New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-01-24
E1EcToRAL PREDIcAMEY1S

The successive announcements that the Pres
ident pro TEN. of the Senate, Mr.. ingalls,, had
refused 20 accept the certificate OF the electoral
vote Of Texas because the electors had not put
their signatures upon the envelope containing
H. as the law requires; that the official mes
senger Mr.. Robertson, had started for Texas
by the first express train that the Governor OF
the Lone Star State had summoned the electors
by telegraph to meet and repair the error, and
that there was grave doubt II this could be nc
complished in timo 10 get Mr.. Robertson back
70 Washington before next Monday, the last
day Of grace, have caused only gentle ripple
of interest TO spread over the country, but have
probably produced something like consterna-
ton in Texas. 1t happens that the interest felt
In the vote Of Texas in this year Of grace rs
purely sentimental, but what commouon
there would be II the next Presidency depended
on 70! In that case, surprising the electors OF
Texas TO have met and provided Mr. Robert
son with an unimpeachabie certificate whab
hopes and fears would follow HIS return Hight
10 the capital Paul Revere's ride, Sheridan
dash from Winchester down to save the
dayn the breakneck gallop from Client to
AK would not be a circumstance TO 1t. lie
would have a special train Of one car and q
locomotive Tor, possibly, describing the I'M
pediment Of a car, would perch upon tho water
Tank and tho right Of way would be his from
Austin to Washington. Myriads of his fellow
countrymen of both parties would line the
track, and so ohivalrous Is the American spirit
that he would be universally cheered as he
shot past, and any Republican who should
H. - 10 uviu0 angina would he
strung ND TO the nearest telegraph pole. Dis
patches announcing HIS progress would be sent
from every station, and bulletined all over the
country In the presence OF countless mulutuaes
Of bowling citizens. The intelligence from
Firewater Gulch that Robertson has Just
passed this point at the rate Of eighty miles
an hour'' would SGT the whole land crazy, and
cause American securities 20 fluctuate on every
exchange in Europe. Enormous wagers would
be laid on the greatest race against Tune the
world had over seen-not even barring Mr..
Fogg's Around the World in Eighty Dayy !
semi official forebodings OF washouts and land
slides would raise pandemonium in.eyery pool
room. and the positive announcement oil hot
box would knock the odds on hoDeftson 10
flinders The President pro tenn. OF the SEN
ate, under the enormous pressure OF pubho
opinion, would repair to the railway station in
Washington, and when at one second before
midnight of tho fourth Monday in January Mr..
Robertson fell from the water-tank into Mr..
IngalSs arms-but IL is better TO draw veil
before this sublime contamination.
Such, at least, seem, according TO current
opinion, TO be the possibilities involved in such
an inadyertence as that Of the Texas electors.
But IL occurs TO us, after perusal OF the
statutes that Mr.. Robertson and the Governor
Of Texas may be laborng under a deusion.
The law provides that the electors OF every
State shall meet and cast their votes on par
ticular day. 10 wit, the second Monday in jan
uary Having so met and adjourned sine die,
has the Governor any power to reconyene them,
and would any act performed In an extra ses-
sion be valid? Nay, more is there at this
moment any such body as an Electoral College
anywhere known to the law? The thirteen
estimable gentlemen who assembled at Austin
on the second Monday in January met, acted
and adjourned. They constituted the Electoral
College Of Texas on that date Where is that
college now2 Does II still retain body into
which the Governor can blow the breath OF
life? These are rather interesting questions
which ought to be answered now, when the an
swers, whatever they might be, would have
no immediate practical significance. The law