Omaha daily bee., 1892-07-11
n rHE HOUSE SHOULD ELECT.

One of the most absurd notions enter
tanned by members of the peoples
party Is that which assumes that there
is possibility of electing the candidate
OF that party if the election of pres
ident should be thrown into tho house.
OF course they do not expect to win in
the electoral vote, but they contend
that If they can get II sufficient number
of the electors to throw the election
into the house their candidate will
stand II good chance of being chosen.
The constitution provides that if no
person voted for for president receive
majority of the electors, then the
house of representatives shall, by bal
lot, choose the president from the
persons having the highest numbers (Of
electors) not exceeding three on the
list OF those voted for rs president. :"
If it should devolve upon the house to
elect the next president, the persons
from whom it would choose are Har-
risou, Cleveland and Weaver.
The house votes by states in such u
case, the representation from each state
having one vote. In the present house,
upon which the election would devolve,
the democrats have u majority of the
representation from thirty states. the
republicans from twelve and the farm
ors alliance from two. 1t is possible that
in the voting some changes might take
place, giving perhaps three or four of
the democratic states to the candidate
of the peoples party. There are forty
four states, and it will require the votes
of twenty three to elect II president. a
careful analysis of the delegations leaves
no room for Il doubt that the following
twenty-five states would vote for Cleve-
land: Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut,
Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois.
Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mary
land, Massachusetts,, Michigan, Missouri,
Montana, New Hampshire, New Jersey,
New York, Ohio, Rhode Island, Tennes-
see, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia,
Wisconsin. This regards as doubtful
the following five states, the majority of
the representation of each being demo-
cratic: Iowa, Mississippi, Minnesota,
North Carolina ana South Carolina. 1t
is by no means probable, however, that
any of these states would desert the
democratic candidate, so that the peo-
pies party candidate could count with
certainty upon only two votes in the
house, those of Kansas and Nebraska.
There is no conceivable contingency
that would defeat Mr.. Cleveland in the
present house of representatives, and
those leaders of the new party who are
preaching such possibility are wan
tonly deceiving their followers in the
interest of the democratic party. There
is no hope for General Weaver from the
electoral vote ana the idea that he
might be elected by the house of repre-
sentatives is as wild and visionary as
some OF the other notions of the people 8
party. Sympathizers with that party
who do not want republican principles
supplauted by those Of the democracy,
and who believe that the interests of
the people and the welfare of the coun-
try would be rs we'll subserved during
the next four years by Benjamin Harri-
son as by Grover Cleveland, will do we'll
to thoughtfully and candidly consider
this phase of the situation. If the cleo
tion Of president is thrown into the
house the choice of Mr.. Cleveland is in
evitable. The democratic managers
will work to this end. They do not ex-
pect to elect their candidate by the peo-
pie. They do not believe they can Sc
cure Il majority of the electors. Their
scheme is to make such deal with the
new party in the naturally republican
states as will deyolve the election of a
president upon the house of representa-
tives, whore they would be absolutely
certain OF success. This is the full
measure of their interest in and sym
pnthy with the peoples party.