The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1912-10-19
ELECTORAL TANGLE
Continued From Page One.)

bership. Nevertheless, recent event.
have made three parties, and o
these three the supporters of Mr.
Roosevelt will, in both houses of Con
gress' hold the balance of power. 1
Is to those new Progressives. there
fore, that Democrats and Republi
cans would be forced to make theil
addresses, not to say petitions.
That the Progressives would be
stubborn in their demands there il
no room to doubt. They might give
the presidency to the Democrats Oh
trade it to them or else leave the
whole thing deadlocked, or give the
vice-presidency to the Republicans, as
1t, may suit them.
Possible Results.
LOOK at the situation from it's many
angles. Suppose the House cannot
choose the President. The two vice.
presidential candidates available for
the Senate's action will be Marshall
and Sherman or Marshall and John
son. Without grossest self-stipulation
such Progressive Senators as Cum
mings. LaFollette. Poindexter, Clapp,
Borah. Works. Kenyon, Brown and
Dixon-there are several others
could not give their vote to Sherman
over Marshall. Equally certain it
seems that the regulars of the body
such as Root, Penrose, Smoot, Lodge.
oliver, Dupont, Warren and the 9TH
ers, would, in the bitterness of their
antipathy, refuse to vote for Mr.. John
son, the candidate for the despised
Progressives. They could with salts
fled conscience, submit to a non-elec-
ton result, knowing that their friends
and political sympathizer, Mr.. Knox
would be the President. That. indeed.
Is the only prospective opportunity
they have for the victory.
Very Small Majority.
The Republican majority in the Son.
ate, and I include the Progressive
Senators in such classification. is but
meager five. In other words. the
Democrats are by five a minority.
There are, or are to be, four vacan-
cles, however, which may be filled
by the Democrats in the meanwhile
Senator Sanders. of Tennessee, will
be succeeded by a Democrat as soon
as the legislature of the state meets
n January. The legislatures of Colo
ado and Illinois, if Democratic, NAV
elect early In January, Democratic
successors to Hughes, deceased, and
Iorimer, elected. Moreover, Nevada
las Senator holding by appointment,
Republican, who may possibly give |
way to Democrat Nevada already |
las one Democratic Senator, and NAV
AVE another.
So that, close as the Senate now
tands, it is possible for it to become
wen closer. Certainly Democrats
will lose nothing of their present
trength between now and next
Iarch.
Power of Democrats.
In proportion as the minority grows
strength, so more easily will be
he opportunity for Democrats to
elect their candidate, especially
hould the choice lie between Mar
hall and Sherman.
Should Johnson on the other hand.
e the runner up to Marshall II would
pen the way to at least one solution.
'hich would give aid and comfort
the new party and eternally de-
oralize the regulars. This would be
combination between the Democrats !
nd Progressives in the House to /
ect Wilson President and the House {
elect Johnson vice-president. t
Ot course this would mean the tenn
'rary elimination of Mr.. Roosevelt,
1t his self-agreed sacrifice under
On conditions would render him
ronger than ever with his party and
axe him the undisputed leader again
1916, a position certainly full of
to him should he prove
strong next month as to prevent
y election by the electors of the
ites. p
Wilson Has Best Show. Y
AS the situation would be. the
use could elect none other than =
lson; the Senate would elect either :"
rshall or Johnson; or both parties
face to face with the inevitable. p'
is of Knox. CT
Is figure it out, therefore. a non. vi
ction in November would mean pl
lson or Knox for President; or W
lson or Marshall; or Wilson or of
nson, for the president and vice Ell
sident, respectively.
II of which does not jar suffi- tri
lily to prevent the confident pre- lie;
lon that Wilson and Marshall will fro
I've the electoral votes of forty pc