Evening star., 1924-03-18
LAF0[LETTE MOVE
ST|RS TWO PARTIES
Republicans and Democrats
Must Change Strategy to
Fight Third Ticket.
BY DAVID LAWRENCE.

BY DAVID LAWRENCE.
Senator La Follette's determination
to head a third party ticket II the
republican national convention nomi-
mates President Coolidge on a con-
servative platform will affect the en-
tire course Of the campaign.
The senator's announcement is not
unexpected. The demand that the
party platform shall not be conserva-
tive will not be satisfied, because Mr..
La Follette's idea of conservative
differs materially from that of his
fellow republicans. Indeed, nothing
short of radical program will ap-
pease the La Toilette group. who are
planning to use the platform con-
troverSy merely as an excuse to wage
their campaign, not on personalities,
but on the dignified basis OF issues
and principles.
Must Change Strategy.
The immediate effect, of course, of
the entrance of Senator La Toilette
into the campaign will be to change
the strategy Of the two old-line par
ties. The politicians have thought
it all out and it looks as II the re-
publican argument will be this:
First, the casting Of any electoral
votes for La Toilette will merely mix
UP the election and possibly prevent
any of the three candidates from re-
ceivine q majority OF the electoral
votes, thus throwing the election into
the House Of Representatives,. The
election Of a third-party candidate
would not carry with it, control of
Congress, SO the legislative situation
would be a constant wrangle without
progress.
Second, the democratic argument
will be that the regular republicans
are too conservative and the La Foi,
lette republicans are too radical, and
that a liberal policy-a compromise
between the two extremes-would be
adopted by the democrats. the con-
tentfon would be made that the eiec-
tion Of a democratic President would
carry with 1t the election of DEM
ocratic Congress, so that all branches
of the government would be able to
proceed in harmony.
Two Possible Results.
The third party ticket is likely to
have two effects-either force the
election of a democratic President, as
in 1912, by splitting the republican
vote, or else forcing the election into
the House of Representatives, which
hodv chooses a President whenever
no candidate gets majority of the
electoral votes.
The strength Of the La Toilette
group is in the west. These states
are normally republican. If Senator
La Toilette wins them Mr.. Coolidge
would be vitality affected in the final
tally. The democrats have hopes of
CARRYING. certain western states, too.
Between the La Foietee neise eMort Mr caaIa ano
evervthing east of the Mississippi
river. as we'll as certain Pacific coast
states, to get a majority. The west,
therefore, will be real battle
groNnd for the ssrsnein IN 9t pbe 'ns east Is
its conservatism, the very thing the
La Toilette republicans will be fight
ing in the west. If Mr.. Coolidge
could be conservative to the east
and radical to the west the task
would be easy.
Discuss Election by House.
Already the discussion of what
would happen If the House were
compelled to select President
something that. has only happened
once in American history-has begun.
The procedure is prescribed by the
Constitution. which says that every
state delegation has a single vote.
Whether the vote shall be cast for a
republican or democrat depends upon
whether the majority Of the elected
representatives to Congress for each
state are republican or democratic.
Using the unit rule. and examining
the political complexion Of each deie-
cation in the president Congress, which
would be the Congress to decide the
issue, since 1t would come up, il at
all, in January, 1925, the table shows
that the total number of states hav-
ing republican delegations is twenty
two, while the democrats control
twenty-one states. Five states have a
tie, in which case no voting is per-
mitted, though of course a break in the
tie can always be accomplished by win
ming over a single vote in that state
delegation.
Third Party In Power.
The opportunities for political deals
are numerous. A few men virtually
select a President Of the United
stateA II. Of course. all the states
which. arc called republican" were
to vote regular there would be no
question about the selection Of the
regular republican nominee. But Mr..
La Toilette controls the Wisconsin
deleEation In Congress and North
Dakota as we'll, and he has influence
in other delegations, besides, so that
the balance of power would still be
held by the third party candidate.
Senator La Toilette would not be
in q position to force his own cleo
tion, but he could help choose a dem
ocrat IL he wished to do 50. Should
the House become deadlocked the
vice President takes of1ice until an
election is consummated; but since
there is no Vice President now, under
a statute of 1886, the Secretary of
state would hold the office Of Presi-
dent temporarily
Copyright. 1ssAa