St. Paul daily globe., 1892-03-02
A NEW PARTY SCHEME.

No conceitS that grow up about the
political movement that lately gushed
so variously and effusIvely at st. Louis
can be too fanciful for absorption by
some of those represented there. When
our own IGNATIUs, with apparent gray
fly, intimates that the next president
may be named at Omaha, and that he is
not aspiring to the distinction. credulity
can hardly have severer tax. The re-
port comes from Kansas. the hotbed of
queer things, that the managers of the
party have scheme that seems to them
plausible. for really getting into the
electoral college and being able
to dictate the result. The view
that. the new party can elect
sufficient electors to prevent
choice, and throw the election into the
house of representatives, evidently
,misunderstands the mode of operation
in such an event, or supp0ses that the
congress to be elected in November
will have to make the selection, and
that the Peoples party will be able to
hold the balance in number Oh states.
The present congress would make the
choice, each state having.one vote, and
that being determined by the majority
of the congressman. If they are equally
divided, or majority is not had for
either party, they would be unable to
cast the vote of their state But, as
about two-thiuds of the states have a
majority of Democrats, the only
possible result of throwing the
election into the house would be
the success of the Democratic candi-
dates. This Mr.. DoNNELLY and the
other intelligent leaders understand.
Their scheme which was limited at st.
Louis, Is reported to be this: They will
carry states enough to hold the balance
of power in the electoral college; to
elect 223 are required; the Republicans
are to be allowed perhaps 212, and the
Democrats 205, comprising for the two
parties all the states except Kansas,
Nebraska and Minnesota. These have
twenty-seven votes to be taken in by
the Peoples party. They may be called
the WEAVER or DoYNELLY electors.
Should the twenty seven vote for their
own man there would be no choice, and
the Democrats would elect in the house.
That is not the proposition, however,
1t is to make deal with one of the old
parties. WEAVER or DoNNEILY would
consent that in a trade with the Repub-
licans at least eleven votes should be
given them, making 223, majority. 1t
is supposed the Republicans would be
most inclined to the trade. as they
would have no chance if the election
went to the house. Incidental to the
scheme it is expected that in several
states, Arkansas and others in the South
and some in the West. the Peoples
party would form combination cleo
toral ticket with either the Republicans
or Democrats, each taking a certain part
of the names. An obstacle in the way,
however, would be the fact that none of
the electors would dare TO violate
their party pledges. While there is no
legal requirement that the electors
shall vote any particular way, every
man is elected to vote for the candidates
of his party. There has never been an
instance in the history of the country
where an elector has failed to do this.
A mere suspicion Of purpose to do
otherwise would elicit demand for
specific pledges. In this state, for in
stance, if the Democrats and Peoples
party should combine, with five Demo
erats and four Alliance men Oh the
ticket, every man would be forced to
give written pledge to vote for his
party candidates if elected. Democrats
would not vote for an Alliance man
who could violate this unwritten law,
nor would the greater part of the Alli-
anee voters.