Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1826-02-25


gard to the made Of roting 1t is a very diff
ierent thing TO determine The extent of the
right oil suffrage in the different States This does
depend upon local pecuiarties, and is, there
lore, appropriately question for the States 10 de-
eide Tor themselves. But even in relation to this
matter, the fundamental law does not depend upon
the VIII OF the State Legislatures. The persons
quaiihed To vote for the most numerous branch OF
me State Legislature will vote for the electors OF
ries!dent; but those persons are asce-tained and
hAeo' IN all the States, by their respective consi-
unions. 1t must be admitted | thiak, however
gentlemen may differ In opinion as TO tckich OF
me different modes oil voting IL preferable, that
some one OF them is better than the rest. This be-
'''s conceded, 1t follows, oidable conse-
q,ehce. that the system which is best ought to be
adopted IN all The States. Assuming, then, that
nave shown that, whatever mode we adopt, ii
I oush TO be permanent and uniform, ii only remains
W INQUIRE, which OF the modes that have prevailed
III 'he different States, ought be adopted. These
are The legislative mode, the general ticket sys-
'ein, and The district SYSTEM.
Proceeding TO examine these several plans in
'he order IN which have stated them shall very
orieny dispose OF the first. As 10 the power which
'he legislatures OF most ofthe States have assumed
a' one l'ine or another, of choosing the Presiden
.ial electors themselves, feel assured that shall
nave rue concurrence of 4 large naiority Of those
VINO tiear me. when pronounce it usurpation.
es SIR the very !irst acts of the State legislatures
IN relation 10 tie election of the President
furnish the best refuaioa of the doctrine held
oy some gentlemen, that the State Legsla-
lures ought toietsin an agency and control in the
election OF that officer. We see that these Ieeis-
'atures can usiirp power well abuse IL. To
settle TINS question, as 10 the power OF the State
legislatures, few remarks only will be necessary
Inc words OF the Constitution are, that sc each
State shall appoint the electors of President 90 in
such tho 7 a..
scribe. The state makes The appointment, and
The Legislature has only the power 10 prescribe the
mode That the word State means the People of
Tue state Is obvious, not only from lis ordinary
grammatical import, standing contradistinguished
RON the word sc LEGISLATURE but also from the
commentary contained in the Federaist, which
considering the authority of that celebrated expos-
ton, snpersedes the necessity of any further are,l-
ment on this point. In number written by Mr..
t'amiiton, relative TO the appointment of the Pre-
sident, we find the following decisive words:
ihey nave not made the appointment of Pres-
dent TO depend upon re-exisiing bodies of men
VINO might be tampered with beforehand, to pros
itue iheir votes, but they have referred it, in the
hrst instance, 10 the immediate ac, of the PeopEe of
-fo'er1c0, 10 be exered in the choice of persons
Tor The temporary and sole purpose of making the
appointment. Assuming, then, that the power
heretofore exercised by the State Legislatures has
been without the of the Constitution. |
shall proceed to compare the only two remaining
modes OF voting, that have prevailed in the diff
ferent States.
The first objection which shall urge aaains,
the general ticket system, is, that i, not onIv
destroys the vote of the minority in the State but
actually transfers the votes which that minority
give In favor OF one candidate, TO another We
know that in almost every State in the Union
mere generally exists division of opinion amongst
.ne PEOPLE, on the subject of the Presidential Elec
tion. assuming that the People of New York
Tor example. should be thus divided in opnion. in
the proportion OF nineteen thousand for one can
didaIe, and seventeen for another, whist. let me
ASK Is The effect OF the general ticket upon the
vote oil that State? 1t fo.ciby gives the vote of
seventeen thousand citizens TO the candidate
against whom they actually voted. The very
v0ies which the People intended 10 defeat his cleo
'oh' are by The State wrcsted from their legitimate
aim, and made subservient TO the advancement of
man. who may perhaps be an object of abLor-
renee 10 the very People who are thus compelled
into his service. 1t is thus, sir, that, under the
deusive and mistaken idea of preserving the rights
OF the cta'es we sacrifice the fundamental princi-
Piles Of The Republican s, stem We literally i'm
moiate the People by thousands and myrisSs. a,
the shrine OF an ideal phantom. But we shall be
o'd mat IS the duty OF the minority to submit to
the Will OF the majority. This, sir, is an obvious
ruin; out beg gentlemen not TO be misled by IL
IL mas no application to the question | am con
sideIing. am not complaining that the minority /
are compelled 10 submit, but that all the minorj,ies
in the States are annihilated, in making M the
general agsr ega,e of the whole Union, as if they
were iTnmaeral powers in political euuation.-
ana 'he reason why do complain of this is, that
II gives the minority in the Union chance for az
cendancy, equal, 10 that enjoyed by the majority.
10 shew the reality of this danger, will call the
attention OF the committee to the difference he
tween the actual popular vote Of two large States.
on" VIC eSiWldted vote OF tie same States under
me general ticket system. will suppose that New
L orK mas one HUNDRED thousand voters and Penn
syiVahia seVenty-hve thousand; that sixty thousand
OF the voters of New York are in favor of one
Candidate, and forty thousand in favor of another.
ana that the whole seventy-fve thousand voters in
pennsylvania should give their votes to the can
dldate vino received the New York minority In this
stare OF things what is the voice of the PeopIe Of
nose States: and what would be the estimated vote.
by The general ticket system? The candidate sci -
received one hundred and fifteen thousand popular
so'Vs' WouIu actually receive only twenty-eight
electoral votes, while his Opponent win omIv
sixty thousand popular votes would recei,e tb,,,y
SIX electoral votes We are led into error on this
s"Ojee' OF mInor'ues by not distinguishing between
'hihgs that are essentially different Wherever
'he action OF State is final and conclusive upon a
su"JeC'' IS IN the election Of her own Governor
'e minority must OF course submit; but where the
acton OF all the States OF the Union is dis ect ed TO
one common result, the Election of President the
respective State minorities should lie btouob, io,o
tne ejaculation, that we may really ascertain who
mas 'he genuine majority OF the whole Every friend
OF 'he C"ion cannot but perceive a strong obiec-
uon 10 he general ticket system, in its tendency TO
form political parties upon the basis of geographical
arIangement by bringing large political masses
In,o lhe Presidential contest; by ansying State a.
sS,us' o.a'e IN the consolidated energy OF their
bower. eel 4