The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1891-04-18
B4TEsPORr-S BIsuOYEKl.
Ceiling ReadI TO Steal the PrtsIdeae
again
TCourierJourBal1

A-aNeAN "Nuuhl haNEufuEts Gl New
York, is not discouraged by the failure
of his Force Bill to the exten. Of Civ.
iag up the idea that be ought snl
must control the elections of this coar-
Try. He is reported TO have made =
great discovery in connection with the
next Presidential election.
The strength show BY the Farmer
Alliance last fall has suggested the pos
slbility lhat no candidate for the Pres
idency next year may receive a major
ity Of the electoral vote. In such an
event the Constitution devolyes the
duty Of choosing President upon the
House of Representatives. In making
such choice the House is limited to
the three persons having the highest
number of votes. The voting there is
by States, the representation from
each State having enc vote. and a
majority of all the States being neces-
sary to choice.
In the Fifty-second Congress the
Democrats have majority Of the
Congressional delegates in two thirds
Of the States, though only majority
Of them is needed for the election of Il
President by the House. To any
other person than the putative author
of the Force Bill this wonld appear TO
settle the question. But Llttle Johnny
is not easily put out, and he now turus
up with the astonishing statement that
the House elected conjointly with the
Presidential electors has the deciding
who was elected in case of no choice
by the Electoral College-in other
words, that the next President would
be chosen by the Fifty-third Congress,
aud not by the Fifty-second.
Davenport evidently felt that this
great discovery required to be sup
ported by some show of authority
other than his own opinion. lie ac'
cordingly goes OH to say that the mat
ter was fully discussed III Washington
last winter, and that sit was decided
by the highest legal authority of the
Republican party" that the election
would be by the Fifty-third Congress
and that If the Republicans eau secure
control of the House at the next Con
gressional election IL will elect thl
next President IN the event that Their
is no choice by the Electoral College.
1t would be interesting to know
who is the highest legal authority o
the Republican party here alluded to
Is Il Attorney General Miller9 Is !
President Harrison? Or is it com
bination of great Republican lawyers
Ii certainly was not Senator Edmunds
who is regarded as the best Republi
can lawyer in the Senate, for he tool
occasion to say in an interview tn
other day that the Democrats woul'
would elect the next President If Their
should be no election by the Electors.
No matter who, besides Davenpor
himself, may stand sponsor for tn
opinion which be is reported to hav'
expressed, 1t is contrary to the plail
letter of the Constitution. That IN
strurnent provides for the counting 0
the electoral votes in the presence
the two houses, and If no one has
majority, 'the House of Represents
tiyes shall choose, Immediately, b
ballot the President" Now, th
House elected last fall does not expir
until March 4, 1898, the day when th
next President is to be inauguratc'
Il must participate in the count of tb
votes, and, if no ono has maIorit,
, must choose President "immediately
That there may be no possible mistah
+ about the matter, II is further provi'
cd that "if the House of Represent
lives shall not choose PrcsideI
whenever the right of choice shall d
yolye upon them before the 4th ds
of March next following, then I'll
Vice-President shall act as Preslder
as in the case of the death or oth'
, Constitutional disability Of the Pres
dent"
In the face of such clear and unml
! taxable provisions as these, the OPT
! ION of the highest legal authority
the Republican party goes for nothin
> The Republicans will not even have
in their power to prevent an slectl'
by breaking a quorum, as Conttlt
tioual quorum for the purpose
electing President consists ola mel
d ber or members from two-thirds
G the States. Little Mr.. Davenpt
n should realize that he is not called
n 10 regulate the affairs of the whole
3 iyerse, and should confine himscii
g the task of DISTINGUISHING as ma
y New York Democrats as circumstan'
: hermit.