Evening star., 1944-06-18
Deadlocked Election Threat
In Electoral College Plan
Southern Anti.New Dealers Strategy, If Pursued,
Might Throw Election Into House, With
Prolonged Delay in Choice Possible
By Charles G. Ross.

might have tipped the scales. Conceiv.
ably, the result could have been de-
termined by single special election to
fill House vacancy.
The decision ct that time would have
rested with the outgoing House. and
this was one Of the considerations that
led to the adoption Of the Norris con.
stitutional amendment, the twentieth
which abolished the short, or "larne-
duck" session Of Congress and provided
for sessions beginning each year on
January 3, and for the start Of the
presidential term on January 20. Until
the adoption Of this amendment, the
Chief Magistrate OF the country could
have been chosen by House which had
just been repudiated at the polls
II this condition still obtained, the
election would 60 into a House-the
present House-in which the Demo-
Gratis control ~ delegations this gives
them New York, which is divided az
and 20 between the two parties, with
the American Labor Representative
holding the balance of power; the Re-
publicans control % Though Wisconsin
could be made tie If its two Pro-
gressives voted with the Democrats).
and in three States-Idaho, Washing
ton and West Virginia-the two par
ties cancel each other out With this
division. there would have to be break
somewhere before any candidate could
get the required Is votes.
Anybody's Guess.
It is anybody's guess how the next
House-the one actually to make ths
decision In the event of electoral COLI
lege impotence--will be divided. Seem-
ingly the Republicans will gain the edge
in. any election close enough to permit
the rebellious Southern bloc to throw
the presidential contest into the House,
but it should be noted that the Repub.
licans can make very material gains in
numbers in the House without greatly
altering its voting complexion on q
State-by-State basis.
Take Pennsylvania, for example, with
20 Republicans and 10 Democrats. Tho
Republicans could wipe out the Demo-
cratic representation. gaining 13 seats,
and yet have no more voice in the se-
lection Of President by the House than
they would have today. Or Illinois,
where the Republicans could add
seats to the 10 they now hold. and still
have but one vote on the presidency.
It follows that Republican victory
which would give them control Of the
House would not necessarily enable
them to elect a President. The balance
Of power might rest with the Demo-
cratic Representatives from the insur-
gent Southern States. Would they vote
with their party colleagues, or throw the
election TO the Republican nominee, or
continue to hold up the choice by fol-
lowing the example Of their States elec-
tors and voting for third person--say
Senator Byrd? A stalemate might well
ensue in the House for considerable
period, with all that this would mean in
the way of undercover political trad
ing--to say nothing of the indescribable
confusion into which the country would
be thrown by the uncertainty.
The voting in the Senate, If the elec-
toral college should fail to choose q
Vice President, would be on the two
highest candidates for that office; hence
there would be deadlock only In the
event of tie. A majority Of the whole
Senate, or 40, would be required for q
choice. The voting would be as it Is
normally-by individuals. As already
said, the complexion of the Senate is
such that the Democratic candidate
probably would be chosen.
House Elects Two Presidents.
1t would be an ironic outcome of the
Southern rebellion if it should tie up
the House and thereby elevate to the
headship of the Nation, for an in
definite time, a man whom the rebels
contemn equally with the President
Henry Wallace.
The House has twice elected Presi-
dent. In 1901, Thomas jefferson and
Aaron Burr were tied In electoral votes.
The House balloted without adjourn
ment, from February IL to II, and on
the 36th ballot chose Jefferson. Under
the constitutional provision which the
twelfth amendment superseded, Burr,
being the second highest on the list, be-
came Vice President
The second election by the House was
in 1925, when Andrew Jackson and John
Quincy Adams we're the leading con-
tenders. Jackson had received 80 elec-
toral votes and Adams "a. Henry Clay
threw his support to Adams, who was
elected and made Clay his Secretary Of
State.
If the Southern anti Roosevelt Demo-
Gratis persist in their plans, they will un-
doubtedly bring on renewed demands
for abolition of the electoral college sys-
tenn in favor of less complicated and
more democratic way of choosing our
Presidents and Vice Presidents.
The present system stems from the
provision that in each