The weekly tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1891-1894, 1892-11-04

Inc electoral cOlleSe Is u SoIneWTaC COIL
plicated affair. 1t is composed of one elect
or for each senator in congress and one for
each representative, and there being under
the new a"pportionment A states. So sena-
tors and 35G representatives the number Of
electors is IA, of which the votes Of II ma
jority, or 223, are required to elect. The
electors chosen in November must meet
not at Washington, as many suppose, but
"in their respective states" on the second
Monday in January next, and vote by dis
tinct ballots for president and vice presi-
dent. A certificate of the result of their
balloting they must send to the president
of the senate at Washington, and the law
requires ongress to he in session on the
second Wednesday in February to open
the returns and count the ballots.
The persons having a ma jority of the
whole number of votes are declared elect
ed. But in case nc person has Il majority
of the electoral votes for president the
house of representatives must Immediately
proceed to the election of Il president by
ballot from among the three persons who
may have received the greatest number of
votes FOR that Office in the electoral college.
But here IA new complication arises. In
balloting for president in the house the
vote must be taken by states, the repre-
seDtation from each state having one vote.
A quorum for this purpose must consist of
a member or members from two-thirds of
the states, and 4 majority of all the states
shall he necessary to II choice. 1t is easy
to see that there might rome Il time in the
history of ougrp when, the house being
called upon to eject IL president, more than
One-third of the states would be represent
ed by men opposed othr candidate about
to be elected, and that they could defeat
his election Is absentiug themselves from
the hail and thus breaking II quorum"
Nor is any provision made in tie law for
casting the vote Of states whose reprt~en-
tation in the house may br equally divided
and unable to agree ~ 10 how the vote
shall he cast. The house might also be
divided anon the parties that a majority
of the states could not he secured for any
one candidate, and there would not be any
election.
There is more than Il possibility that the
election Of 1892 will be thrown into the
house Of representatives, but none Of these
dangers threatens ut this time. In the
present house thirty of the forty-four state
delegations nave Democratic majorities,
and Of curse Mr.. Cleveland would be
promptly chosen We're the decision left TO
the house.
y fact not known to many people is that
in the event of the failure Of the electoral
college TO choose Il vice president the elec-
ton of that officer dcvOlves upon the sen
ate, which shall moose by ballot from the
Two highest on the list, Il quorum consist
ing of twO-thirds the whole number of
senators, and the votes of Il majority of
the whole limbe being necessary TO elect.
The law provides that IN the event of the
failure OF the house to choose Il president
before March I the vice president shall
become president. But suppose the SEN
ate could not yet a quorum together, and
hence should also fail to elect II vice presi-
dent; What would he done then?
Luckily We 20 not to he confronted with
such IL dangerous dilemma. In the event
of the failure of the electoral college to
choose ii president and II vice president the
house will elect Mr.. Cleveland president,
and the senate will as promptly elect Mr.
Reid vice president.
Twice has the house been called upon to
elect a president. The first time was in
1900, when jefferson and Burr received ~
votes each. John Adams was close behind
with G5, and Charles {. Pinckney with Ga.
In the house jefferson was chosen, ten
states voting for him, while only four voted
for Burr. The other occasion of this sort
was in 1874, when Jackson, John Quincy
Adams and Henry Clay were the leading
candidates. Oddly enough, Jackson was
the Republican candidate, the first Re
publican party being in "A certain sense the
progenitor o the present Democratic party.
jackson received IA large majority of the
popular vote, and 30 electoral votes to 81
for Adams, but not having "A majority the
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chose Adams. The only other occasion in
which the congress had an,'Ai!g to do
with choosing II president in 1876,
when it crcatcd the electoral commission
to settle the Tilden.IIdycs dispute.
Before lSOi each member OF the electoral
college voted for two candidates for presi-
dent. and the one who received the largest
number of votes was declared president,
while the one who received the next
largest number was declared vice pres;
dent. Ia this manner Washington and
ADAMS were chosen president and vice
president in liS9 and 1902, and Adams and
jefferson in 1896. In 1894 jefferson and
Clinton were elected under the present
system.
The most unanimous election in the his
tory Of the presidency occurred in 1870,
when Monroe was reelected with 23l elect.
oral votes to | vote for John Quincy
Adams.
John Adams, George Clinton, Daniel ID.
Tompkins and John c. Calhoun were the
only four vice presidents honored with re.
election.
Grover Cleveland is not the first man t.
stand three times in succession rs Il candi
date for president. John Adams received
a large vote in the electoral college both