Evening journal., 1896-07-23
CONTEMPORARY OPINION.
u .hs EIeo.Ion ooss to the Houss.

IL the Election Goes to the House.
From the st. Louis Globe Democrat.
What Will happen II no candidate re
cieves a msjority In the electoral college
and choice Of President devolves on
the House Of Representatives. Twice
In 1901 and 1S25-the House elected the
President. The earlier of these elections
which WAS caused by the tie vote In the
Electoral College between Jefferson and
Burr, dictated the twelfth amendment to
the constitution. This amendment pro-
vides that when nobody has a majority
In the Electoral College then from the
persons having the highest numbers, not
exceeding three, on the list of such per
sons voted for rs President, the House OF
Representatives shall choose immediately
by ballot the President. But In
choosing the President Che votes shall
be taken by states, the represen
tatlon from each state having one vote; q
quorum for this purpose shall consist Of
q member or members from two-thirds
Of the states, and q majority OF all the
states shall be necessary to q choice
The Republicans control the delegations
of thirty OF the forty five states This
Is just the two-thirds necessary to
constitute the quorum, and the thirty
votes which t0ey represent Is, of course,
a large majority OF the whole number.
But among these thirty states are
Idaho, Montana, North aud Soutk
Dakota, Utah and Wyoming. Delegates
from most Of these states bolted In the
st. Louis convention. The silver sle-
ment dominates all Of them excspt the
two DAkotas. Twenty three states Is q
majority. and the Repuoli cans would
have enough to elect their candidate,
and have ons vote 60 spare II the
whole six Of these states ahould
vote for silver man. But II
any one of these six states should
refuse to take part in the contest the Re
publlcAns alone could not establish Q
quorum. and unless come OF the Demo
cratic States participated the election
could not take place. Now II the Demo
cratic States should also refuse to take
part, the Republicans could not employ
their majority, and no election Of Presi
dent would occur In that event the
Vice President, whom the Senate would
have to elect In this case, would become
President on March 4 But suppose the
Senate should fail to elect Vice. Pregi
dent The silver men, Democratic, Re
publican. and Populist, are In larg,
majority In the Senate, and they would
naturally try to choose q silver man oi
one partisan complexion or another. Bu'
II any obstructive tactics were resortes
to by the silver Republicans or the Dem.
ocrats In the House the Republican sena
tors might be tempted to retaliate
They are not strong enough to break
( quorum In the Senate. but the gold Dem
ocratic senators might bs constrained &
lend them hand In order to frshtel
the silver men out OF conspiracy 70 Do
feat the election OF President BY Ia
House. However. the probability is tina
Mckinley will be chosen Ia the Electora
College, or that II tue contest should
thrown into the House q quorum woul
be had, and thus he would be prompt
elected in that body Still, the Bilve
bolt from the Republicans and the ger
erBl chaos among the political element
opposed to the Republican party will
suggest 70 many persons some pic
turesque possibilities In the way c
bitches and arrangements In the ele,
toral machinery.