All signs pointed to a heavy vote for both tickets. As the campaign drew to a close, the excitement reached a pitch rarely equalled even in presidential elections. Indeed, the total vote cast exceeded that of 1856 by many thousands,--an increase that cannot be wholly accounted for by the growth of population in these years.[774] The Republican State ticket was elected by less than four thousand votes over the Democratic ticket. The relative strength of the rival candidates for the senatorship, however, is exhibited more fully in the vote for the members of the lower house of the State legislature.. The avowed Douglas candidates polled over 174,000, while the Lincoln men received something over 190,000. Administration candidates received a scant vote of less than 2,000. Notwithstanding this popular majority, the Republicans secured only thirty-five seats, while the Democratic minority secured forty. Out of fifteen contested senatorial seats, the Democrats won eight with a total of 44,826 votes, while the Republicans cast 53,784 votes and secured but seven. No better proof could be offered of Lincoln's contention that the State was gerrymandered in favor of the Democrats. Still, this was part of the game; and had the Republicans been in office, they would have undoubtedly used an advantage which has proved too tempting for the virtue of every American party. When the two houses of the Illinois Legislature met in joint session, January 6, 1859, not a man ventured, or desired, to record his vote otherwise than as his party affiliations dictated. Douglas received fifty-four votes and Lincoln forty-six. "Glory to God and the Sucker Democracy," telegraphed the editor of the _State Register_ to his chief. And back over the wires from Washington was flashed the laconic message, "Let the voice of the people rule." But had the _will_ of the people ruled? * * * * * FOOTNOTES: [Footnote 669: Hollister, Life of Colfax pp. 119 ff; Wilson, Rise and Fall of the Slave Power, II, p. 567.] [Footnote 670: Hollister, Colfax, p. 121.] [Footnote 671: Wilson, p. 567.] [Footnote 672: Bancroft, Life of Seward, I, pp. 449-450.] [Footnote 673: Pike, First Blows of the Civil War, p. 403.] [Footnote 674: Hollister, Colfax, p. 119.] [Footnote 675: _Ibid._, p. 121.] [Footnote 676: Wilson, II, p 567; Greeley, Recollections of a Busy Life, p. 397.] [Footnote 677: Hollister, Colfax, p. 120.] [Footnote 678: Herndon-Weik, Life of Lincoln, II, pp. 59 ff.] [Footnote 679: Sheahan, Douglas, p. 394.] [Footnote 680: Foote, Casket of Reminiscences, p. 135.] [Footnote 681: Forney, Anecdotes, II, p. 179.] [Footnote 682: Lincoln-Douglas Debates (Edition of 1860), p. 1.] [Footnote 683: Sheahan, Douglas, pp. 398-400.] [Footnote 684: Sheahan, Douglas, p. 400; Mr. Horace White in Herndon-Weik, Life of Lincoln, II, p. 93.] [Footnote 685: Debates, p. 9.] [Footnote 686: Debates, p. 9.] [Footnote 687: _Ibid._, p. 10.]