Democratic Sentinel, Volume 13, Number 43, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 15 November 1889 — THE NEW ELECTORAL COLLEGE. [ARTICLE]

THE NEW ELECTORAL COLLEGE.

The adding of four new stars to the national flag representing the four new states, Montana, Washington, North and South Dakota, has naturally lead to much speculation as to the effect on the next presidential election. Some stu dents of politics have been free to say that New York will not cease to be the seat of political power, and that the saying that the party which carries Ney York will elect the presi dent will no longer have the force it has had in the past. As the electoral college is at present constituted there are 401 votes. Of these, 201 are a constitutional majority and at the last election the votes were divided as follows: Democrats, 168; republicans, 233; or a republican majority of 65. Upon the basis of the recent elections in the new states there should be added to the republican column 10 votes, or a total of 243, and to the dem ocratic column three votes, making a total of 171. As tne whole number of votes in the new college will be 414 the jarty which prevails musb obtain 208. Without New York he republicans could not secure, under the present condi - tion, but 207 votes and the re suit would be a tie. We can not see from this position the force of the claim that New York is not longer to hold the scepter. Certainly until the reapportionment based on the new census is n ade the Em pire state will oe an allimportant factor in national politics. If the new states make any marked change, it is in swell - ing the importance of the votes of Indiana. That states like New York, we believe to be naturally democratic, and only by the most disreputable means was it wrested from us in 1888 by a meager majority of 2348. That is no indication of the vote in 1892 and the trend is is all against the dem onstration. Let it appear probable that a tie would result as indicated above and pressure there would be vastly increased over former years. The “blocks of five” operation will hardly be repeated, and the popular tide makes everything look bright in the Hoosier state. There is nothing to discourage the democracy in the present outlook, lhe young men, lhe men of opinions and the men of intellect are coming up to the support of its standard, and with good candidates and tariff reform to present to the country the result seems assured. One of the leading hymnwriters of the country is Fan nie J. Crosby, of New York, who has been blind from her birth. Her beat known work is “Sweet Hour of Prayer.”