The Wilmington morning star., 1940-11-19
WASHINGTON
DAYBOOK
BY JACK

WASHINGTON, Nov. 18.-Roosevelt isn't re-
elected yet, but you'll be safe in giving much
better odds than those offered before Novem-
Der 5 that he will be.
Just how many times in the last $50 years
this quadrennial joke has been aired in the ma.
TONS journals is anybody's guess. But it's
true that Franklin D. Roosevelt will not be
reelected for the third time until January 6.
On that date, Congress will assemble in
joint session at l pm. eastern standard
time) with Vice-President John N. Garner in
the chair. AS president of the Senate, Mr..
Garner will open the electoral certificates sent
in under seal by the various states, hand
them over to the tellers 1.-TWO member of the
House and two Of the Senate).
The tellers will tally them and hand the re-
suits back to Mr., Garner, who then (barring
some catastrophe that never has happened
before when the popular vote stacked up any
thing like it did November 81 will announce
that Mr.. Roosevelt is reelected by an electoral
vote of 49 to 80. He will follow that with the
announcement that Henry A. Wallace was
elected vice-president by the same vote.
Then-and not until then-will President
Roosevelt and Vice-President Wallace be con-
stitutionally elected to their hioh offices.
This is the final chapter of the election.
The first was that first Tuesday in November.
The second will occur on December 16 (the
first Monday after the second Wednesday,
when the duly elected electors assemble at
their state capitals and cast their ballots,
make and sign certificates of their votes, and
forward one of these certificates by registered
mail to the president of the Senate.
IT'S NOT REQUIRED
The electoral college system, set up by the
Constitution, is about the queerest method of
election anywhere in the world. Oddly enough,
there is no stipulation that an elector has to
vote as directed by the vote in his state. AS
a matter of fact, two alumni of the electoral
college have won their little paragraphs in
the history books by voting other than as
directed.
In 1906, Samuel Miles named as an Adams
elector in Pennsylvania, cast his ballot for
Thomas Jefferson, drawing this comment from
an irate Federalist: What Do I chuses Sam
uel Miles to determine for me whether John
Adams or Thomas Jefferson shall be Presi-
dent No! I chuse him to act, not to think"
The other electoral c~ollegian who went
astray was William Plumer of New Hamp-
shire, who, in 1920, cast the only electoral
vote against James Monroe. The story is
that he did this to preserve for Washington
the honor of being the only President elected
unanimously. Some historians call this story
just another bit of school history-book bunk
and insist that Mr.. Plumer had a sincere and
violent dislike for the gentleman from Vir.
ginia.
Three times. however. has the electoral col
lege failed to elect a President. Once it failed
to name a vice-president. John @. Adams
and Thomas Jefferson both failed to get cleo.
toral majorities and were elected to the Presi.
dency by the House of Representatives. Mar.
tin Van Buren's vice-president, Richard M.
johnson, failed to get a majority and was
elected by the Senate. Both methods are
provided in the Constitution in case the cleo.
toral college doesn't offer a majority vote.
Rutherford B. Hayes also failed to get a ma
Jority but was elected by an electoral com.
mission, made up of representatives, senators
and Supreme Court justices.
HAVE BEEN FETED
Most politicians agree with the 'irate Fed.
eralist' that electors are named to act, not
think, and for the most part, being named an
elector is about as empty and anonymous q
national honor as could be imagined.
In 1882 and 1886, the grateful Democratic
committee brought the electoral college to
Washington for a sort of graduation fiesta.
The college "graduates'' were Wined, dined,
back-slapped and given the keys to the cap.
ital. This year, the committee, is no less CRATE.
full but it hasn't decided yet whether it will
bring the college in for a third-term blowout.
1 gathered it depends more on the state Of
the national committees treasury than on the
degree OF gratitude for those 449 votes.