution and become a state.

Section 6: "That until the next general census said state shall be entitled to one representative in the house of representatives of the United States, which representative, together with the governor and state and other officers provided for in the constitution, shall be elected on a day subsequent to the adoption of the constitution, and to be fixed by said constitutional convention; and until said state officers are elected and qualified under the provisions of the constitution, the territorial officers shall continue to discharge the duties of their respective offices."

The Republican managers construed that section to mean the election for representative for both congresses, should, or might be, chosen on Oct. 3rd.

Smiley writes "But Patterson is on record as having repeatedly said in public that the enabling act did not warrant the election of a representative for the full term. It had to be on Nov. 7th, the regular election day in the nation."

After the election in which Belford won both spots, Democrats, "now believing Patterson's views to be correct and that there had been no election for the 45th Congress, decided to hold an election on Nov.7th for congress. Meanwhile the October returns had been canvassed and a certificate of election to the 45th had been issued to Belford."

"The Republicans refused to consider an invalidity in the previous election and to have anything to do with another. The Republican party held aloof, almost to the last man." (The Republicans boycotted the election.)

Long term election was held again Nov. 7th, 1876

Patterson, 3580 of 3,829 votes

Belford 172 and another 77 votes were "scattered"

The issue of who was the congressman went to the 45th Congress. The House was Democratic. After a prolonged contest over the tangle, decided that Patterson was lawfully elected representative.

Belford won the next election for congress in 1878 for the 46th congress.

Presidential electors appointed by the legislature who voted for Hayes on Nov.7th:

Herman Beckurts, William Hadley, Otto Mears

By 1875, Colorado's population was nearly 100,000

History of Colorado by Smiley, 1913 edition pp. 488,489 Vol. l