The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1896-08-19
WATSON AND SEWALL.

rs THERE A COMPLICATION!
We have received the following let
ter from valued friend: 4~is
Editor Representative
In your ans wer to Mr.. Patterson, in
the last issue of The REPRESENTA-
TIVE, you fail to answer his point, or
| misunderstood his position. take
it that he claims that vote in the
electoral college for Bryan and SewaIl.
will not count for Bryan and Watson,
and that vote for Bryan and Watson
would not count for Bryan and Sc
wall. Thus it nearly two-thirds of
the electoral votes were cast for
Bryan and these were equally DIVIDED
between Watson and Sewall, the
tally would be counted eparately; and
ii Mckinley had few more than one
third OF the total, he would be count
ed in. and Bryan counted out. It does
not seem possible that our leaders
could make such blunder; but as Mr.,
PatterSon'S position seems toindicate
that it is possible that this may be an
open question, the balance Of us may
he greatly alarmed. The question
should be made clear at once.
III. SELOvER.
Red Wing, Aug. 9.
Our friend, it seems to us, has failed
to appreciate our point.
Neither the names of Bryan or Wat
son or Sewall or Mckinley or Hobart
or any one else will appear in any way
in the return Of the votes cast in the
presidential election. We do not vote
directly for any person for president
or vice president. Before the Aus
tralian ballot system was adopted it
was customary to print the name of
the party and candidate at the head
Of the ticket, thus:
REPUBLICAN TICKET,
For PRESIDENT,
ULYSSES S. GRANT, etc
But all that did not count If any
man voted ticket, with the above
heading, but containing the names Of
the Democratic presidential electors,
then the ballot was counted for Gen.
Grants Democratic competitor.
The other day conference was held
in Minneapolis between the Demo-
cratic party and certain representa-
tives of the Peoples Party and the
l. AVV otAVOA RoA 0AA IL Wdo az lCCu
that the Democrats should nominate
John Day Smith for the Free Silver
ties, and four electors to be named by
themselves for the Democracy, and
they were to leave open four places for
four electors to be named by the
Peoples Party, in convention, August
26. The cleo toral ticket thus agreed
upon will be voted for by every Demo-
GRAFT, Free-Silverite and Populist in
the State of Minnesota who supports
Mr.. Bryan. If elected then on a GER
tain day these nine electors will as
semble at St. Paul, at the Capitol, and
all of them will vote for Mr.. Bryan
for president, and the vote will be
sent to Washington and counted for
him as provided by law; and If he has
enough more from other states to
make 224, he will be declared the next
president Of the United States.
The nine electors will then vote for
their choice for vice president. The
four Populist votes will be cast for
Mr.. Watson, and possibly the five 9TH
er votes may be cast for Mr.. Sewall.
If this takes place all over the Union
there will be no election of vice presi-
dent, unless Mr.. Hobart has major
itY over both.
But there is an interval of weeks be-
tween the election and the casting of
the electoral vote. and in this interim
the national committees of the two
parties will be busy Matching up an
agreement, whereby either Watson or
Sewall will receive all the electoral
votes. and the disappointed candidate
will be rewarded with place, we will
say, in the cabinet.
We hope this eXplana ton is salts
factory to our friend. If it is not let
us hear from him.