The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-11-07

The Possibility Of combination OF weaver
aud Harrison Electors.


| rh. po.,,,,,,,v or ~ continuation OF Weaver
| aud Harrison Electors.
| II he's puzzled n great many feonle whose
| knowlcdgc Of politics consists "' lh"'r recoi-
factions of previous Presidential campaigns
| that tho odds in favor OF Cleveland CARRYING
| Nav York are a. great ms two to one. while tho
hating ON the general result is at even money
| ond at light odds. Tho popular impression
| ,mon,, peopls not associated with politicians
| ia that whoever carries New York will DO
elected President and 1t is hard for them to
! understand why there Is so much difference in
the betting.
This campaign. more than any other cam
raiGn for many years. is filled with possbili-
ties. 1t is tho first cam nign whore it seems
TO DO assumed that all the electoral votes will
not be divided between tho Democratic and
Republican parties. 1t is not since tho cleo.
ton OF 1880. before tho outbreak OF tho civil
war. that the politicians assumed u division
OF the electoral vote among three Presidential
candidates. That and tho now apportionment
OF electors are what make the situation so
problemntic and filled with all kinds of rossi-
bili.ies.
There are 444 electoral votes. The number
necessary Tor n choice by tho electors is n23
II when the electors vote in their respective
States :or President no candidate receives 49,,
NVlcs. tuSEo 10 HO eleCtloH ny inc ele'tOiS ouu
the choice OF the next President is determined
by the House OF Representatives. In tho
House OF Representatives the vote is taken by
States. all the Representatives from each State
having only one vote and the ballot to con-
Ssa tns snss siasa has o
equal vote for President in ali election hv
tho House Of Representatiyes;, There would
should tho election devolyS. on the present
House Of keprese nt4tives. The present Houso
hir.tS Han
shows large Democratic majority. making
tho result. SHOULD the election ial in the pres.
ent House OF Representatives. u sure thing Tor
This ASSURANCE that tho House OF represent.
have the opportunity. makes AN additional
COMPLICATION in the rossiiities of the sltua-
ton. Should it be aplarent that neither Mr.
Cleveland nor Mr. Harrison carried II majority
OF the electors. the Weaver and Harrison cleo
tor. would know that, IN casting their votes
tons. they would really be voting Tor Mr.
Cleveland us surely as though they gave their
votes to him direct.
There is no legal obligation on an elector to
reIuire him to east his vote for one more than
under tho constitutional requirements. The
Constitution provides that the President must
be native born citizen. over 50 years OF age.
United States. That is the only restriction
III. the Mra ar t.
ss'ff "sSvSF eeetor yG eS
Constitution is that tho President is reniy
elected by tho electors who are chosen by the
intelligence. and judgment to meet and agree
among themselves on the best man for the
choee further than that the. man whom they
vote for shall he eligible under H." constitu-
eers hare seen hed y ss Of s
r.dce and their personal honor Ia vote for
the man Tor whom they were elected TO vote.
In this election the question may arise as to
how far these ties arc binding On men who
would defeat the +, Object Of their pledge ~ OBJ.
whether the Harrison and Weaver electors
they could honnrably cnmhin" and vote Tor
some ONE else. 1t is not at nj Improbable that
| power IL they do their votes for Weaver will
be equivalent to the e.estion Of Cleveland. :,
ticians eminent in the counsel Of th"ir PARTY ap
| what should be done in case this contingency
opnS% aonE ac Ii a 'e IT, n
nublican National COMMITTEES would have the
power to release the Republican electors from
the implied pledge to vote for Harrison. and
| that the NATIONAL Committee Of the Peoples
party woul! have the rover 10. rclease
Weaver That would leave The electors free
from their orgina! pledge. hut there would
in accordance. with the wishes Of tho
majority &c 81 theiI party and this obEston
to vote as their National Committees request.
ed: Much the more would this new obligation
rest should conventions OF the Republican and
the Peoples parties be- called to meet between
election day and The meeting Of the electors to
decide in convent ion what the wishes OF their
parties were and what they wanted to have
their electors DO
To get clear majority OF the electoral col
leGe. Mr.. Cleveland must carry all tho South
srn States. Now York. New Jersey. Indiana,
together with Connecticut Of enough Of Mich
iGnn. Minnesota. or other stray electors to
mako up for tho loss of Connecticut. If Mr..
Harrison carries New York he will be elected
unless the Peoples r%rty carries
The general opinion is that there will be
electors elected by tho Peoples party. hut
how many OF them there will be- few Eastern
politicians ire able to Judge accurately. The
People rnrty may carry Nevnda. several cleo
tors In Minnesota. South Dakota Colorado.
Kansas; Nebrask a. and Wyoming. Their cleo
tors will come from the silver States. ON tho
Tree coinage. snbci,treasury. Hnd other issues
opposed to the Peoples rarty
:. Should 1t result that Mr.. Cleveland carries
New York and :'ew Jersey and loses Indiana
West virginia. and Connecticut, the Pco1le's
party may still carry elect ors in thu. free silver
states to- prevent NJ r. harrison having u ma
jority 81 tho electoral college. There is no
possibilit OF Mr. Weaver having n minority OF
his electors successful.
1t would then lie question for the Hepuhli-
can politicians TO consider whether they wpnll
rather have som" man on whom they and tho
reople's party would Hgrno or Mr. Cleveland.
The parties to any bargain would be the Re.
pubicans and the peope's Unrty Tor the
DEMOCRATS would have nothing 10 lose and
syerything,t c gain by such negotiations fail.
| Ing through.