New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-06-07
FEARS NO PRESIDENT
WILL Be ELECTED.
Representative Kahn Figures On
Possible Result OF a
Roosevelt Bolt.
MIGHT CAUSE DEADLOCK
Californian Thinks There Would
Be No Choice in November and
House Is Evenly Divided
on Political Lines.
MIGHT CAUSE DEADLOCK
From The Tribune Bureau. J

Washington, June 6-The possibility
that no President will be elected in No
vember. that the duty of naming the
next Chief Executive will devolve upon
the House of Representatives, and that
the House as now constituted, VIII be
deadlocked, was the thought advanced
I'm all seriousness to-day by Representa-
tive Kahn. a California Republican.
II was dull i'm the House. and Mr..
Kahn spent n few minutes in figuring
what might hap. = in the event Of a
Roosevelt bolt from the Chicago conven-
ton. His analysis of the possibilities
caused considerable interest and some
CONSERVATION among those who looked
at the figures.
The California member believes that in
tho event Of Mr.. Tafts denomination
and bolt by Colonel Roosevelt 1t will
be Impossible for a Republican. Demo
crat or Independent Republican candi
date to obtain majority Of the votes In
tho Electoral College. The Constitution
provides that in this event the House
shall meet and elect a President, each
state having one vote.
There are now twenty-five Republican
and twenty-five Democratic states and
four whose delegations are evenly
divided. How, then, asks Mr.. Kahn,
could any candidate receive a majority
OF the vote in the House OF Representa-
tives
no eli pf Ia 'nn al n
garding the election of the President by
the House says respecting the duties of
the Electoral College and the House:
The person having the greatest number
of votes for President shall be the Pres!-
dent, If such number be a majority pf
the whole number, OF electors appointed;
and If no person have such majority lin
the Electoral College,, then from the per-
sons having the highest numbers not eN.
ceeding three on the list of those voted
for rs President the House of Representa-
tives shall choose Immediately by h"llot
the President. But In choosing the Presl-
dent the votes shall be- taken by states,
the Representatives from each state hav-
ing one vote; a quorum for this purpose
shall consist of a member or members
from two-thirds OF the states, and a major
ity of all the states shall be necessary to a
choice.
"The situation would be badly mixed,
according to my figures, If there are
three leading candidates for the Presi-
dency." said Mr.. Kahn. 1T Is probable
that no one of them would receive the
najority vote in the Electoral College.
and the House would have to act under
the Constitution. twenty-five delega-
tions with Republican leanings would
vote for one or the other OF the Re-
publican candidates. An equal number
would be cast by twenty-five Democratic
states. If there is a bolt from the Chi
cago convention and a three -cornered
campaign, these figures will prove worth
serious study. The House hasn't elected
a President since John Quincy Adams.
but there is no telling what the next
few months will bring forth
Mr. Kahn's figures, OF course. are based
on the theory that Colonel Roosevelt is
ready to bolt unless he is nominated.
and that he would poll sufficient num-
her of votes to make him factor when
the Electoral College meets.