Evening capital news. (Boise, Idaho) 1901-1927, 1912-10-12

Who will be the next president OF
the United States? woodrow Will
son? or Theodore Roosevelt? Or
will President Taft be reelected and
thus put OF choosing the next" pres
ident until 1916?
Or will the next president be James
g. Sherman, Thomas r. Marshall or
Hiram Johnson?
Or will he be Philander Chase Knox?
II neither Taft. Wilson or Roose-
welt can command a majority Of all
Of the electoral votes, then the house
Of representatives will choose one Of
them, voting by states. But since the
house is deadlocked on party divis-
ion by states. then the succession will
go to the vice president to be chosen
by the senate. 1t being manifest that
II neither presidential candidate re-
ceives majority in the electoral col
leges that the vice presidential race will
also be undecided
The senate is restricted by the con-
stitution to the choice of one of the
two highest candidates, so that the
choice may be between Marshall and
Sherman. or Marshall and Johnson,
with the very remote contingency OF
choice between Sherman and John
son. But II neither of the two high
est men receive a majority OF the
whole membership of the senate, then
the secretary of state will become
president on March 4. no successor to
President Taft having been chosen.
Thus Mr.. Knox would become acting
president and he would, under the law.
be forced to call an extra session of
congress which would In turn order
another election for president.
Tho Triangular Battle.
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 compll-
Gated machinery for choosing a pres
ident. but in this year the triangular
battle in which Republicans are de-
Tending themselves both against their
ancient enemies. the Democrats and
the newly created Progressive party.
has made all these things Of practical
moment as we'll az o. curious inter
est.
And how remarkable it now seems
to learn from the record Of the past
that the entire system of electing
president was cast In it's present lines
because the fathers OF the constitu-
tion were afraid of the pernicious in
fluence Of the aristocratic Society Of
the Cincinnati!
AS matter of serious fact, never
before in the history Of the republic
has there been so many possible COM
plications in the outcome of u presi-
dental election. While of course there
is no danger that next months cleo
tion will bring the nation as perilously
near to a second civil war as did the
disputed Hayes-Tilden contest of 1876,
It Is nevertheless true that the actual
selection of the chief magistrate may
be attended by more complications now
than then. Then it was merely a
question Of double election returns
from several states. If there should
be no election in the electoral colleges
this time 1t will mean deadlock.
At the election on November the
people in the several states will choose
presidential electors, in each state a
number equal to the whole number Of
that states representation In both
houses Of congress. These electors
. form in each state a college OF cleo
tors who meet in their own state and
cast their ballots for president and
vice president. 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 congress. If no candidate
has received majority of all the votes
cast in all Of the electoral colleges
then there Is no election.