Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1844-12-13
RICH NJ Nd, VA.
Friday Morning. December -. 1874.
Trio IMaen,fccnt Schemes for Electing President!

office. III GeVoteS an article on TINS subject, I'D lis
Yesterdays No, under the head Of "The Malady
and the Cure" The malady is the agitation
which the Election produces, the aspirations of
ambitious candidates, THE violent party conflicts"
which it engenders. No one denies the malady
We read OF it in the ancien. Republics. The
pages of their history abound with the struggles,
which the ambition of individuals excited. We
have seen it our own country II was twice re-
corded in four years in the mummeries and hum
buggerics of the WING party-the appeals TO the
passions OF the people-lhe earnest solicitations Of
MIR Clay-the orators whom they have sent forth
the humbug handbills they have circulated
the Coalitions they have sought-the frauds and
pipeaying which they have practiscd in the North
and the West How shall these maladies he cor
rected! The Richmond Wing breaches Two
schemes for this purpose. Its own remedial
plan is, TO choose President annually" The
details are not presented Docs he propose 10
make the President yc-eiiei6ie-and how of,en!-
The Wing does not state. Suppose hin: re-cli-
gible--then YOU multiply The inducements to shape
his administration, and 10 administer lis patron
age, so as 10 obtain support and corrupt The vo
tiers for his re election. Take the other sup
pos,ion-!hat he can only serve for one
year-,hen. YOU turn him adriii, when he is best
qualified BY the experience he has acquired TO
serve The country: and besides, he has no oppor-
tuni,y 10 mature anv system he has iound-to
carry out any negotiation he may have opened
with foreign powers. The Government will con-
SANITY be in the hands of new men, with new me.-
sures Nothing would be s;abe-noihing certain
The office holders would be constantly liable TO re-
moval and 10 prescription. lou propose 10 dimi-
n>h agitation, BY making iiperpc,ua No sooner
is one man elected, than the contest for the sue
cession and for the White House and the 81, 900
salary is begun again.
But the Richmond Wing is willing 10 waive
It's own scheme, and take up with the notable pro-
position OF its correspondent II Sscrctorio, which
is, that the election shall be held as row, except
that the Electoral College OF each State shall be
bound to choose from among its own citizens
candidate, and send up his name hitler 10 the Sc
nate: in presence OF which all the names (say
2G) shall then he placed in an Urn, from which
the first drawn shall b. President, The second
drawn, Vice President. think this would de-
s,roy Party;sm. Corruption, Demagoguism, in
all their present forms, and give us sober Chief
Magistrates s,udious OF little hut leaving behind
their administration worthy name
The Wing seconds The proposition, and says, il;
"verily believes it would avail, and verify BE-
lcves moreover, the people themselves would
gladly adopt the whole people, if permitted 10 Do
So b. Demagognes, and The Presidential aspi-
rants whose creatures they are. Is it not worthy
Of trial? Is it not entitled at least 10 consitera-
,ion-to reflections Is il not visible, that n few
more contests Tor the Presidency increasing as
they do each time in violence. in anmositv. in
rancor and in venom, Will shake in pieces the So
cial fabric? Is il not possible, once more 10 turn
the people from faction - the contemplation Of
their true interests tho rapid advance OF corlup-
ton, and the necessity Of arrcsling it,"
Butno scheme is heter Calcul led than this is. 10
=
c Is constant change--ar miuisration conducted
without any fixed pr nciples-and utterly nIeper-
dent OF tie will OF the majority Of HE people OF
the Stats. Almost every thing is !elt 10 ci0nce.
This year sou may have a Federal President,
with hic!!-loncd measures Ia promote. A Fede-
raj State sends on her Federal candidate LIT
may give him the olice-and who knows how
soon This LOT may be tainted By lraudl A Fede-
ralis is saddled upon the backs of reluctant
Democratic peope-hecause a single small State
remains Federal Some years hence. the wheel
of Fortune may turn and Democrat goes in
and At The next term, man who has no fixed
principles al all. Ihen, you divide the country
into 70 grounds-each presents men, (and
perhaps in some OF them there is no one fiji for the
Presidency and there is 4 struggle among them,
who shall obtain the ticket in his own State which
may throw the prize into the Lottery OF twenty
six. Then, again, You completely destroy the
inequality Of population among the different
States, and place Delaware, with her one Con.
cresslonal Representative on the same footing
with New York, having ihiitv-tour Representa-
lives, and thry-!onr times The population
Then, again, comes the nsupcrahle objection.
that the Chief Magistrate of this Republic is TO
be chosen not by majority of The votes OF the
people Of the States, but by mere chancc-no,
because the people ale best able to choose the
,,.k I..
he ought TO be chosen for his superior talents,
ami virtues and pol teal princi,l's hut because
his name shall conc out first from the nm in
which il has leen daTosiied WHY. We had
better 90 back al nee 10 the days e Darius, aid
choose our President by the neichirg Of horse
In the name OF wonders, what are We coming 10
next VIVA, bloody scene has Roscius Lext
TO act = To what stranger innovation are we
destined Tomorrow some despairing Wing !
may propose TO eect our President Tor ten years
another for life to be selected BY sort OF Polish
Diet. Some Singular politician may prefer here
dilary monarch-another may propose 10 import |
n Bourbon, or a Russian, or I HaEoverian /
Prince to rule over this country
We have no disposition 10 close the press 10 !
a free discussion OF the malady and the cure,
bu, lc, us have m more of such eccentric pro- /
positions We could propose a sill better cure
-.
We NAV not be able 10 obtain such men aS Wash !
ine,on and Jefferson for our Presidents The pure
Revolutionary stock is gone; but why not 90 back
10 the customs of their day! Let us cleo, our
Presidents as they were elected even some twenty
or twelve years ago. Keep the candidates at
home. Scout every one who roams over the
country for the purpose Of electioneering. Ap.
peal to the understanding OF free people alone
Inscrbe your principles on yonr banners, ana
support them by argument alone Away with ali
hese murnmcfes and iiummeries, which the
Wings have introduced within The las, four
years. Pull down all Your log cahns-,hrow
away all your hard cider-abolish all your
coon cm5lems-mark with the brand Of pub
c Indignation every man who puts forth
lumbug handful, or forgery, or any species OF
raud or corruption. Disband Your Corps of Or
liors. Tax no. the pockets OF your capitalists Tor
he means OF getting up pompous professions, or
votes, or circulating humhuss over
he country. Burn all yonr Waller Rivers
away with all your speaking Electors, and your
Electors for half The State. Treat the People, in
act, as il they were rational men, capable Of
themselves. Then, select your cand-
late, because YOU like his principles and approve
lis qualifications; and when YOU have nomina-
ed him, do not treat him as an Idol or as
Dcmi-God. Do not sacrifice 10 him your own
principles and such great measures as the
OF Te1as-but hold him only rs a
nan, and an equal in rishts-nor initiate his va
lily, nor pamper his ambition, as if the Office be-
onsed to him, instead OF yourselves. Keep down
ali "moon-reaching aspirants"-and tell them TO
wait until the people please TO call upon them
Treat your tellow-ci,izens as the old Romans did
n the purest and pamiest days olther Republic
when they sought Cincinnati, at the plough
all, ard threw The mantle of Dictator over his
shoulders. Do this, and the other party dare not [
pursue different example Do this, and you
will teach ambitious men 10 bide their time You
will teach their friends to avoid all seductive cx-
oedents and all ex;ravagan, agitations. You I
lccd not resort TO any miserable quackery or .
absurd projects for curing the evils winch are .
worse even than the evils themselves. ion need |
10, choose your President every year, nor choose .
lin BY the neishing Of a horse, nor b. the ot,e-
8 OF The urn, nor elect him for life. And more .
IL, W, mad