The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1909-01-11
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Elect u afjler Af.
C 'allpl,iitlt' II, J, ais! of he
States

tSWASIlNGToE Jams II 1.t-'Wffna;,,i,r
Howard Taft was elected President or
the United States by the electors who
gathered today in the capital ettiea Of
the various States to east .ttheir: vutsa
for President! and Vice Pres!dent.
Although the Y returns Wiz not DO
canyassed by Congress until I; next I
month. 1t is3 Il confidently anticipated, !,
that Taft /; and sherman have been
successful in to-day 81 eTectio Or 7;
The Principal Il business 4 before To-
days sessions :of the State n electors
was the selection; Of messengers To (
carry the news to Washington Each
State selects such a messenger, and I
In most fofi them there have been
many candidates for. the. honor. \ L 7
According to the law the State
electors,at at to-day's sessions, will ef-l
feet their own organization. select :
their presiding officer and tellers,
cast their,Notes and select from their \
number the messenger To carry t a u
copy Of the results OF their. vote TO-
be delivered to the h speaker OF s; the Y
House OF Representatives. Two more i
copies will be forwarded by nrail, ac- /:
cnrfing to the constitution OF the /
United States: Con gress. having re- !
ceived all of tho electoral votes from 4
all the Stntes ;passcs Ion the result. Si;;
In theory these electors are. free to {,
choose whom they please - md tfris 4
was designed to be the. case by the I
makers of the conf stitution - but In !
practice they vote y for. tie candidate,
nominated by tile party whose elec-5
toral ticket they 4 represent. This 4
they do, not in obedience TO law but /
to party pledge and custom. and in 7
American history there never has
been a case where this. custom and
party pledge was violated. s5 4 Z. q I, I
< AS they are pledged, and It Is Z
known TO whom they are n pledged. Il,
there IS nofuncertainty about the re-,
suit, which Is merely a. formal raHff-
cation Of the choice OF the people,
Certified copies of 1.-The returns off
these electora 7 colleges j arc then. sent.
to Washington. are there tufnet ayerst
10 eSpresMent9 OF tie senate on; tho3t
first Wednesday III Febrllary, In the s
presence of the senate and n house
sitting Jointly. and there counted. As 9
tlfs Is merely the; ofiicial count Sot
the vote. already counted Informally
and known this is a mere formality.
a5S There are some \ other Interesting
facts connected with the election ii OF
Il President that are not generally
known. Men holding placcs under, ),
the government, are not permitted to I
act as electors. In SIT twas dis
covered AFTER the electors were ap-g;
pointed THAT North Carolina, New.
Hampshire and Connecticut had !,
selected electors who were deputy 4
postniasters. "a congressional com.S
mlttee. headed by Henry Clay: held \
that their votes must be rejected. II It
happened that Van Buren, was elected
regardless Of. these i. votes, " but 8 It
might easily happen In a close efec.ff
ton, that some mischance w-onld de 3
feat the will OF, the States. Also, the
constitution requires that d the " efee-
tors shall meet on the same day. In \,
1857 a snowstorm kept the Wfscont
sin electors FROM meeting until the +
day following the appointed date.
The Georgia electors have n voted d
twice ON the wrong day. y In nome Of. /
these cases ! did the irregular votes d
count, and in none did !. their loss 4
change the result The States. and i
not the people, elect the President
Thus. while In part the! electoral rep
rcsentatlon I Is based ( on Il population I!
besause thereSis one elector for eakh
congressman lin part It is based on 4
States rights, = because there 10 san
elector for each senator, and & eachf
State has two senators regardless Of I
it's size. i Il q, si 3S3