The Bossier banner., 1892-08-18
IF the Election Should be
Thrown Into the House.

but they claim that the party will
carry enough States to throw the
election of President into the House
of Representatives.
Whether it will or can do this is a
matter of speculation. Whether it
will secure the Electoral vote of any
State-whether it will prevent either
of the other parties from getting the
necessary Electoral majority, remains
to be seen.
Considering the possibility of the
next election being thrown into the
House, it is, therefore, a matter of
timely interest to review the proce-
dure prescribed for such an emergen-
cy by the Constitution.
That instrument provides that the
person who receives the greatest
number of Electoral votes for Presi-
dent shall be President, if such num-
Der be a majority of all the electors.
If no one have such majority "then
from the person having the highest
number, not exceeding three on the
list of those voted for as President,
the House of Representatives shall
choose Immediately by bollot the
President"
The Electoral College now consists
of 444 votes. A majority necessary
to elect is 223. If both Cleveland
and Harrison fail to get that number,
and taking for granted that the Peo-
ple's party candidate will not get it,
there will be no election by the peo-
pie, and it will devolve upon the
House to choose President from
these three candidates. The voting in
the House will be by States and not
by members. The Representation of
each State will have one vote. The
one Representative of Idaho will have
voice equal to the 81 Representa-
tives of New York. A majority of
the States, % of the A is necessary
to choice.
AS the Democrats control the rep
resentation of majority of the States
Cleveland would be the choice of the
House.
If the election of President should
be thrown into the House the choice
of Vice President would by the Con-
stitution go to the Senate-that is,
assuming that no candidate got a
majority of the Electoral votes.-
While the House is directed to choose
a President from the three highest
candidates the Senate is required to
select Vice President from the two
highest. While the vote is by States
in the House it is by Senators in the
Senate. A majority of all the Sena-
tors elects.
Should the contingency we have
been considering arise very remark
able situation and very important
question would be presented. The
House, as we have seen, being Dem
ocratic, would elect Mr.. Cleveland; !;
the Senate, being Republican, would
naturally choose MIR. Reid.
But would Mr.. Reid be, constitu-
tionally eligible to the Vice Presiden-
cy with Mr.. Cleveland as President?
That is, could President and Vice
President be chosen from the same
State?
On this point the meaning of the
Constitution is open to debate. It's
words are: =
"The electors shall meet in their
respective States and vote by ballot
for President and Vice President, one
of whom at least shall not be an in.
habitant of the same State with
themselves"
That is an express limitation on
the electors. It is not an express
limitation on Congress.
On the one hand it may be said
that the purpose of the Constitution
is to prevent in any case the election
OF two persons from the same State
to the highest offices of the Govern