ACCIDENT TO MR. WILSON.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 15142, 5 November 1912, Page 7

ACCIDENT TO MR. WILSON.

A SLIGHT WOUND.

(Received November 4, 11.5 p.m.) New York, November , Mr. Woodrow # Wilson's head was struck by the roof of his automobile whilst he was riding in it yesterday. He sustained a wound, but it is not serious. HOW THE PRESIDENT IS ELECTED. The Presidential election takes place to-day. The candidates are Mr. Taft, the preeeafc President (Republican); Mr. Roosevelt (Progressive Republican), and Mr. Woodrxyw Wilson (Democrat). . A direct election of a President by the 90,000,000 people' of the United States would probably lead to endless confusion, and this is avoided by a system of double voting, under which the people elect, a special representative assembly, which in turn electa a President. The first step in I the election is the appointment by each State of a number of Presidential electors, equal to the whole number of Congressmen and Senators returned by the State. The political parties in each State name their candidates for the office of Presidential elector, and it is the names of these men which appear at the head of the ballot papers. The Presidential electors who are thus chosen by the various States become an electoral college, whose duty it as to make the final decision, and .to declare which of the candidates, put forward by tho great parties shall be President. Presidential electors, of course, are pledged by their speeches, etc., to support a certain candidate, and the pledge is strictly adhered to. The Presidential electors do not solemnly assemble at an electoral college at Washington and proceed to poll for the President ; they rarely- go outside their own State. They meet in their respective capitols.- forty-six groups in. all, and each elector signs a declaration for his choice of President and Vice-President. Then each group transmits the votes of each State to Washington, and in the presence 'of both Houses the President of the Senate counts them. When the President has been elected the college dies a natural death, and its members lay down their privileges and become ordinary citizens once more.

In view of the triangular contest it is quit© possible that no candidate on this occasion will secure tho necessary majority in the Electoral College, in which case the election will be thrown into the Federal House of Representatives, The voting is then by States—each State delegation having one vote only.