Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1912-09-20
STARTLING POSSIBILITIES.

I STARTLING POSSIBILITIES.
I Complications That May Result from
Three cornered Race.
This vivid and sensational presider-
tial campaign Is charged with aston
ishing possibilities that extend beyond
the ballots of November.
Unless the result of November
should be absolutely conclusive, the
excitement 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 Mr.. Tafts
election.
And the Progressive party are en-
Enthusiastically sure that Mr.. RoCse-
velt 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 increasing
formidable strength for Roosevelt or
Taft IN the electoral college.
There are a great many people who
regard it as distinctly probable that
the strength of the three leading can
didates may be so divided in the elec-
toral college as to throw the election,
under the constitution, into the house
of representatives. In this connection
these are the facts to consider.
In O nf q
house Of representatives, each Of the
48 states has a single vote, and the
political majority in the state delega-
ton determines for whom that vote
Is cast There are % state delega-
tions in which the Republicans have a
majority, and four in which the DEM
ocrats and Republicans are tied. These
four tied states are Maine, with two
Democrats and two Republicans; Ne
braska 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
a Democrat are Alabama, Arizona,
Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Georgia,
Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mis-
sissippi, Missouri. New Jersey, New
MeXlCO, NEW 1 OTh, NOEtH SdTOiiuo,
Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Ten
nessee, Texas, Virginia, West Viz
ginia- Total %.
The states that would cast votes for
a Republican president are California,
Connecticut Delaware, Idaho, Illinois,
Iowa, Kansas, Massachusetts,, Mich
igan, Minnesota, Montana, Nevada,
New Hampshire, North Dakota, Ore
gon, Pennsylvania, South Dakota,
Utah, Vermont, Washington, Wiscon-
sin, Wyoming. Total %.
Never before in American history
has there been found on the eve of
presidential election a house 80
evenly divided between parties as to
make a choice improbable, If not i'm
possible, under the party divisions
that exist.
If Wilson should receive 260 votes
to a majority Of the electoral college
he would not be elected, and the
Roosevelt-Taft electoral votes would
be strong enough to throw the cleo
ton into the house. Then the equal
party division Of the states might
and probably would, make an election
of a president practically impossible by
the house.
Whereupon, after ballots extending
through the session, the elections, un-
der the constitution, would go to the
senate through the necessity Of cleo
ting a vice president and presiding Of
ficer. The choice would be restricted
10 the two candidates receiving the
highest vote for vice president in the
general election. In this case the vice
president or presiding officer Of the
senate so elected would become the
president Of the United States.
But notice the complications. The
senate is Republican, and the Repub-
lican Senate would naturally choose
the Republican candidate for vice
president, even though he had been
beaten, world without end, in the No
vember ballot. So that in the not i'm
probable event Of the election going
TO the senate. the Republican party
might elect its own presiding officer,
himself a candidate and make "Sun-
ny Jim" the president of the United
States.
Or, in case Hiram Johnson, of
California, ran second in the elec-
tions, the Republican senate might
make Hiram johnson president Of the
United States.
In other words, if Wilson ran 1,OOO,-
900 votes ahead in the general cleo
tions, and yet lacked two votes, or
even one vote, in the electoral college
and the evenly divided house failed
to make a choice the senate might
make one or the other Of the minority
candidates Of a divided or defeated
Republican party for vice president the
executive Of the republic.
If in turn the senate should by
death or persuasion divide equally
among three vice presidential can
didates (Which Is not impossible, }
then Philander Knox, of Pennsylvania
secretary of state, would become ex-
officio president of the United States.
So that the field of possibilities in
this wonderful presidential campaign
is wide open and fairly thrilling with
interest.
The enthusiastic friends of the can
didates may, of course laugh at
the speculation, but there are thous-
ands on the watch tower who will
find enough in the outlook to keep
them awake to the end Of the chap
ter.
OF course my personal opinion is
that Wilson's majority in the cleo
| toral college will be satisfying and
and complete.-Exchange.