The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1912-06-26
WHERE THE ELECTION NAY GO.

II the action taken by n RooSe-
welt adherents in Colorado is II
criterion. the method that will he fol-
lowed in the effort tn make him pres
ident will he somewhat simplified.
The plan there is tn carry the fight
to the presidential electors-or as it
is officially known, the electoral coll
lege.
AS is we'll known the popular vote
for president and vice president have
no influence upon their election. They
are elected by the electoral college.
Each state is entitled to as many elcc-
tors as II has senator's and represent
tatives in congress . These electors
are elected by h voters of the state
for which they are chosen. The eleC-
tors In each state meet at the state
capital on the first Wednesday III
January following the presidential
election and vote for president and
vice president. The returns are sent
by m of their number tn the presi-
dent Of the senate who in the pres
nee of the senate and the house
g and has counted the votes so
cast n transmitted and the person
having the greatest nnmher of votes
Is declared duly elected president,
provided that such number is "A ma
jority of the whole number of cleo
toral votes cast. In case no such ma
jority is received, then the election
goes to the house of representatives.
There has been for years an an
written party law that electors shall
vote for the candidate of the party to
which such electors belong. This
has been a party obligation that has
been violated, we believe but in a
single instance since 1850, though
gold democratic electors We're nomi-
mated but not elected in some of the
states in 1896.
The Colorado plan is to elect as
many electors as possible favorable
to Roosevelt. These electors, though
republicans, would vote for him in
stead of Taft in the electoral college.
In this way no convention to nomi-
natn Roosevelt further than he is now
nominated would be necessary.
In case this plan is carried out the
election will probably be thrown into
thu .llouso There are 53i electors
urder the present law. This would
make o6S necessary To a choice. In
1901. when there We're 4S3 electors.
Taft received 321. and BRYAN 162. The
democratic vote was 1i0 in 1904; 1a5
in 1900 and 116 in 1895. Averaging
these years as a basis for 1912. ii
would seem that under ordinary con
ditions the democratic vote would ne
around 175. This would leave 356
to he cast for republican candidates.
If this number We're approximately
evenly divided between Taft and
Roosevelt. leaving no candidate of
either party With a majority. the elec-
tio.l would go TO the house of repre-
fcrt'tives.
Nov let us guess what might hap
pen if a few of the states elected
Roosevelt electors. The states of Cal
%tfornia, Illinois. Kansas. Maine. Min
ncsota. Nebraska. Pennsylvania,
South Dakota. Washington and West
Virginia combined have an even $50
electoral votes. and every one OF them
was carried overwhelmingly in the
primaries for Roosevelt except Min
nesota which made its choice through
conventions. If this be taken from
the 356 conceded to republicans can
didetes above it leaves leaves POS for
Taft.
1t is thus easy to see that the DEM
ocratic hope of election is lessened
Instead Of being strengthened by tho
candidacy of Roosevelt. unless repuh-
licans go over entirely and vote for
democratic electors in the several
Rtates.