Alexandria daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1803-1808, 1804-01-10
CONC RESs
or THE
UNITED ST a TE s.
HoIsE OF REPRESENTATIVES,.
October %, 1908.
Debate oDsbe Amsaameatto the Constitution.
CONTINUED.
October %, 1so5.

reasons for the vote which shall give a.
painstthe resolution now under consldera-
tion. When In committee 81 the whole
House Oh the same resolution, it was with
much satisfaction that heard gentlemen
who advocated the resolution, declare their
anxious desire and full determination not
Ito make any inroad upon the article OF the
Econstitr ton, now under consideration, so
as in any degree to impair the rights and
benefits thereby secured to the smaller
Estates.
The hon. gentleman from Virginia Mr..
Randolph acknowledged his very great
respect for the worthless who formed the
constitutional our union was a confe-
deration'of states; and the result OF a COM
promise betweenthe several different states,
as states, and that he was the Eastman who
would consent to take from the smaller
states, any right or advantage secured to
them by this article of the constitution.
Sheald be able to shew thas the altera-
ton now proposed, would materially affect
the interest of the smaller states IN choice
Of President Of the United States, trust
that gentlemen agreeable to their public de-
clarations, will vote with ne against the
resolution.
The constitution Of the Uaited States,
is a compact formed by the several states,
to and for the general good. It is well
knownto have bsen produced BY 1 spirit OF
compromise among the several states; that
much difficulty arose in It's formation; end
perhaps IN no one article of the constitud-
on, could there have arisen grea~-r jealou-
sizes between the larger and smaller states
than that pointing out the mode Of electing
the Chief Magistrate. The larger states,
as is natural TO suppose, would contend Tor
an election according to the number Of III
habitants In each state as they thereby
would secure more votes; the smaller
states, on the principle thar If was Q confe-
deration of states, would contend for an e.
quail vote; that is to vote by states, and not
oy population or numbers. 10 settle the
difficulty, the present article was agreed
to, and thereby both of the above princi-.
pies, as contended for by the larger and
smaller states adopted TO e certain extent
the mode bling mixture fboth princi-
pies. First, it permits the election OF Pre-
sldent TO be by numbers, that IS giving
each state votes in proportion to its popu-
lation; whereby the larger states, consi-
dered IN their cooperate capacity as states,
have the advantage of the smaller states in
their corporate capacity as states. Bur IN
case eff a failure of choice in the first
mode: then the second of chasing by
states isto be pursued, whereby the small
Ter states have an equal vote with the lar
ger states.
In no other place than on this floor are
the smaller states on an equal footing with
ehe larger states, In the choice of the Pre-
sldcnt of the Uolted Stares. 1t follows
hen of course taat the greater the chance
81 bringing the states to avote on this floor,
the more advantageous it is to the smaller
states: as here the smaller states are as
powerful as the larger states, by the con-
tuition as it now stands there are two
.hances for choice OF President on this
eloor, Isl, when there are more persons
ran one who have constitutional MAORI
V of votes, and are equal in number; I'd,
when there is no person who has q constI-
.utionaI majority. Qaly oneeof the above
asses eau happen at a time; but there is
always chance forsene OF the two to hap
pen. But by theproposed amendment, the
irsr before mentioned chance can never
aappen---lt is wholly taken away, and only
one possible chance of voting on this floor
by states left. For when your ballots de-
slgaate who is voted for as President, it
never can happen that more persons than
one can have constitutional majority Of.
votes. One chance then of voting onthis
floor by states, being taken away by the.
proposed amendment, it follows irresista-