Kansas City daily journal., 1896-10-26
HOW A PRESIDENT IS MADE.

Despite our boaSted educatl0n as q peo-
pie, and in curious contrast to the tre-
menGous interest we take in elections. 1t
is doubtful if one voter out Of ten can ac-
ately describe the process by which
president and vice president are made.
Commencing with the choice of electors
on the first Tuesday after the first Mon
day in November of presidential years, the
Eext step is the meeting of these electors
at their several state capitals on the sec
ond Monday in January following the
election. An act of congress requires the
electors of all the states to meet on the
same day. At this meeting each elector
casts his ballot for president and vice
president. He is at perfect liberty to vote
for whomsoever he chooses, but in testi-
mony to the high sense of honor which
pervades the American people it may be
said that since the formation of the gov
ernment no elector has failed to vote for
the candidate for whom he was elected.
After the votes have sbeen cast they are
sealed up and entrusted to one of the
electors, who Is designated by his fellows
for the purpose, and by him are conveyed
to Washington and delivered over. These
scaled ballots are directed to the president
of the senate, who opens ttem-in presence
of the house and senate On the second
Wednesday of the following February, this
joint session being required by law. If 1t
is found that any candidate for president
has received a majority of the entire elect
oral vote, he is formally declared elected,
and the same is true of the vice president;
but if no one has received majority for
off har nf ho jni
solves and the house proceeds to elect a
president and the senate a vice president.
In voting for president the house is re-
stricted to the three men who received the
highest votes in the electoral college. In
the house each state is entitled to one
vote. How this vote shall be cast Is de-
teImined by majority of the congress-
men from each state. 1t makes no differ
ence show the state may have voted upon
electors majority of the congressman
may determine how it shall vote when the
presidential election is thrown into the
house. To elect, majority of the entire
number of states is required. The same
process Is had in the senate. with the ex-
ception that each senator has a vote and
only the two highest voted for in the elect
the house should get into a deadlock
which lasted beyond the 4th Of the follow
ing March. the vice president chosen by
the senate would assume the presidential
chair on that date, thus doing away with
tie rule so prevalent in political affairs
that an officer holds until his successor is
elected and qualified. The old president
must step out, whatever may be the fate
OF his presumed successor.
The constitution did not seem to provide
the means of presidential succession which
might be demanded under certain emergen-
cies, and SO the Forty-ninth congress
passed bill fixing this succession as fol-
lows, after reciting the death, resignation
or disability Of both the president and vice
president: Secretary of state, secretary OF
the treasury. secretary Of war; attorney
general, postmaster general, secretary of
the navy and secretary of the interior. 1t
is provided however. that before either of
these may assume the presidency he must
first have been recognized by the senate
as cabinet officer and possess in himself
the constitutional requirement of a presi.
dent
The dates on which the three great steps
are taken in making president this time
are as follows: Election, November g.
electors meet January IL; congress counts
vote February 10.