Flappers & Fiction

We often imagine the past as a time of dignified statesmanship, but this 1910 article shatters that illusion with delightful cynicism. Asking plainly if elections are a total failure, the author chronicles a history of American chaos that rivals anything we see today. You’ll read about the “blood, blood, Jay Gould’s blood” chants during the Cleveland-Blaine contest and the statistical oddities of Lincoln’s victory. It is a fascinating, if slightly depressing, reminder that bribery, mobs, and electoral college controversies are American traditions as reliable as the sunrise.