Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1864-09-13
The Electoral Vote.

The blessings t0at never were OOuBnL OF dOlu,
That centre there, are better than gold.
The Electoral Vote.
The approaching Presidential election
presents many interesting questions, soms
of them new to our history. Just two
months from to-day, namely, "on the
Tuesday following the first Monday il
November" which quotation is from the
law of Congress fixing the time, the elec.
ton for Presidential Electors will take
place. That fixes the date on the 9Th Of
November. All the States that have moi
seeded, will elect on the same day. The
seeded States, and which have been de-
clared in state of insurrection, have been
prohibited by act of Congress from par.
ticipating in this approaching election.
They are, Virginia, which, if loyal, would
be entitled to cast in the Electoral College,
eighteen votes, less five allowed to West
ern Virginia; North Carolina, twelve
votes; South Carolina, eight; Georgia,
twelve; Alabama, eleven; Tennessee.
thirteen; Mississippi, nine; Louisiana,
eight; Florida, four; Arkansas, six
Texas, eight. Total of excluded votes,
one hundred and four. The States whose
votes will be counted, will throw as fol-
lows: Maine, seven; New Hampshire,
five; Massachusetts,, twelve; Rhode Island,
four; Connecticut, six; Vermont, five
New York, thirty-three; New Jersey,
seven; Pennsylvania, twenty-six; Della
ware, three Maryland, seven; West
Virginia, FIVE; Ohio, twenty-one; In
diana, thirteen; Illinois, sixteen
Michigan, eight, Wisconsin, eight
Minnesota, four; Iowa, eight; Kan
sas, three; Kentucky, eleven; Missouri,
eleven; California, five; Oregon, three;
total, two hundred and forty votes. A
majority of this vote will be one hundred
and twenty-one. Whichever candidate
obtains that number will probably be de-
clared our next President. We say prob
ably, because it is not only possible, but
probable, that Nevada Territory, which
voted yesterday upon the question of be-
coming State. may have adopted the
Constitution, in which case she will vote
for three electors in November. This
would mske the whole number two hun
dred and forty-three, and would require
one hundred and twenty-five to constitute
a majority and elect President. There
is another Territory now in process Of de-
Gliding upon the question of State exist
ence, viz: Colorado. But there seems lit
tie or no likelihood that the people will
decide in favor of State Government.
The whole number of Electoral votes that
will go into the Electoral College may be
safely put down at two hundred and forty
three. Including Nevada, twenty-four
States will participate in the election.
Seven of these may elect the President,
viz: The six larger, and the smallest,
Delaware, all of which one may hear the
Copperheads and Secessionists already
claiming for Mcclellan. They cast one
hundred and twenty-three, one more vote
than is necessary. Probably when the
votes shall be counted, Mr.. Lincoln will
give a different account of the matter
Not little discussion has been had as
to the effect of the seeded States not
choosing Electors, some claiming that II
requires q majority of all the Electoral
votes to which all O. the States, seeded
as well as loyal, are entitled, in order to
elect a President, and that unless a candi-
date receive majority of all, that is to
say, majority of the three hundred and
forty-seven, viz: one hundred and seventy
four votes, the election will devolye upon
the House of Representatives. We can
not so read the provision for the election
of President as provided in the Constitu-
ton. That instrument provides that each
State shall appoint Electors; but the fail
ure of any State, or number of States, to
appoint, cannot effect the result, so long
as any States do so appoint. The Consti-
tuition further provides that the President
of the Senate, to whom the Electoral vote
of each State is to be directed, shall open
the same, in presence Of the Senate and
House of Representatives, and the votes
shall be counted then, and the persons hay-
ing the greatest number of votes, if such
number be majority of the whole number
of Electors appointed, shall be President.
Now the Convention of the Senate and
House can take notice of only the Elec-
toral votes before them. If any State OF
States shall have failed to appoint OF
transmit her Electoral vote, that vote can.
not be considered at all in counting and
reckoning the majority. The Electoral
vote returned can alone be considered
The seeded States can have nothing to
do in deciding this question.-S. r. Ca"'