El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1912-10-12
KNOX May Be
MADE TAFT'S
SUCCESSOR
If Electoral College and Con
gress Are Deadlocked, the
Secretary Would Serve.
POSSIBLE TANGLE
OFFERED IN CONTEST
lBZ Frederic J. Haskinl

Washington, D. c. OCT. L. "
will be the next president Of the
United States2 woodrow Wilson or
Theodore Rooseyelt2 Or will president
Taft be reelected and thus put OIL
choosing the next president until
1852
or viii the next president be James
S Sherman, Thomas r Marshall or
or viii he be Philander Chase
Knox?
IL neither Taft, Wilson OF RoOse-
Welt can command a majority Of all OF
the electoral votes then the mouse OF
representatives viii choose one OF
them voting by states But since lue
house is deadlocked on a party dlVl-
sion by states, then the succession VIII
20 to the vice president TO De CHOSEN
bv the senate, it being manifest InaL
if neither presidential candidate re-
ctives a majority in the electoral col
Ieges that the vice presidential race
win also be undecided
Knox May Be Acting President.
The senate IL restricted by the con-
stitution TO the choice Of O2e OF the
two highest candidates, so that the
choice may be between Marshall ana
sherman OF Marshall and Johnson,
with the very remote contingency OF
a choice between Sherman ana j ohn-
son. But If neither Of the two highest
men receive a majority OF the Whole
membership Of the senate, then the
secretary Of state viii become presl-
dent on March 4, no successor to pres
ident Taft having been chosen. mus
Mr.. Knox would become acting pres
ident and he would, under the law De
forced to call an extra session OF con-
gress which would in turn order an
other election for president
When there are but Two principal
parties cOntending for the control OF
the political affairs Of the nation lit
tie thought is given to our complicated
machinery for choosing president
but in this year the triangular battle
in which Republicans are defending
themselves both against their ancient
enemies the Democrats, and the new
" created Progressive party has mace
all these things Of practical moment
as well as OF curious interest
And how remarkable it now seems
to learn from the record Of the past
that the entire system OF eIecIlnS
president was cast IN its present mes
because the fathers OF the CONSTITUTION
were afraid Of the pernicious inrlu-
ence OF the aristocratie society Of the
Cincinnati
Possible Complications.
As a matter of serious fact, never
before in the history Of the republic
has there been so many possible com
plications in the outcome OF a pres1-
Dental election While OF course there
is no danger that next months cleo
ton will bring the nation as perilous-
" near to a second civil war as dld
the disputed Hayes-Tilden contest OF
1876, it is nevertheless true that the
actual selection Of the chief magls-
t-ate may be attended by more com
plicatiOns now than then Then It was
merely a question Of double elecJlOn
returns from several states II there
should be no election IN the electoral
colleges this time Il viii mean dead
lock.
At the election on Nov. 5 the people
in the several states will choose pres
idential electors, in each state q num-
her equal to the whole number OF that
states representation in both houses
of congress. These electors form IN
each state q college Of electors who
meet in their own state and cast their
ballots for president and vice presi-
dent The results Of these ballots are
sent to Washington, where they are
opened by the president Of the senate
in the presence OF both houses OF con-
a-ress If no candidate has received
majority of all the votes cast In al OF
the electoral colleges then there is no
election.
The whole machinery as at present
established IS regulated under the 18th
amendment to the constitution, which
was declared in force on Sept %,
1904 It provides that If there is no
election by the electors that the house
of representatives shall choose a pres
ident and the senate a vice president
Present House DeadlOeEzed.
When SO acting as a substitute cleo
foraI body the house votes by states,
vote goes for the choice Of the maJcr-
ity Of that states delegation in the
house. For instance a majority Of the
Massachusetts, delegation are Republic
cans, so Massachusetts would vote for
Taft A majority of the Virginia del
egatiOn are Democrats so Virginia
would vote for Wilson
1t so happens that this duty will de-
vOlve upon the present house Of rep
resentatiYes in which there are p Re
publican state delegations, p Demo-
cratic delegations and four delegations
equally divided between Republicans
and Democrats. These four states
would have no vote unless some repre-
sentative should leave his party and
break the tie.
The constitution requires. moreover,
that a majority Of all the states be
given to the candidate chosen to be
president. This means that there
could be no choice except by the af-
firmative action Of the DELEGATIONS of
p states Either the Democrats would
have to win over three divided or Re
publican states, or the Republicans
gain three states, or there would be a
deadlock And this does not take into
account the further complications that
would arise from the support of the
progressive party candidate by some
representatives. Be it said that never
before has the house been so com
pletely tied up and deadloclze6 as a
substitute electoral body
Senate Votes Per Capita.
While the house choosing a presi-
dent is confined TO the three highest
men in the poll Of the electoral col
1eges and votes by states; the senate
in choosing q vice president is con-
fined to the two leading candidates in
the electoral poll and votes per capita
But the constitution REQUIRES a
quorum Of two-thirds to be present
and requires for a choice a majority
Of the entire mem bership of the SEN
ate, ana. not merely Of those voting.
As the Glvision Of the senate between
Republicans, Democrats and insurgents
was such that all last session that
body could not find even a majority
Of those voting for any candidate for
president pro tempOre, it is easy to
see that deadlock in the senate is
also within the range of possibility
If the senate could not choose be-
tween the two highest men for vice
president. then on March 4 rr-r,.-, 49,