The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1886-12-05
THE COMING SESSION.
Questions Of Interest 10 be Brought
Before IL. .1.a


brought to the attention of Congress in
the session which begins about three
weeks hence. Legislation is necessary
on the coinage, interstate commerce,
labor, bankruptcy ana other matters OF
natioual concern. There IS still another
question, which Is also u prime impor-
lance, to which Congress sholid give
its attention. and that is the adoption
Of some equitable measure by which the
vote for President and Vice President
may be ascertained IN case OF disagree
meut, such as occurred in 1876 over the
electoral vote of three States.
The subject OF the electoral count is
given q new interest from the possibility
OF certain contingency in 1883 Under
our prevailing system. II no candidate
should receive the vote of q majority Of
the electors, which is pol votes under
the present apportionment, the election
. thrown into theHouse Of Representa-
dves. In that event each state votes as
the majority o. its Representatives
desire, the vote of each, large and
small alike, counting one. II a State
delegation in the House is EQUALLY
divided polite uy, the State has no
vote A majority elects, which is twenty
states In case no candidate receives
the vote OF twenty States, the senate
Toald De called upon TO elect a V.cs-
President. who should act as Presinsnt.
As the House will be constituted in
the next Congress, the Republicans
would, IN the contingency in question.
have nineteen totes and the Democrats
seventeen, with one Sta.e-Rhode
Island-still to elect one of its two
members OF the House. The Republi-
cans would control the vote of the
following States il that body should be
called upon to chose President: Cali
lorna, Colorado, Illinois. Indians, Iowa.
Kansas. Maine, Massachusetts,, MIchi.
gan, Nebraska. Nevada, New JERSEY.
New York. Ohio, Oregon. Pc, n yIvania
Vermont, Virginia and Wisconsin. The
States controlled by the Democrats are
Alabama, AIkInsas, Connecticut, Della
ware, Florida, Georgia. Kentucky.
Louisiana, Maryland, Minnesota, Miss
lssippi' Missouri, North Carolina. South
carolina, Tennessee, Texas and West
virginia. New Hampshire, being evenly
divided in membership, can not vote.
II Rhode Island chooses 4 Democrat in
the district which has still to elect. its
delegation will be evenly divided and il
will have no vote. In that case the
House could not elect President, and
the duty would devOlye on the Sena te 20
choose a Nice-President. who would act
as President. II Rhode land rlects q
Republican the Republicans would have
the requisite number OF woes TO choose
a President.
OF course no election can go to the
House of Representatives unless one or
more States should becarried by a third
party. or there should bel dispute over
the vote, such as happened in the States
OF South Carolina, Florida and LJuisi-
ana In 1857. 1t does not appear prOba-
bic now, however, that the Labor party
would be strong enough in any State 10
secure its electoral vote in lSSS. Its
vote in New York, from present indica-
tons, can scarcely do more than make
that State reliably Republican in the
neXt canvass, Notwithstanding the
Prohibition detection. and this would
elect the Republican Presidential candi-
date. In neither Illinois nor Wisconsin,
where the Labor men showed great
strength in the late canvass. could that
party hope to make such a combination
with the Democracy two years hence as
to secure the electoral vote for the
Labor candidate. There does not
appear to be the slightest pronal ility,
therefore, that the next Presidential
election will go TO the House of Repre-
sentatives. The Republicans NAV. in
1883, be able to retain indiana snd
Virginia, which they secured this " ar,
but IL would not be safe to h. oysrS.n
guine Of this result. The vote OF New
York, s. in ISS0 and 1854. will, II is
reasonable 10 assume, decide the contest
in 1883, and New York can not be car
RED by the Labor party.
But the necessity for passing q wise
law for the counting OF the electoral
votes does not depend upon the contin-
gency Of the election being given to the
House Of Representatives There are
doubts as 20 the powers of the Presi-
dent Of the Senate, and OF both Senate
and House both severdliy or Jointly,
especially in case OF disputed returns in
any State, such as occurred ten years
ago. This matter should be settl d BIZ
the passage of some carefully matured
and readily understood Law, which
would be just and acceptable to both
parties. The discredit for the failure up
20 the present time TO pass such g law
can not be charged against the Repub-
licans. 4 Republican Senator has pre-
pared and a Republican Senate has
twice passed bill which the most intel.
hge,.t people Of the country believe
would do much 10 meet the require
ments OF sny emery ncy which could
arise, but the Democrats OF the House
have neglected 10 pass il or 10 propose
as good a measure in its place. The
Senate bill passed ~ the late session is
now before the House, and the patriotic
people OF the country should demand
that that body pass it or presents meas
ure as worthy OF adOption.-Globe-
Democrat.