The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1924-07-14
CHAOS
FEARED BY
LEADERS
Deadlock May Result If Davis
Coolidge Contest Is Taken
to Congress
CONTINUED from First Page.)

Continued from First Page.)
from obtaining the required 266.
leaving La Toilette the balance of
power.
In this case, the twelfth amend
ment to the Constitution provides
| the House shall proceed to eject
a President from among the three
highest candidates." voting not as
435 individual members, but as state
units, making forty-eight votes in
all.
Here again would be confusion.
Neither Republicans, Democrats or
Independents actually control the
House.
Party Deadlock Feared.
The Republicans control twenty
three States, equivalent to % votes
California. Colorado, Connecticut.
Idaho, Illinois. Indiana, Iowa, Kan.
sas, Maine, Massachusetts, Micht-
gan, Minnesota, North Dakota, Ohio.
Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island.
South Da k OF a, Utah, Vermont,
Washington, Wyoming and Wiseon-
sin.
The Democrats control twenty
States, equivalent to twenty votes
Alabama. Arizona Arkansas, Della
ware, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky,
Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Ne
vada New Mexico. New York. North
Carolina. South Carolina, Tennessee.
Texas, Virginia, and West Virginia.
Five States are tied there being
an equal numGer Of Democrats and
Republicans in the State delega-
tiops-Maryland, Montana, Ne
braska, New Hampshire, AMI New
Jersey
If party lines held, the House
could not elect Fresident-for the
Constitution specifies that the win
ner must have a majority, in this
case rs votes.
Unless the House would be able
to elect by March 4, the date of
inauguration, then the whole mat.
ter would be thrown into the Sen.
ate, which under the same provision.
would proceed to elect one of the
two Vice Presidential candidates to
the White House.
Bloc Holds Balance.
In the Senate the voting would
not be by States, but by individuals.
The present Senate is composed
of fifty-one Republicans, forty.three
Democrats, and two Farmer-Labor
| friends Of Senator La Toilette.
While there is a seeming Repub,
| lican majority in the Senate, actually
| it can scarcely be said to exist be.
cause as it includes such Senators
as La Toilette himself, Brookhart of
Iowa, Norris of Nebraska, Norbeck
OF South Dakota, Frazier of North
Dakota, Howell of Nebraska, and
others whose legislative leanings
are toward the Wisconsin Senator
rather than toward party regularity.
Who might emerge out of this
weird maze of acknowledgements as the
winner of the 1924 election is pure
speculation. Authorities on the con.
stitution themselves say they do not
know.
After this stage is reached the
constitution itself. is vague and
ambiguous
1t makes no provision whatsoever
for how the President should be
chosen should the Senate fall down
on the job, and it is even vague as
to whether a Vice President elected
by the Senate in such manner is
merely the President pro tenn, or
whether he is entitled to a regular
four-year term.
Might Go to Court.
The Supreme Court might have
to take a hand in it and interpret
the Constitution.
Party leaders on both sides are
sufficiently fearful of such a con-
clusion of the 1924 campaign that
they have set constitutional authori-
ties to studying the situation against
possible eventuahties.
Only twice in American history
has a Presidential election been
thrown into the House.
In 1901 the House elected Thomas
jefferson over Aaron Burr after a
bitter fight that lasted thirty-six
ballots. Adams was elected over
Jackson in similar circumstances.
IF this election is ever thrown
into Congress absolute chaos will
result" said a ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS po-
litical leader today.