The Alaska citizen., 1912-09-30

 POSSIBILITIES
By JOHN TEMPLE GRAVES.

dental campaign is charged with astonishing possibilities that extend beyond the ballots of November. tn. less the result on November , should | be absolutely conclusive. the excite. ment of American politics will have just begun
 The Democratic committee express. es the most unbounded confidence that Wilson will be elected by a great majority of the popular vote and of the electoral college.
 The Republican committee express es an equal confidence in Mir Tafrs election.
 And the Progressive party is en. thusiastically sure that Mr. Roosevelt will be elected.
 The impartial observers in the country agree that Wilson's chances are best. but that the progress of the campaign may develop increas ing and formidable strength for Roosevelt or Taft in the electoral col 1 lege
 There are great many people who regard it as distinctly probable 1 that the strength of the three lead ing candidates may be so divided in the electoral college. as to throw | the election. under the constitution. into the house of representatives In ! this connection, these are the facts to consider:
 In the election of a president by the house of representatives each of | the IS states has single vote and the political majority in the state delegation determines for whom that vote is cast. There are 22 states delegations in which the Republicans have a majority. 22 in which Demo crats have majority, and four in which the Democrats and Republi- cans are tied. These four tied states are Maine. with two Demo crats and two Republicans; Nebras- ka, with three Democrats and three Republicans; New Mexico. with one Democrat and one Republican. and Rhode Island, with one Democrat and one Republican,
 The states that would cast votes for 1 nnmnnrat lah t,;, ma, Arkansas, Colorado. Florida Georgia. Indiana. Kentucky Louis ana, Mississippi. Missouri New Jer- sey New Mexico, New York. North Carolina. Ohio, Oklahoma, South Car olina, Tennessee, Texas. Virginia West Virginia. Total. %
 The states that would cast votes for Republican president are Cali fornia, Connecticut, Delaware. Idaho Illinois, Iowa, Kansas. Massachusetts. Michigan. Minnesota, Montana, Ne vada, New Hampshire. North Dakota. Oregon. Pennsylvania, South Dakota Utah, Vermont. Washington. Wiscon- sin, Wyoming Total, 22.
 has there been found on the eve of a presidential election house so evenly divided between parties as to make a choice improbable. if not impossible, under the party divisions that exist.
 If Wilson should receive 26O votes and lack the seven votes necessary to a majority of the electoral col lege. he would not be elected. and the Roosevelt and Taft electoral votes would be strong enough to throw the election into the house. Then the equal party division of the states might. and probably would. make an election of president practically impossible by the house.
 Whereupon. after ballots extend ing through the session, the election, under the constitution. would go to the senate through the necessity Of electing vice-president and presid- ing officer. The choice would be restricted to the two candidates re- ceiving the highest vote for vice. president in the general election In this case the vice-president or pre- siding officer of the senate so elect ed would become the president of the United States.
 But notice the complications. The senate is Republican, and the Re publican senate would naturally choose the Republican candidate for yice-president. even though he had been beaten. world without end. in the November ballot. So that in the not improbable event of tho election going to the senate. that Republican party might elect it's own presiding officer. himself a candi- date, and make Sunny Jim' the president of the United States.
 Or. in case Hiram Johnson of California. ran second in the cleo