Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1884-08-23
If THE HOUSE SHOULD HAVE TO
ELECT.
From the New York Herald.

A correspondent wishes to know
how the house of representatives would
stand If, voting by states, it should.
under the constitution, have to elect II
president; and he asks, further, in
what contingency this duty would fall
! upon the house, and whether upon the
present house or that To ke chosen in
November.
We do not believe the election will
| fall to the house. 1t is true that the
| democratic party is not united; if it
| were, SO great Il number of Republicans
are determined this year to vote against
the Blaine ticket that with a harmonious
democratic vote the dcmOcr: .ic ticket
would be swept IN by IN Ut =, ..ccdcnt-
cd tidal wave. But in spite OF such
democratic detection as there NAV be
there is at this time reason to believe
ti'"t the ''s'"o"."tic ticket will receive
minority of tho electoral vote.
but, TO answer our correspondents
questions, he is informed that in each
state electors are chosen by the popu-
lar vote. The electors thereealler mne.-
in the several states to cast their voton,
i'm n manner specified fn the cOnstitu-
lion, and the result OF the electoral bal
lot in each state is theIeupOn sent to
Washington, where all these ballots are
onened and counted in joint meeting
Of the two houses.
These two hOnaes compose the con-
gress at present existing, which does
not expire until tho 4th of March, 1885.
Tho constitution then declares that
''the person having the greatest number
of votes for president shall be the presi-
dent, if such number be a majority of
electors appointed; and if no person
have such a majority, then from the
porsons having the highest numbers,
not exceeding three, to the list Of those
voted for as president the house of
representatives shall choose immcdi-
ately by ballot the president. But i'm
choosing the president the votes shall
be taken by states, the representation
IRON, each state having one vote"
The majority in each state delegation
casts the vote oi the state in such an
election by the house. In the present
house the democrats have Il majority of
members in the following states -
Alabama, Arkansas, California, Con-
neciicLt, Delaware, Georgia, Indiana,
Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mich
igan, Mississippi, Missouri, Nevada,
New York, North Carolina, Ohio,
S"uth Carolina, Tennessee, Texas,
West Virginia and Wisconsin,, making
twenty-five out Of The thirty eight
states. The republicans have q inaj0r-
ity of members in the following state
observation-disclosures, Illinois, Iowa,
Kansas. Maine, Massachusetts,, hlinne-
sofa, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New
Jersey, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode
| where the five Malone votes would,
i ri. a, of h<, Ctafa f,r kn
ticket. The republicans have thus fit-
teen states. In one state (FlOrida)
there is u tie, rs it has one democratic
and one republican representative.
There are now four tickets in the
field. Gen. Butler or MIR. st. John
wiIl have to carry at least one state to
throw the election into the house. No
matter how large an aggregate vote
either may get, unless he carries state
his vote has no effect. If both should
carry together several states, and tho
election should fall TO the house, only
4 the most would be among the three
from whom the house may decide.
i 1t will perhaps interest our cores
pomdcnt to know that in the last house
THAT which was chosen when Gen.
Garfield was clcctcd-the republicans
had a majority in twenty delegations,
the democrats in only seventeen, while
in one state (Calilornia) the delegation
was cited" In the present house the
democrats have twenty-five states, the
Republicans only fifteen. In six states
the republicans have lost and the dem
erats gained the control of the con-
grcssional delegations; they are New
/ York, Ohio, Connecticut, Indiana,
Michigan and Wisconsin. They have
also gained California, whose dclcgea-
ton was equally balanced in the last
congress. The republicans have in the
meantime gained the control in one
delegation, that of Virginia, and have
made tic vote in Florida.
| These decisive democratic gains, in
| some of the most important states
, of the Union, eastern and
northwestern, show that the dem
Z cratic party can carry tho election next
e November, il its voters desire to, fOI
they have not only their own strength.
, but will have the help, i'm every state,
: of Il W ~ large number of republicans
who refuse To vote the Blaine ticket
G Our advice TO our correspondent, ,and to
l all other citizens who desire an eco
f mOmical, reputable and truly American
: policy is TO vote the democratic ticket