The New York herald., 1879-07-15
Possible Results OF the CALIFORNIA;
Election

return republican Representatives at the
election two months hence, which is not
improbable; and if next year the nomina-
ton of three Presidential candidates should
happen to throw the election into the House
of Representatives, which is at least possi-
BILE, in that case the reverend Gilbert De la
Matyr's vote in the House might make
President of the United States for the term
of four years, beginning on the 4th OF
March, 1881
1t is a little startling to think that our
elections now run SO close that the vote OF
one tolerably obscure Indiana Representa-
tive may not impossibly decide who shall
rule fifty millions Of people for four years.
According to the constitution when the
electoral votes are opened and counted
s'the person having the greatest number OF
votes shall be President if such number be
o majority of the whole number OF electors
| appointed; and if no person have
a majority, then from the persons having
| the highest numbers, not exceeding three,
on the list of those voted for as President,
the House shall choose Immediately by
ballot the President But in choosing the
President the votes shall be taken by
States, the representation from each State
having one vote" Of course, if the election
does not fall to the House, these clauses
have no Importance; but if it should the
following would be the situation -
There are 3S States in the Union. In the
present House the democrats have ma
jority of Representatives in the delegations
Of 10 States; the republicans in like man
ner control the delegations in 18 States.
If they should carry California the House
voting for President would be equally
divided, counting the Indiana delegation
as democratic. But the Indiana delegation
contains six democrats, six republicans,
and one greenback democrat. so called, the
reverend Mr. De la Matyr before mentioned.
His vote in the delegation would make it
either democratic or republican, at his
pleasure; and it he should, in the case sup
posed, happen to think that the republican
candidate was the filter man for President,
no pledge or moral engagement would bind
him to the democrat Moreover, Mr.. De la
Matyr was a republican before he was a
greenbacker
The result in California, it should not be
forgotten, will not change the political
majority of the House. The House has 293
members. When Mr.. Randall was re-
elected Speaker, in March, the number
present was only 2S7, California having no
Representatives, and Texas seat Mr..
Schleicher's) and a New York seat Mr..
Smith's) being vacant by the de-
| IL
received 144 votes, the precise number
necessary to a choice, and his own vote
gave the democrats 145. The vacant Texas
seat has since been filled by the election of
a democrat, which gives that side 146 votes,
and they count on Ladd of Maine, Wright
Of Pennsylvania, and Stephenson. demo-
Gratis with strong greenback proclivities,
who did not vote for Mr.. Randall, to make
up total vote of 149, two more than
majority in full House, provided the
four California districts and the West
chester district in this State should
all send republicans. 1t is evil
dent from this that the famous
democratic majority" Of which we have
all heard SO much in these latter days, and
|
of the great American people with capi-
tai w, is, as Mr.. Toots would have said,
ssof no consequence" 1t will hardly do
for u party with an uncertain majority Of
| two in the House of Representatives to
insist on changes in important laws and
talk nonsense about the Presidents resist
ing the will of the people. When the
| Ia of ofr lair al xhav,
selves as ''We, the people OF England"
there we're ut least three Of them; the
democratic majority may consist Of but two.
To return, however, to Mr.. De la Matyr;
his vote might, under the circumstances
supposed, make republican President; it
could not make a democratic President
for, counting him on the democratic side
and giving Indiana to the democrats, this
would only tie the House, voting by States
for President, and under the constitution
the Senate would thereupon proceed to
elect Vice President from the two
highest on the list of those voted
for as Vice President, and this officer,
so chosen, would, says the const-
tuition, ''act as President, rs in the case OF
the death or constitutional disability of the
President" The gentleman from Indiana
who wants thousand millions of green
backs issued is therefore an important man,
but with several important limitations.
Will the election be thrown into the
House? This is question about which
politicians are specializing already and ut
least one plan has been suggested which.
70 IL coulI succeed would hnve tbat
effect. This plan is the creation
OF some ambitious greenbackers or ma
tionals, who propose that in several States
which the republicans must carry next year
in order to succeed, but in which consid-
erable greenback vote is cast, the demo-
Gratis and the preen bac kers shall unite unon