Perth Amboy evening news., 1923-01-10
NEXT A POLITICAL
MAYHAP OUTLINED
Daily Letter by Frederic j.. Haskin

ruary, 1925, when that body must
proceed in the outlined.
This brings us to the situation
that makes the prognosticators wild
eyed and feverish, for it happens
that this new House will be COM
posed of state delegations, SO divided
politically, that neither the Repub-
licans nor the Democrats can be sure
of commanding a majority of the
votes for a presidential candidate.
OF the forty-eight states, the delega-
tons of twenty-three are Repub-
lican, those of twenty are Demo-
cratic, and those of five are tied. The
political complexion of the delega-
tions is as follows:
Republican-California, 9 to q;
/; Idaho. z; Illionls, 20 to I;
Indiana, 8 to 5; Iowa, IL; Kan
sas, z to /; Maine, 4; Mas
sachusetts, Is to 8; Michigan, IL to
L; Minnesota, 8 to 2; North Dakota,
3; Ohio. 16 to 6; Oregon, 2 to l.;
Pennsylvania, 80 to 6; Rhode Island,
2 to 1; South Dakota, 3; Utah, 2:
Vermont, 2: WASHINGTON. 5: Wis
consin. 10 to L; Wyoming, 1.
Observation-Disclosures, 10; Ari-
iona, /; Arkansas, z; Delaware, 1;
Florida, A; Georgia, ~; Kentucky,
? to 3; Louisiana, 8; Mississippi, 8;
Missouri, IL to s.; Nevada, /; New
Mexico, 1; New YORK. 23 to 20;
North Carolina, 10; Oklahoma, Z to
/; South Carolina, z; Tennessee, 8
to 2; Texas, II to L; Virginia, 10;
West Virginia, 4 to 2.
Equally Divide Maryland, 8 to
2: Montana, 1 to l; Nebraska, 8 to
8; New Hampshire, 1 to l, and New
Jersey, 6 to s.
Epochal Contest Possible
From these figures it is apparent
that a contest might be staged at
the south end of the Capitol that
would prove epochal in character.
N order to o'n"t a president of their
political faith. the Republicans
would have to hold their twenty
three states and gain the votes of
two additional states, while the
Democrats would have to hold their
twenty states and gain five. The
Prize at stake would be the greatest
in the world and Imagination can
run riot in attemuting to depict the
struggles that WOULD ensue.
A change of one vote in any of the
states whose delegations are equally
divided would determine that states
ballot for the presidency. Two
Democrats-one each in any two of
those states-who would prove rec
reant to their party could throw the
election to a Republican. Five Re-
publicans-one in each of those
states-would have 1t in their power
to put a Democrat in the White
House.
But the contest would not neces-
| "a rttU nantnr ar1y1-I az L.-
Two states are held by the Repub-
Leans by the narrow margin of
to 1-Oregon and Rhode Island
and one-Wyoming-is held by the
vote of its one and only representa-.
tive, while the Democrats hold foul
states-Arizona, Delaware, Nevada
and New Mexico--by virtue Of hav,
ing elected the one representative
from each of them.
The change of a single vote in an
II of these states would decide la
ballot for president, Just as IN thu
states where the delegations ar,
evenly divided politically, and it may
be taken for granted nothing woulf
be left undone to bring about such
changes. 1t may be pointed out
also, that death might become thu
deciding factor in such a situation
for in event of occurring by-election,
would be held and the Republican,
might capture seats now held b!
Democrats, and vica versa. In fact
there is a vacancy now in the New
York delegation, which the Demo
Gratis hold by the close margin o
twenty-three to twenty. and the Re
Lublicans are more tnan hopeful 0
electing the successor of the de
ceased Democrat.
In view of the intense feeling tina
would be generated in such a figh;
II is more probable, however. tina
the members of both parties wouI,
Stand hItched" and that Their
would be an u~nbrcakable deailocI
in the House. The Constitution pro
vides that If the House does nc
choose a president whenever in
right OF choice shall devolve upo
them, before the fourth day {
March next, following, then the vic
president shall act as president, g
in the case of the death or dlsabil
ity of the president" The vice pres
dent, in such a case, would hav
been elected by the serate voting b
states for the two vice preside ntis
candidates who had received tn
most votes in the electoral college.
Not the least interesting phase {
this hypothetical ~e.ection tanSle
the fact that the gSeat state of Ne.