The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1912-09-24

are best, but that the progress of the
campaign may develop Increasing
formidable strength for Roosevelt or
Taft in the electoral college.
There are great many people that
the strength OF the three leading can
didates may be so divided in the cleo
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 the election of a president by the
house of representatives, each of the
4S 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 nave
majority, % in which the Democrats
have majority, and four in which the
Democrats and Republicans are TIED.
These four tied states are Maine, with
two Democrats and two Republicans,
Nebraska with three Democrats ana
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, Louiniana, Mis-
sissippi, Missouri, New Jersey, New
Mexico, New York, North Carolina,
Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Ten
nessee Texas. Virginia, West Vir-
ginia. Total p.
The states that would cast votes for
a Republican president are California,
Connecticut, Deleware, 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
prudential election a. house so
evenly divided between parties as to
make choice improbable, if not i'm
possible, under the party divisions
that exist
If Wilson should receive 260 votes
and lack the seven votes necessary
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.
Wnereupon, after ballots extending
through the session, the elections, un-
der the constitution, would go to the
senate through the necessity of elec-
ting a vice president and presiding Of
fcer. The choice would be restricted
to the two candidates receiving the
highest vote for vice president in the
general election. In this case the vice
p.e.l1ent or presiding officer of the
senate so elected would become the
president of the United States.
!, bu5 notice the complications. The
senate is Republican, and the Repub-
lican senate would naturally choose
the Republican can lidate for vice
president, even though he had been
beaten, world without end, in the No
We. lber ballot. So that in the not i'm
probable event of the election going
to the senate, the Republican party
might elect it's own presiding officer,
himself a candidate and make Sun
~ Jim" the president of the United
States.
Or in case Hiram Johnson, OF
California, ran second in the elec-
tom, the Republican senate might
make Hiram Johnson president of the
United States.
In other words, if Wilson ran 1000
900 votes ahead in the general elec-
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 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-
oficio 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 thousands
on the watch tower who will find
enough in the outlook to keep them
awake to the end of the chapter.
Of course my personal opinion is
that Wilson's majority in the cleo
toral college will be satisfying and
compleae-Exchange.
Old SDaniSh Locomotive.