The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-07-21
BY JOHN ELFRErn WATKINS.

predictions that a triangular
fight for the presidency this fall VIII
throw the coming presidential election
unto tho House OF Representatives..
Whether an alarmist view or not. this
Is one worthy OF analysis at this time.
The ELECTORAL vote VIII be counted
before Joint session of Congress at
p. NJ. on the second "Wednesday OF
February next. The to,nl ELECTORAL
vote IN this campaign will be 53l and
ia majority necessary To Il choice Will
lbe 2sG.
The constitution provides that 'if no
person has ouch majority. then from
the persons having the highest NUN
,bors not exceeding three on the list
o. thoso voted for Rs President the
House of Representatives shall choose
itmnod.atcly by ballot. Tho Presidents
iIiu. In choosing tho Prcsldon, the vote
rhull be taken by states. tho repre-
iFentation from each Etato having one
lvoto; quorum Tor this purpose shall
consRt Of Il member or members from
two thirds % tho H,atos and tho major
ny OF all tho states shall be necessary
70 n choice. And II the lIouse OF Rep
resrntntivcH shall not choose Presi-
don't whcnevcr the right or choice
irhnil dovolve upon them before
tho Attn day O. March next following,
then tho V!ve-Prcsident shall act as
President. as in the case OF tho death
or other constitutional disability of
the President"
scuutc would Choose V. p.
But Il is rcGsonahiy certain that no
vice presidential candidate will &c,
minority. (. no proridontinl nominee re-
eo.vcs one So what IS to be done
in such an evont2
Tho coutitution IS clear on this
point. also The election OF the Vice
president would be thrown into the
Senate, instead o, the House and the
scrate would have TO make anal choice
between not the three. but the two
candidates receiving the highest num-
her OF ELECTORAL votes. The election OF
the ViceP President Is further simrli-
fed by the absence Of constitutional
restriction as 10 Senators voting by
staten They can use their' ludic!dGSi
preference and having only two men
TO choose from. one candidate would
appear sure TO receive ~ majority.
This majority, however. would have
10 be majority OF the whole num-
be- % Senator's two-thiIris OF whom
wound be necessary to constitute
quorum TO do business
Deadlock secmn Assured.
The Congress which would decide tho
election under such circumstances Is
that now in session. And. as stated,
the vote of tho House for President
woIld be by states and not IS lndi-
vld-al members each state having one
vote representing the majority OF It's
memhers
a fact mos, interesting indeed to
relate is that in the present House the
political division as- states is exactly
equal although ihcps are go Demo
Gratis and ioi Republicans There are
twcnty-iwo state allegations n which
tho Republicans have majority end
iho same number. Twenty-Five. 10 which
tho Democrats have majority In
addition, there arc four states adding
the balance ot pom-cr. each ilod with
an equal number OF Republican and
Democratic eprosrntatives These arc
Maine. Rhode Island. Nebraska and
Hcw Mexico
a deadlock over the presidency would
npDear 10 be assured 10y this equal di.
vision Of all tho states Tho sucess-
:ul candidate mlist ohtaln the votes OF
~ least twenty4nve states and as said
the Democrats have hut iwaniy-two
as have the RcDuhiicails-Re Regular and
Progressive between them How
Inany ropresenust;v now listed q Re
puhiicans Will ioin the new pariv no
one can yoi estimate Many or the old
'insurgents' Of tho House either have
refused or are hesitating 10 follow
Colonel Roosevelt But the least de-
lection sufcAspt TO disturb tho Rspuh-
lean majority in one state DELEGATION
would lose Mr TAFT the presidencv.
SIN, the House could never cleo, Gov
ernor Wilson unless three OF the tied
states should come 10 his rescue. or
the Progressives should throw three
OF their states to him
Therefore, II tho election is thrown
into CongDess, the prospects would
seem 10 he that the presidency must
ultimately FAIL to the successful can-
dlda'e for tho Vice Presidency II the
latter is elected by the Senate. the
vote in that body Will be between the
two rather than the three candidates
receiving the highest electoral vote and
the procedure would he much simpli-
fed But in the Senate also. there is
room for grave doubt that any faction
would have majority The old IN
surgent" senators hold the balance OF
power Tho next few weeks will SHOW
how many of these viii remain in the
Republican party and how many Will
SUPPORT the Progressive candidate
To acquire n satisfactory mental pic
ture Of the exact procedure. should
The coming election he thrown into
Congress. you should first get p glimpse
OF how It has acted upon the rare oc-
casions when it has. in the past been
resorted TO for a final selection of
freSldent and vice President.
a test of the process came early In
the history of the republic. In the
election OF 1900 the electoral vote was
divided as follows: Jefferson. Repub-
1ican. 10: Burr, Republican. 49, John
Adams. FeGeralist. e5; Charles c. P'nck-
ney. Federalist, 81; John Jay. FEEDER
alist. /. Not only was there no candi-
date with majority. but Jefferson and
Burr were tied The House having
been called upon to exercise its func-
tion TO decide the choice. the bnlloting
commenced February !. 1901. and con
tinued until tho 18th. There being then
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