Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1912-08-29
HARVEY SUMS Up
ELECTORAL PHASE
Sees How Congress Might Be
Called on to Settle Pres
identiaI Question.

NEW YORK, Aug. 29.-Colonel
George Harvey in his North American
Review, analyses the political outlook
giving particular attention to the pos
sibility that a situation may be
created by which the presidency
would fall to Vice-President James 5.
Sherman.
Colonel Harvey says the true APP
~pellations of the three leading candi-
dates are: Taft, conservatives; Wilson,,
liberal: Roosevelt, radical. He says
that if the States should vote in the
electoral college as they are now rep
resented politically in the House OF
Representatives elected in 1910, the
result would be: Wilson, 29S; Taft.
1911; Roosevelt, Sc.
Both Houses Would Act.
"Without assuming" he continues,
that the voting in November VIII
follow closely the lines indicated. we
nevertheless find in these actual re-
suits of.1910 the best basis obtainable
for intelligent speculation. Certain
deductions, for example, seem fully
warranted.
I'm case Wilson should not obtain
a majority over both Taft and Roose-
welt. the House of Representatives
would be called upon to elect a Presi-
lent on the second Wednesday OF
February.
meanwhile the Senate, acting UNI
der the same provision of the con
stitution, would be engaged in choos-
ing a Vice-President. Choice would
be restricted to the two persons who
had received the largest number of
electoral votes-Marshall surely and
Sherman probably-and the senators
would vote individually instead of
by States, as in the House of Repre-
sentatives. Forty-nine votes would
be required to elect.
Another Factor Enters.
1.-The Senate is now classified po-
l~itically as follows: Republicans, so;
Democrats, "A; vacancies, 2. The
vacancies will be filled presumably
by the legislatures of Colorado and
Illinois in January. Apparently.
therefore, the Republicans would
have surely one and possibly three
more than the forty-nine required for
the election of a Vice-President, who
would become President on the 4th
of March. This seems to mean that,
in the event of Wilson failing to oh
tain 2O6 electoral votes, Sherman
would succeed Taft.
But here enters another factor.
The Republican majority in the Sen
ate Is not only scant, but also nomi-
nal rather than actual. Promising
that both Illinois and Colorado re-
turn Republicans the total Republi-
can vote would be So.
Four Votes Important.
"If for any reason four of these
senators should abstain from voting
the Senate would be unable to elect
a Vice-President. Now it is quite
conceivable that Roosevelt might
consider 1t advisable to prevent the
election of Sherman.
"If so, 1t would not be surprising
if four out of the so-called insur.
gent senators-Dixon, Clapp, Bourne
Works. Borah Poindexter and the
two new senators from Colorado ant
Illinois-should refuse to act in con
formity with his wishes, especial,
in view of the position which Sher
man holds in their estimation as {
pronounced reactionary.
Precedent for their ~refrainins
from voting is found in the Austen
ton of the Vermont and Maryland
Federalist smembers of the House
whose refusal to vote gave the presi
dency to Jefferson in 1907