Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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• ' PAGE SIX v‘w i> jiV^iiWUrv''•fld^i'v' Maybe Neither Coolidge, Davis Nor LaFollette THE CUNTON Unusual Political Situation Makes Possible a Final Presidential Choice By Senate of Either Bryan or Bawes. An Outline of the Workings of Our Election Machinery* When an Electoral Majority is Not Won. Written Specially for The Chronicle By Edward Percy Howard Thru Autocaster Service Fancy a conservative newspaper publishing on its first page a story to the effect that neither Cooledge nor Davis nor La Follette will be elected President of the United States in No vember. At first glance such a state ment might seem outside the realm of possibility, but the political situation is complex and the election machinery such that it does not require much imagination to foresee the possibility, if not the probability, of such a situa tion. Almost anything may happen in November. There are 531 votes in the Electoral College. The electoral college is com posed of electors from each state, equal in number to the number of Senators and Representatives to which the state is entitled. For example, New York state has two Senators and 43 Representatives. Therefore, New York has forty-five votes in the elec toral college. The total membership of the electoral college equals the to tal membership of the Senate and Why The Senate May Pick Oar Next President •act -xr -— House—531. In voting it will be re- hundred and sixty-six votes—then the membered that the people vote for the House of Representatives must im- electors of their states, these names mediately convene for the purpose of appearing on the ballot, and not those choosing a President. The choice be- of Coolidge or Davis or La Follette. : ing limited to the three highest can- The Constitution provides that a didates, would mean that the House majority of these 531 electoral votes, would have only the option of choos er 266, is necessary to the choice of ing one, either Davis, Coolidge or La a President. The person having the Follette. greatest number of votes, of course, wins fwhere there are only two can didates in the field, but with three the complexities begin. Here is the constitutional clause: How House Votes Here is where the election machin ery takes on a different color. There is no voting by individuals in the House. Moreover, each state has only “The person having the greatest num-: one vote. Rhode Island’s vote equals ber of votes (in the Electoral Col- that of New York. The vote of each lege) for President shall be the Presi- 1 state is determined by a majority of .dent if such number be a majority ( the Congressional Representatives in of the whole number of electors ap-' that state. This point grasped let it pointed; and if no person having such j be remembered that the “blocs” in majority, then from the persons hav- several delegations hold the balance inb the highest numbers, not exceed-i of power. Thus the La Follette-Whee- ing three, on the list of those voted, ler candidacy becomes something to for as President, the House of Repre- j be reckoned with, sentatives shall choose immediately] Anyone familiar with the line up by ballot the President. j in the House last year can see how Electing a President j likely it is that neither Davis nor Now let us turn to the situation, i Coolidge would be able to obtain a If the candidate receiving merely the, majority vote in the House in Feb- largest number of electoral votesjruary. A deadlock is quite on the .could be chosen, then the entry of cards—a repetition of the Democra- La Follette into the field would be un-1 tic National Convention, perhaps, un important, according to unbiased and j til March 4, 1925. At that time the astute political judges. But this is ' new House comes into being, but THE not the case, and there are many po- NEW HOUSE HAS NOTHING TO litical observers who highly unlikely that regard it a majority as; DO WITH THE CHOICE OF A PRE- of the electoral Vote Will be won by any of the candidates. * The second Monday following Jan uary the electors in each state chosen at the November election meet in their respective state capitols and de clare for their candidates. The votes will then be sent by messenger of the president of the Senale in Wash ington. They will be counted on the second Wednesday in February be fore the joint session of the House and Senate. Then the result will be announced. H no candidate has a majority—two S1DENT. In the event of a deadlock until the disintegration of the present House the duty would pass to the Senate, and here it must be remembered that THE SENATE VOTES ONLY FOR THE VICE-PRESIDENT AND NOT FOR THE PRESIDENT. If the coun try stands without a President, then that office, being vacant, must be fill ed by the man chosen as Vice-Presi dent by the Senate. At this point we read another eli mination. The Senate is limited to vote for the highest candidates. So the likelihood is the choice would lie between General Dawes and Governor Bryan. Difference in Senate Now we come to the Senate vote. The Senate does not vote by states like the House. The Senators vote as individuals, and a majority votie decides. The Senate membership be ing 96, 49 votes would elect a Vice- President, who would immediately succeed to the Presidency, just as Coolidge succeeded Harding as soon as the vacancy occurred. In the present Senate there are 43 Democrats, 51 Republicans and 2 Far mer Laborites. These figures would appear to insure election of Dawes, providing there is no change in the character of the Senate as a result of the November elections, and pro viding always that La Follette would not switch a number of Republican Senators from the Coolidge-Dawes ticket and procure votes for Bryan. The margin is narrow, and La Fol lette might easily be the deciding fac tor One need only go back to 1916 to see how delicate is the present situa tion. In that year the electoral col lege stood 277 for Wilson and 254 for Hughes. A third party candidate controlling, for example, the 13 elec toral votes of California, would have thrown the election into the House. How many electoral votes La Fol lette will control as a result of the coming election is something for po litical writers to figure on. It may be something for the two dominant parties to consider seriously. La Follette supporters are claiming he will carry between eight and six teen states. If he carries only Wis consin, Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota and Montana, such re sult would likely prevent either Cool idge or Davis from winning the neces sary majority of 266 electoral votes necessary to elect the President. Even the electoral vote of any one state might prevent a majority. CANDIDATES READY FOR R ESTING DAYS Second Lap of Senatorial Gassing Comes to An End ^ Columbia, July 26.—With their speeches at Aiken today, the four candidates for the seat in +he United States Senate now held by Nuthai.iel B. Dial of Laurens, completed the second of the three periods into which the county-to-county campaign was divided by the State executive com mittee. They will rest until Monday, August 4, when at Edgefield they will xesome the pilgrimage that will have taken them into every county of South Carolina by August 22, on which day Spartanburg voters will hear them. Generally speaking, the four candi dates have adhered closely in their daily addresses to the lines they laid out at the beginning of the campaign. Senator Dial has pointed io his record daring the last six years as justifica tion for his asking a second term in the Senate. Congressman Janies F. Byrnes of Aiken, also has relied upon his record as a member of the House of Representatives for the last 14 years as one of the arguments for his desired advancement to the Senate. Former Gov. Cole L. Blease announ ced in the beginning of the campaign his platform would be built Ivocacy of state’s rights and edneation, and he has stood upon that platform on every stump. He W rifid enforcement of Velatead law, and has denounced Federal encroachment upon the pow ers of the states from every stump. As a rule, the former governor’s ad dresses have been devo : d of refer ences to any of his three opponents, except occasionally in the way of more or less pleasantry. John J. Mc Mahan, State insurance commissioner has proclaimed himself a progressive throughout the campaign, and has ad vocated various measures which he believes would be of benefit to the economic situation, particularly of the farmers. Commissioner McMahan ar.d Con gressman Byrnes, from time to time, have criticised the record <t Senator Dial, and their criticism’} have drawn the fire of the Senator, who has de fended himself upon every point that has been brought into the discussion. The end of the second rest period will find the campaigners facing fif teen more apeaking engagements, 31 having been concluded with today’s meetng at Aiken. After the Edge- field meeting, they will resume their trip, going to Saluda, Lexington, Newberry, Laurens and Greenwood in the order named, during the first week. That is, they will do so unless they agree to change the itinerary mapped for them, as they did with regard to the beginning of the pres ent week’s schedule. In order to se cure more time pver last week-end, the four by common consent arranged for .two meetings a day on Wednes day and Thursday of this week, thus taking in their allotted territory with out the necessity of starting on Mon- or Tuesday. On Wednesday they visited Ridgeland and Beaufort and on Thursday, they made Hampton and Allendale. The second week of the third period contains five speaking dates, McCor mick, Abbeville, Anderson, Walhalla and Pickens in order, beginning on Tuesday. The final week of the campaign contains but four engagements, Greenville, Gaffney, Union and Spar tanburg. The Greenville meeting will be held on Tuesday, August 19, and the three others in order. Spar tanburg, the last place on the itiner ary, will be visited just four days before the first primary. In the event none of the four can didates secures a majority in the pri mary of the August 26, the second, or run-off primary, between the two high men, will be held two weeks later. JAS. W. CALDWELL 59 Thornwell Street Magazines and Newspapers Quarters Will Be Chiefly In Saddle Davia To Take Campaign Over Coun try—Multitudinous Items To Bo In Charge Of Shaver. Dark Harbor, Islesboro, Maine, Julv 27.—The headquarters of John W. Davis, Democratic presidential candi date, during the coming campaign will be largely in the saddle. His per sonal base of operations will be his home in Locust Valley, N, Y. Leaving to his campaign manager, Clem L.Shaver of West Virginia, the execution of the infinite details of the national campaign, Mr. Davis will devote himself almost exclusively to arguing his case before the ecurtry. This much of his campaign plans ha 8 been definitely decided upon. The working out of routes of the tours in to various sections and the selection of cities and dates for the set ad dresses will be taken under consid eration after the return of the candi date to New York this week. After ten days on Seven Hundred Acre island, near here, Mr. Davis is ready tq_j>lungs actively into Ahe-task. ahead and it may be that he will move up his departure for New York one day, leaving here next Wednesday. His address accepting the presidential nomination virtually is completed, and he will be free to give l his time and attention to the manifold pre campaign problems awaiting his de cision. Necessarily the setting up of the campaign organization has progressed j with less speed than it would have had titular leader of the party been on- the ground, and now that both the Republican and La Follette machinery is in running order, it is the desire of Democratic leaders to have their own organization functioing in full force as soon as possible. August 9, arriving in Clarksburg, W. Va., on Sunday, the day before the delivery of his acceptance address. He will leate there probably on the day after the notification ceremonies, returning to Now York before starting on his first campaign tow. Hie candidates second Sunday here was a quiet one. He again attended services at Christ Episcopal church on Islesboro, being accompanied by Mrs. Davia and their hosts, Mr. and Mrs. Charles Dana Gibson. Mr. Davis Mr. Gibson walked back across island to the landing, where they boarded a launch for the trip across the harbor to the Gibson homo. There Cyrus H. K. Curtis, Now York and Pbiliadelphia publisher; William A. Gaston, a Democratic leader of Boston, and Arthur Lyman of the same city were the guests at luncheon. SUBSCRIBE TO THE CHRONICLE $5.00 Panama $5.00 Leghorn $5.00 Bangkok hats $3.33 i4.jQQ^ti£f stoF hats. $3.50 Stiff straw hats $2.33 $3.00 Stiff straw hats.., $2.00 $2.50 Stiff straw hats... $1.67 $2.00 Stiff straw hats....: ^1.33 Only a few more left. Sale prices strictly Cash. UB i ,. COPELAND-STONE CO. Phone 47 “One price to all” Clinton, S. C. Under present plans, Mr. Davis will S * — remain in New York until Saturday, ■ MmmHMMMMMMMMB——■MMWmB Few Kinds of Fun Outrival tfee Gulbransen When Dad’s day’s work is done he’s entitled to some fun of his own. He’s earned a little time to himself. A spell of rest, a change, something different from the usual grind—that’s what he needs. change from the workaday grind. Few are so fascinating. Fer so thorough ly enjoyable. M 4 So why should folks be fussy about little things like keeping dinner wait-_ ing when a fellow is right in the midst of an all-absorbing, body-and- soul-satisfying little session of music —played by himself and for himself —on his beloved Gulbransen! Few pleasures afford so complete a Playing is unbelievably easy because of Gulbransen responsiveness and ex treme flexibility. And—with your Gul bransen—-you get four simple, com plete and exclusive Instruction Rolls showing a method of correct playing. Do you wonder the Gulbransen ap peals so completely to the thousands upon thousands of Dads and Mothers, and sons and daughters, who love good music played easily? NATIONALLY PRICED $420.00 $495.00 4 'P'K ilk' Sk BRANDED IN THE BACK $575.00 $650.00 Tn4s O’DANIEL & REID Clinton, South Carolina GIFTS THAT JJtST J. B. ERONTIS The ^Registering Piano | Registers YOUR TOUCH Registers YOUR TIME Registers YOUR EXPRESSION JEWELER CLINTON, 8. C. [IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIM -v \, \\ ft.