The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1916-11-10
Employ Former Attorney-Gen.
eral Wickersham to Take
Charge Of Legal Forces
MAKE CONTESTS
IN CLOSE STATES
Chairman Wilcox. However.
Declares Will Make No F lights
on Technicalties, But Will
Ask Recounts for Accuracy

New York, Nov. s-Republ.cArs to-
night began rarshaling their tofccs
for the great legal battle they will
wage tor the presidency George ".
W!ckershann Attorney%IenerG OF the
United States in the TAFT cabinet. was
placed in charge OF the legal forces.
He has already begun the collection
.. evidence on which to base contests
IN States that went TO Wilson by sra all
p!Qraiittes
Defensive preparations aFa! rst
Democratic contests are also be.aE
mad in States which Hughes carried
b. narrow margins.
Mr. Wickersham has already sent
kilograms OF instruction 10 Repuo!t
can leaders ana 70 his old associates
= the Department OF Justice IN all
states where there are likely to be
contests
II he's already been agreed that the
J es E1anasc-s Will take steps TO
t-ls recount Of the votes N
a North Dako-a New Esmp-
.94 New McKee,
x exclusion 9. the conference
~ this rrosia am was agreed
Lfou cEsis:rAr Wilcox made this
announcement
No r4a,t.f ehe rint every vote
s7elld ~ coazted as cast We shall
Hnland seount n every state
"here the raaal; vas 50 close that
ignorance or tho mistake Of slection
meals might change L.
I am rad 20 see the Democrats
E:c TO }ongeg making charges that
me Republicans are trying to buy the
r1ans1ars ron appreciate that any
r ar vs9i a. = y - oh
rsve- havs heen made
w shsA hang no contest on
technie a..t!ss We shall undoubtedly
rex q recount, which viIi insure the
accurac~ CT the count IN a. least four
{ .atcs---Cal fc-rn4s North Dakota.
>er Eas3r.,- a-6 NV Mexico.
Leaders Confer
Chairman Wilcox and Mr. wicker
sham during tire afternoon conferred
a...A Mr. Hughes al the Hotel Aston
After their return 30 national head
Hitchcock Herbert Parsons Oscar
s,raus and Lafayette B. Gleason were
called into the conference. at which
the general procedure was mapped
out
The contests planned must nrst be
fought out in the State courts Should
the results there prove unsatisfactory
the night will eventually be carried TO
the House Of Representatives. These
facts were made plain by Mr.. Wick
ersham.
The present plan is TO take no
formal action beyond preparation un-
I'll after the votes have been Officially
canvassed.
In New Hampshire attorneys direct
ed by National Committeeman East
erbrook began preparation for a con-
test Of the vote in that State. In
every district of the state lawyers
are now at work securing from the
town clerks certified copies OF the
This Is being done as protection
against the destruction or disappear
anoe Of the hallota-
Similar procedure has been ordered
in North Dakota, New Mexico and
California Preparations for a legal
battle, either defensive or offensive.
are already being made in Minnesota
In explaining the procedure which
must be followed In these contests
Mr.. Wickershan said;
Course OF Procedure.
The legality of the election of
presidential electors must be decided
BY the States themselves The act
OF 1857 provides that the House of
Representatives cannot hold any in
nuiry into such an election.
Should the decision OF the courts
In any State prove unsatisfactory,
however, an appeal can be taken to
the House and the vote from that
state can be either accepted or re-
jected. In voting on these questions
me House must vote by States and
each State cast its entire vote as a
unit
should the House reject the votes Of
enough States SO that neither candi-
date has tho required 2sS votes. 1t then
becomes the duty of the House OF Rep
resentatives to select President. The
selection must be made from the three
leading candidates and the States vote
IS a unit. The votes Of . majority Of
states are required to elect and Repre-
ventatives Of two-thirds Of the States
constitute quorum. Should the
House fail to make 4 selection by the
fourth of March. the man selected by
the senate ~ vice-Presidents becomes
PRESIDENT. The Senate selects the Vice.
President from the two leading candt-
dates in tho same manner that the
House selects the President.
1T 10 not unlikely that this contest
win be CARRIED 70 the House OF Repre-.
sentative OF course. In that event.
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