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New Providence High School, April 25, 1968
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4526112
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New Providence High School, April 25, 1968
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Gerald R. Ford Congressional Papers
Speeches
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U.S. House of Representatives. 3/4/1789-
Electoral college
Presidential campaigns
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1968-04-30
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1968
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1968-04-01
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The original documents are located in Box D24, folder "New Providence High School, April
25, 1968" of the Ford Congressional Papers: Press Secretary and Speech File at the Gerald
R. Ford Presidential Library.
Copyright Notice
The copyright law of the United States (Title 17, United States Code) governs the making of
photocopies or other reproductions of copyrighted material. The Council donated to the United
States of America his copyrights in all of his unpublished writings in National Archives collections.
Works prepared by U.S. Government employees as part of their official duties are in the public
domain. The copyrights to materials written by other individuals or organizations are presumed to
remain with them. If you think any of the information displayed in the PDF is subject to a valid
copyright claim, please contact the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library.
for Telelectureto new Providence H.S,
9:30a.m. Thursday
REMARKS BY REP. GERALD R. FORD, R-MICH.
april 25, 1968,
maffin
I believe that 1968 is one of the most important election years in the
history of the United States. In the first place we have an opportunity to
H. Republican Party Ras
change the administration, elect a Republican President and Vice President. Se-
condly, we have an opportunity to make very significant gains in the United
States Senate. Thirdly, we have an opportunity to get a majority in the House
of Representatives on that fateful day in November of this year.
Obviously it's importantito win the Presidency and to make those gains in
Republicans
the Senate, but there is a special significance
the struggle In for control of ajority
the House of Representatives. Apparently 1968 is going to be a political year
where there will not be just the two with one another. There
parties contesting
is the distinct possibility that there will be a third
party in all or most of the states of the Union in the presidential
race. The net result is that under the Constitution of the United States the
election of the President for the next four years could be determined in the
House of Representatives in January of 1969.
Under the Constitution if no candidate for the Presidency gets a majority
of the electoral votes cast on November 5--and the magic number is 270--then the
election of the President goes into the House of Representatives. For that
reason it is especially important for us to make significant gains and get a
TRALD FORD VIBRARY
majority in at least 26 of the States of the Union because to be elected (more)
Digitized from Box D24 of The Ford Congressional Papers: Press Secretary and Speech File at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library
-2-
president in such a contest a candidate must get a majority of the votes of the
50 States in the House of Representatives.
If the election were held in the present House of Representatives, a
Democrat would be elected because there are 29 States today with Democratic-
House
controlled delegations and 18 States where the Republicans have control of the
delegation. In three states--Oregon, Illinois and Montana--they are tied. Under
the Constitution those three States would lose their vote entirely, because if
this election does fall into the House each State casts one vote. The vote of
the five states with one congressman is as important as large states like
California, New York, Illinois, Ohio, etc. because the vote for President is cast
state by state.
Let me point out that we have certain states where the delegations are
controlled by one party or another by a margin of one.
We have 10 states where the margin is 1 vote; 4 of those are controlled by
the Democrats and 6 by the Republicans.
There are 17 states where the delegations are controlled by a margin of
2 congressmen; 11 such states are Democratic-controlled, 6 are Republican.
What I'm saying is that we must be cognizant of the need to protect the vote
of the people on November 5
In 1948 a shift of less than 1 percent in 3 or 4 states would have thrown
the election into the House of Representatives. I think all of us here are
cognizant of
what might happen with
a third
party in the race this year.
deciding the Presidential election in the House
Now some people will say that
isn't too bad. But in the two instances
that we've had it happen in America, 1800 and 1824, the circumstances that
developed in the House of Representatives were not in the best tradition of the
FORD
United States. Let me quickly review what took place in those two instances
(more)
LIBRARY
-3-
where the election of the President was determined in the House of Representatives.
In 1800 Thomas Jefferson and Aaron Burr both had 73 electoral votes. It
became the responsibility of Alexander Hamilton, who was in the opposition party,
to make the decision as to which of those two men would be the President of the
United States. They actually voted35times in the House of
Representatives without a decision from February 11, 1801 until February 17.
Finally Hamilton threw his support to Thomas Jefferson.
All kinds of deals were proposed while the 35 indecisive ballots were taken.
Hamilton was in the unhappy role of choosing between two men he thoroughly
disliked. There was for him, however, but one choice, according to historians.
Burr was the Catiline of America, a man devoid of scruples and possessed of an
inordinate ambition and the boldness and daring necessary to give success to the
Jacobin system. Hamilton said in reference to Jefferson (and, I repeat, these
are Hamilton's words, not mine), "Jefferson at least had pretentions of character
though he was unscrupulous, not very mindful of the truth and was a contemptible
hypocrite."
Despite those last observations concerning Thomas Jefferson, Alexander
Hamilton supported him, and Jefferson was elected President of the United States
on the 36th ballot inthe House of Representatives.
When we turn to 1824 we find four candidates seeking the Presidency: Andrew
Jackson, John Adams, Quincy Crawford and Henry Clay. Jackson got the biggest popular vote
and he had the most electoral votes. But the election was thrown into the House
of Representatives because Jackson lacked a majority of the electoral vote. Again
we had a circumstance where propositions, schemes, deals were floating around
the Nation's Capitol. In this case Henry Clay gave his support to Adams in
exchange for appointment as Secretary of State. And so Adams became president
although Jackson had the largest popular vote and the greatest number of electoral
votes.
What I'm saying is that first we must try to avoid having to bring the
election to the House of Representatives. That could be accomplished if either the
Republican or the Democratic candidate receives more than 270 electoral votes on
November 5. Naturally, I personally want to see the Republican candidate win. In
-4-
seats we need for control is a net gain of 31. I think we can get more. I'm
optimistic with the kind of Republican candidates I see and the support the
Republican Party received in the 1966 congressional elections. I think it will be
a great day for the country and for the Free World if Republicans can convince the
American people that it is in their best interests to move this country in New
Directions to move toward a New America when they go to the poils in November.
Above all, I hope the people speak with a firm, true voice and keep the
election out of the House of Representatives. I want the people themselves to elect
the next President of the United States.
####