Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1912-11-04
48 States Will Vote.

~ SN1hSS Nfft WIZ
Let us talk about the business in
hang and forget party lines for the
moment. A few facts in connection
with the election tomorrow may
be appreciated by many of our read
ers.& The voters in As states will
choose electors for tickets identified
by The popular candidates. These
electors have been selected to cast the
ballots of their constituents for candi-
dates for President and vice-Presi-
dent, and while there is moral obli-
cation resting on those electors to
support the nominees of the party, the
instructions are merely directory and
not mandatory.
Therefore the death of Mr.. Sherman
removes the moral obligation of the
electors to vote for his name upon the
ticket known as Taft and Sherman"
Thes question of selection of name
to fill the vacancy is a party one, and
If Republican electors are chosen in
Tuesdays popular voting, the Repub-
iicaH National Committee, as govern
ing body in the party. will be en-
trusted with that duty.
New, which shall it be, Teft, Raosc-
velG Wilson, Chain or Debs2 The
Director of Census estimates that
there will be 100000 voters, 100000
of them women, who viii cast the
ballot of their preference and thus
decide the momentous question of
choice of electors. Should the Re-
publican ticket receive majority of
electoral votes, the Importance of Sc
lecting a vice presidential candidate
is evident, but if on Tuesday no
presidential electors receive a major
ity of electoral votes, then by the Con-
stitution the election will be thrown
into the House of Representatives, and
the candidates to be voted for in the
House of Representatives by States
would be limited to those voted for
by electors in the Electoral College;
butsth House of Representatives as
at present constituted would be UNI
able to make a decision, because the
States vote as a unit, and not more
than one-h half of the States are repre-
scented in Congress by Democratie
members. 60 ID SAr
The decision would, therefore, go to
the3Senate. whose duty is to select
Vice President. The Senate is lin :
tied in its choice to those Two scandi :
dates who receive the highest number
of votes for Vice President in the
Electoral College. If it results on
Tuesday that the decision rests with
Congress, the selection of the eandi-
date for Vice President has the utmost
importance, because the Democrats are
in a minority in the pres Senate,
and the chance is that the Republican
candidate for Vice President thus Sc
lected is made Vice President by the
KeDlblCdn NOtt III Niic N1NANtN ~tA
thus succeeds to the presidency
The campaign now closing has beer
unique in many particulars and IL
some respects extremely spectacular
The ebIIlingsgates of the pre-eonven
ton period has given way to a. dignt
fed representation of the principles ant
platforms of the respective parties
through countless agencies, until ever
firesiae in this broad land is acquaint
ed with the merits of the candidates
Ignorance of conditions or the issue
involved. cannot be pleaded by the vot
ers at the coming election and 1t
therefore to pe hoped that the result
will be decisive whichever party i
the victor.
The e3rd Congress, the Congress I
he elected on Tuesday. viii consis
of 435 members and for their place
nominations have been made in ever
district. II is also to be noted that
is not unlikely the new House Wi
have more contested election .scase
than any before it, due 10 the numbe
of candidates running on the sever;
party tickets
There are not few instances
which candidates for nominations D
their respective parties have failed
comply with the primary election Pre-