Evening star., 1924-04-06
Vice Presidency Has Possibilities
BY FREDERIC J. HASKLN

The next President of the United
States-that is, the man who is to he
inducted into that high office on March
4, 1925. may be one who was not elected
TO the office. He may be the Vice Presi-
dent and he may attain White House
honors without acquiring them as
result of the death. removal or dis
ability of the President.
This interesting possibility has
been called to mind by the persistent
talk of third party movement in
the impending campaign. 1t is one
OF the things that might happen as
result Of that movement
Most people would insist that the
only way in which the Vice President
can become President is by success
sion, when the incumbent of the
White House has died. resigned, been
removed or become incapacitated.
! Such is not the case, however 1t may
be a highly improbable happening.
but it is none the less possible that
the Vice President will succeed
President Coolidge for the very good
and sufficient reason that a President
may not have been elected by March
Il
been elected.
Everybody knows, of course, that
the twelfth amendment to the Con-
stitution provides that in event no
candidate shall receive a majority of
the votes in the electoral college the
; election of a President shall de-
volve upon the House of Representa-
tives. But what is not so generally
known is what the Constitution de-
crees must happen if the House of
1 IDr- .4raks = EAsl
President prior to Inauguration day
Upon that point the nations organic
law reads:
And if the House of Representa-
tves shall not choose a President
whenever the right of choice shall
day of March next following, then
the Vice President shall act as Presi-
dent, as in case of the death or other
constitutional disability of the Presi-
dent"
Now, throwing the election of the
President into the lower branch of
Congress depends upon the develop
ment of third party of sufficient
strength to carry the electoral vote
of one or more states at the November
election, and upon the two major par
ties being SO nearly equal in strength
that neither of them carries enough
states to have a majority in the cleo
toral college.
Counted in February.
The official and formal counting of
the electoral vote takes place the
second Wednesday in February, and
when it has been ascertained authori-
tatively that the battle at the polls
has resulted in no election, then the
House gets into action. That body pro-
ceeds to ballot, each state delegation
having one vote, for the three can
didates for the presidency who had
received the highest number of votes
in the electoral college.
1T happens that the present House
is 50 divided politically that after
the heat Of an unusually bitter cam
paign in which the November election
could not decide the issue. 1t might
develop that none of the candida teS
stales ] in the Heuse' a ma5ority Of All
the states being necessary to choice.
1t is equally possible--howeyer i'm
probable-that such a deadlock might
be prolonged until March 4.
II the election of the President were
thrown into the House it would fol-
low, of course, that the election of
the Vice President would be thrown
into the Senate, in accordance with
the constitutional provision respect
choose a Vice President by baIloting
for the two candidates who had the
most votes in the electoral college,
majority of the whole number of
senators being required to elect.
Thus, while the House might be
deadlocked in the contest over the,
presidency, the Senate might find
it an easy matter to choose n Vice
President, who would then be inau-
gurated President on March T. Noth-
ing of the sort has s7ever happened, or