The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1852-02-22

Electoral Coiissst
The impression very generally 10 prevail, and
mas Indeed. been acted upon ia at least two instances
mat TIE number OF votes Tor President and Vice Ples
uenl 70 which each State entitled the next pcsden
ua election is TO be, not number equal 10 the number
Oh senator's and Representatives 10 which such State
uled IN The present Congress- but number equal TO the
number TO which II is entitled in the Congress- under
the new census in other words, that the number OF
presidential electors 10 which each State is entitled al the
next election Ia 10 be based The existing apporonmen
framed on the United States OF $780, instead OF
me new apporionmeni TO be made under the OF
1850.
The question is OF course, one OF great interest 10 most
OF The States for the number Of The electoral votes of
most OF them will be either increased or diminished by
nAng The number ageeaby 10 the apporonment Tor the
next congress Maine would thus lose one Massachu
sells would gain one and many OF the other States gain
or lose, according to their relative increase loss OF
population under the new census.
Our attention having been called 10 this subject by a
friend, we have examined II thoroughly, and can
10 no other conclusion than that the number OF electors
70 which each State Is entitled at the next presidential
eecuoh Is precisely The number 10 which they
specuvely entitled at the last presidential election and
consequently that Maine is entitled 10 electors, in
stead OF RIGHT
point, in such the legislature thereof may d
rect number OF electors equal to the whole number Of
senators and representatives TO which The State may be
entitled IN the Congress" In what Congress In the
next Congress- the preceding Congress- or the present
Congress Most clearly IN The Congress in being al the
t,me when such electors are SO appointed The present
1858; and The House OF Representatives of the pres
en Congress will devove the choice OF President and
Wee President in Case the people fail TO elect The con
choose President whenever the right OF choice de-
wolves upon them, before the fourth day OF March next
following, then the Vice President shall act as in the
case OF the death or other constitutional disability Of the
President"
Thus it will be that on The House OF Representa-
lives OF the present Congress will devolve the duty Of
electng President and Vice President if the people
fail n NAL of nd IN he
event OF failure OF the House 10 choose President
before the 4lh of March, 1885, what follows Is il
peen Tor the House OF Representatives Of the Congress
TO resume the effort TO elect one Not at all. II is cut
OFT from all action in the premises, by the imperative aud
nhibve declaration OF the constitution, that the Vice
President Qn whose case there can be no failure TO eecD
shall act as President"
The intention of the constitution is unmistakeable
as its language is plain That intention Is manfestly
this that the number of electors TO which each State Is
any time entitled in the choice of President and Vice
President shall correspond with the number OF lis
tors and representatives IN the Congress existing at the
time of the appointment Tor electon of those electors,
and upon branch OF which Congress will deyolve
the election in the OF on-eecon by the people.
The number OF electors TO which the States severay
entitled any time intended to be the precise number
which equal TO the number of senators and representa-
ves OF the States respectively the Congress in actual
existence at such time The electors are TO follow the
congressional delegations as the shadow follows the SUBJ
stance and the number OF the former is TO be the exact
number of the latter, beginning, continuing and ending
together.
Ii this view of the matter be correct view-and we
are confident that it s- follows that the number OF the
presidential electors of the several States in the
vass must remain the 1913, and consequently
Maine is entitled to nine electors instead OF eight
And il also follows that the democracy OF Name are
entitled delegates instead Of eight the Baltimore
Convention, nasmuch the call for National Conyen-
ton. issued by the National Democratic Committee, pre-
scrbes hal the number of delegates to which State Is
entitled shall be equal the number OF votes TO which
il is entitled in the electoral college" &c. if the number
OF our electors is nine, the number OF delegates 10
| Baltimore must be nine also.
Whatever has been may be the course pursued ~
other States, the democracy OF Maine should, in oul
judgment, select their delegates and electors the bas
of the present. and not the apportonment among
the States under the census just completed.