Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1924-04-17
ia rwi. wt5rhLY JOuKNAn


President if the election goes to the House."
The five states now having eyenly-dt-
vided delegations are Nebraska New Hamp-
shire, New Jersey, Maryland and Montana.
The twenty Democratic states in the House
are Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida,
Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi,
Missouri, Nevada, New York, New Mexico,
North Carolina oklahoma, South Carolina,
Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and West Vir-
ginia The remaining twenty-three are Re
publicans.
If, then, the House keeps Its present po-
litcal status and If the necessity of choos-
ing a president by other means than the
electoral college should arise one of the
vice presidential candidates would become
president, either by virtue Of having a ma
jority of the electoral votes on his own &C
count or by selection through the Senate.
Hence the exceeding Importance of the po-
litcal parties nominating able men for the
vice presidency when possibilities like these
are on the horizon.
The Twelfth amendment OF the Constitu-
ton was adopted after the election of 1900
in which Thomas Jefferson and Aaron Burr,
candidates for president and vice president
respectively, received equal number of
electoral votes The Constitution at that
time provided: "The person having the
greatest number of electoral votes shall be
president, if such number be a majority
Of the whole number OF electors appointed;
and If there be more than who have
such majority, and have an equal number
shall Immediately choose by. ballot one of
them for president" NOW it so happened
in in the election of 1900 that Jefferson
and Burr received an equal number of cleo
toral votes. The tie was referred to the
House for a decision. When ballotng be-
gan it was EVIDENT hat the Federalists, or
a faction of them were bent upon placing
Aaron Burr in the presidency. On thirty
five successive ballots they contriyed to keep
on the thirty-sixth he was elected In the
light of ensuing history the seriousness of
that situation brought home to the
countrys mind, and prompted the adoption
of the Twelfth amendment, which provides
as follows:
! "The electors shall meet in their respec-
tive states and vote by ballot for President
and vice president, one Of whom at least,
| shall not be an inhabitant of the same state
with themselves; they shall name in their
ballots the person voted for as president,
and in distinct ballots the person voted for
as vice president, and they shall make dis
tinct lists of all perons voted for as pres-
dent, and of all persons voted for as vice
president, and of the number of votes for
each, which lists they shall sign and certify
and transmit sealed to the seat Of the GOV
eminent of the United States, directed to
| the President of the Senate.-The Presi-
dent of the Senate shall, in the presence of
the Senate and House of Representatives
1
then be counted. The person having the
greatest number of votes for president shall
| be the president, If such number be a ma
jority of the whole number Of electors APP
pointed; and if no person have such ma
jority, then from the persons having the
highest numbers, not exceeding three on the
list of those voted for as president, the
House of Representatives shall choose imme-
diately, by ballot, the president. But in
choosing the president, the votes shall be
taken by states, the representation from
each state having one vote; a quorum for
this purpose Shall consist of member OF
members from two-thrds Of the states, and
a majority of all the states shall be neces-
sary to a choice. If the House of Repre-
sentatives shall not choose a president when
ever the right of choice shall deyolye upon
them, before the fourth day of March next
following, then the vice president shall act
as president, as in the case or the death
or other constitutional disability Of the
president.-The person having the greatest
number OF votes as vice president, shall be
, the vice president, if such number be a
majority OF the whole number Of electors
appointed, and if no person have a majority
list the Senate shall choose the vice presi-
dent quorum for the purpose shall con
sist. of two-thirds OF the whole number OF