Southwest Washington labor press. [volume] (Hoquiam, Wash.) 19??-19??, 1924-08-29

other a fourth, while the rest of the
votes are divided among the other
four candidates. Then there is no
choice, for in order to a choice some
one candidate must receive a majority
Of all the votes cast by the electors.
Low Man Dropped
If this happens, what then? In
that case the matter goes for deci-
sion to the house of representatives,
and two-thirds of the states must be
represented in the quorum for this
purpose. The house takes the three
candidates that have received most
votes of electors, and votes on those
three alone. This lets in the can
didate of the leading third party"
the leading party next to the repub-
lican and democratic-in the present
instance this will probably be the
party which Senator La Toilette is
organizing. In voting on these
three candidates the representatives
vote not as individuals but by states,
the majority vote from any state del
egation being regarded as the vote of
that state and all the states having
only one vote each, so that Nevada
with its handful of people has as
much influence in determining the
result as New York or Pennsylvania
with their millions. The opportunity
this gives for wire pulling, and the
power it throws into the hands of
factions and of small parties, are OBJ
vious.
If the electoral college has failed
to cast a majority of its votes for
any one vice presidential candidate,
then the election of that officer goes
not to the house of representatives
but to the senate, over which the
vice president presides. In this case
only. the two candidates standing
highest in the vote of the electoral
college are considered, thus elimin-
ating the third party candidate.
Two-thirds of the senators must be
present to constitute a quorum and
the senate does not vote by states,
but each senator votes as an individ-
ual. A majority of the senators is
required for a choice.
Failure of House to Elect
If, when the election is thus
thrown into the house, the house fails
to elect before the fourth of March,
then the vice president who has been
chosen becomes president automati-
cally. Here also the arrangement
puts great power into the hands of
third parties and of minorities, in
fact, of any determined though small
body of senators. When, as at present
in this country, the two great par
ties divide between them almost
equally the votes of the nation and
the political power, there is likely
to be deadlock which is the great
opportunity of any petty minority.
A mere handful of senators intent
upon forcing some issue or some can
didate may compel the great parties
and the vast majority of the people
of the country to accept their man
date, whatever it may be, or see the
wheels of government brought to an
absolute standstill.
Such emergencies have not often
arisen in the course of our national
history. In 1926 no one candidate
before the electoral college received
a majority of votes, there being four
candidates, Andrew Jackson, John
Quincy Adams, William H. Crawford
and Henry Clay. Since no one of
the four received a majority of the
votes, the election went to the house.
Clay was not considered, as he stood
last on the list, and of the remaining
three the house chose Adams = 13
states against IL. In 1887 the cleo
toral college failed to choose a vice
president, and the senate elected
Richard M. johnson. The Hayes
Tilden controversy of 1876 was not
case Of this kind, but of disputed
returns from the same state and for
different persons. Who should de-
eide how the vote of that state should
be counted? The Constitution did
not say, so congress patched up
temporary electoral commission"
which sat on the case and rendered
decision in favor of Hayes, and the
crisis was passed. Since then con-
gress has provided for the decision
of disputes in regard to state re-
turns