The Washington times., 1924-11-05
ABSIIRDIT
SH()\NVNV
LAWS.
Two Months Before official
Ballot Counts Congress
Out of Touch
By WILLIAM HARD.

: Because 81 this election, the
approaching session Of Congress
> b charged with momentous duties
-or, at any rate, moimentous
: opportunities the opinion of
informed Washingtoniails.
This whole campaign, ending up
With this election, has called at
i tentioh as never before to certain
ridiculousnesses and unfairhesses
and pitfalls and perils in our pres
ent methods of electing Presidents
and converting Congresses and in
general choosing and installing the
men who are to be our govern
lnent.
It is believed that the present
time is suitable time for review
ing the whole situation thus in
Dictated and for revamping and
revising it.
Absurdities In Law.
Consider, for instance. the patent
absurdity of the following arrange
tnent:
The Presidential electors chosen
yesterday will not cast their ballots
till the second Monday Of next jan
: tRry.
8 This is law. 1t is law by a statute
, passed by Congress and signed by
President BENJAMIN Harrison in 1887.
Fl Two months must pass by, after
the Presidential electors are chosen,
before they cast their ballots.
Contests regarding the electors
may arise. Disputes fl1zy arise.
. Uncertainties may arise. Yet two
. months must pass by before those
uncertainties can be finally and fully
resolved and settled.
Thereafter comes the counting of
the Presidential electoral ballots by
Congress.
" Method Cumbersome.
The Senate proceeds to the han of
the House of Representatives at 1
o'clock in the afternoon. The Presi-
a dent of the Senate takes the chair.
!, Two tellers come forward to repre-
. sent the Senate. Two come forward
/ to represent the House. The Presi-
\ dent of the Senate opens the certifi-
Gates received from the Presidential
electors, State by state, in the alpha
betical order of the States. beginning
with Alabama.
If a vote is questioned, the two
houses separate and each of them,
In its own hall, considers that vote.
If they both reject it, it is rejected.
Such Questiontngs, such disputes,
81 q -
they may arise out OF the circum-
stances Of any election. They may
arise out of the circumstances Of
this election.
!: To resolve and settle them may
be an arduous, a tedious, labor.
Yet when is it that Congress will
count the presidential electoral bal.
lots cast by the presidential electors
chosen yesterday?
Delay Is Long.
It will not be till the second We'd
nesday in next February.
This also is law by reason OF a
statute passed by Congress and
= signed by President Benjamin Harfi.
% son in 1887.
3 Three months-and more--there-
lore elapse between the moment
when the people choose the cleo
tors and the moment when Congress
begins to verify the votes of the
electors and proceeds, If necessary,
to settle disputes about them and
also proceeds, II necessary, to choose
: D President in the House Of Repre-.
sentatives and Vice President in
the Senate.
Either Of those proceedings might
take some time. The two Of them
together, In case they should hap
pen together, might take consider
able time. Yet they cannot even
begin till more than three months
after the people have voted at the
polls!
Three months-and more-of alto
gether unnecessarily protracted un.
certainty, which might on occasion