New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1844-12-19
THE TRIBUNE.
THURSDAY MoRNING, DEG. 10.
! the one-pay election Bnl.

The One. Day Election Bill.
Mr.. Duncan's Presidential Election bill. greatly
modified and improved, has passed the House OF
Representatives by vote unanimous with the
exception OF single Nul.ifier. 1t was a bitter
pill for the South Carolina Delegation, since it
will pretty certainly oblge that State to abandon
her presen. system of choosing Electors by her
Legislature, and give the choice to her People
that is, her Legal Voters. The bill, aS passed. is
"a follows:
Belt enacted By the Seaots and Houseo Repre-, Of
s 0nfted ets 9s7ea m Congress M, 'e
each State on The rst TSesdsy ae frs, Monday Novem
ss Ti sa SoSs
which may occur ~ It. College OF Electors when
aIo Whsa any State shall have held IN election
Eo d s l TO ase seS9 On On
subeauen; day. IN such anner US the State shall BY law
provide.
This i. very well SO far as it goes, and we
trust the Senate will promptly concur without
amendment. The objections, which were ser.
Gus last wister, no longer apply. If the bill had
passed then, every State which holds its State
Election on the same day with the Presidential,
yet on different day from that specified in the
bill, would have been compelled to hold SPe-
pense, or else vote to-day for State officers and
to-morrow TO. President, and rice uersG The
measure is not of sufficient importance TO justify
this. After having gone on for ffty.odd years
without even suspecting the evil of choosing
Electors Of Presidents in the several States on
different days, it would have been absurd 10 jerk
the States up in this manner and virtually COM
pol them to alter at the word of command the
day of holding their State Elections. New
York, had she still adhered 10 her Three-Days'
Elections, would have considered 1t quite too
summary to havs them crushed into one by a
perenp,ory cdct from Washington.
But now there is abundan, time to adjust every
thing without hurry or expense before another
Presidential Election, and we doubt not 1t will
be done. And if South Carolina is constrained
thereby to vote for President like the rest of US,
we shall like the measure all the better
Having done so much-l,tle enough in effect,
but co,recr in principe, and valuable as precc-
dent-we hope the House will not stop here
We shall look with interest for q succeeding act
designed to prevent Frauds in Elections, by
thorough measures Since Fraud in any one
State may defeat the will of the People of the
Union, it is clearly the duty of Congress toguard
effectively against any future Plaquemining
How can Congress omit this alter having 30
S.rly begun Who will draw and introduce
good bill to this end 2
We ought also to have a Uniform District Sys-
tenn for the choice of Presidential Electors. Let
each State choose taco Electors answering to its
Senators) by General Ticket; then as many more
as il IS entitled to by Single District. This
would be fair, equal, and would subtract much
from the bitterness and heat of a canvass. The
result could hardly fail to indicate more clearly
than the General Ticket System the Public Will.
Now, decided majority in the Union may be
overpowered by lean majorit;es in two or three
large States.
Having advanced SO far, we might next dis |
pense with the cumbrous machinery of Electors |
altogether. Let the vote of each District, each |
State, be officially counted, and the result cert
fiod--namely that Winfield Scott, John M'Lean,
Sllas Wright, or whoever else, had, by majority
of the Peoples ballots, received the two votes of
the State, and the one vote of the District
These being in different ways transmitted to
weshipgton-those of the State by her Senators
as well as by Mail-those of the District by its
Representatiye-would save the risk. bother and
expense of Electoral Colleges and Special Mes
scngers.
We hope DR.. Duncan is not weary of WELL
doing or, if he is, that the House is not obso
lutey dependent on the genius of DR.. Duncan.
Let us have all needful reforms made now; lSds
will be too late.