Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1853-09-08
VOLUME X. NO. 81.

the battle was mainly fought and won. 1t was
victory of principle, and should no. be dispar.
aged by the admission of an unfounded and sub.
ordinate cause.
This Presidential election of 1924 is remark.
able under another aspect-as having and end
to the practice Of caucus nominations for the
Presidency by members of Congress. This
mode OF concentrating public opinion began to
be Praclised as the eminent men Of the revolu-
ton, to whom public opinion awarded prefer.
ence, we're passing away, and when new men,
OF more equal pretensions, were coming upon
the stage. II was tried several times with sue
cess and general appreciation, public sentiment
having been followed, and not led, by the eau
Gus. 1t was attempted in 1894, and failed, the
friends of Mr.. Crawford only attending --others
not attending, not from any repognance to the
practice, as their previous conduct had shewn,
but because it was known that Mr.. Crawford had
the largest number of friends in Congress, and
would assuredly receive the nomination. All
the rest, therefore, refused to 20 into it: all
Joined in opposing the "caucus candidate" 40
Mr.. Crawford was called all united in painting
the intrigue and corruption of these caucus nom
nations, and anomaly Of members of Congress
joining in them. By their joint efforts they sue
ceeded, and justly in the fact though not in tho
motive, in rendering these Congress caucus
nominations odious to the people, and broke them
down. They were dropped, and different
mode of concentrating public opinion was adop-
ted-that of party nominations by conventions
OF delegates from the states. This worked we'll
at frst the will OF the people being strictly obey
ed by the delegates, ana q majority making the
nomination. But it quickly degenerated, and
became obnoxious TO all the objections to Con-
gress caucus nominations, and maay others be-
sides. Members of Congress still attended them,
either as delegates or as lobby managers. Per-
sons attended as delegates who had no constitu.
ency. Delegates attended upon equivocal ap.
pointments. Double sets of delegates some
times came from the state, and either were ad.
mitted or repulsed, as suited the views Of the
minority. Proxies we're invented. Many dele
gates attended with the sole view Of establishing
a claim for office, and voted accordingly. The
two-thircs rule was invented, to enable the mi-
norily to control the majority; and the whole
proceeding became anomalous and irresponsible,
and subVersive of the people, leaving them no
more control over the nomination than the sub
jec,s of kings have over tie birth of the child
which is born to rule over them. King Caucus
is as potent as any king in this respect; whoever
gets the nomination-no matter how Effected
becomes the candidate Of the party, from the
necessi,y of union against the opposite party, and
from the indiposition Of the great states, to 60
into the. House Of Representatives to be baanc-
ed by the small ones. This is the mode of max
ing Presidents, practised by both parties now.
1t is the virtual election and thus the election
of the President and Vice President of the Uni.
TED States has passed--not only from the college
of electors to which the constitution confined H.,
and from the people to whom the practice under
the constitution gave it, and from the House of
Representatives which the constitution provided
as ultimate arbiters-but has gone to an ano-
malous, irresponsible body, unknown to law or
constitution, unknown to the early ages of our
government, and of which large proportion of
the members composing it, and much larger
proportion Of interopers attending it, have no
other view in attending or in promoting the NOM
iuat,on of any particular man, than to get one
elected who will enable them to eat Of the pub
lie crib-who will give them key to the public
evil. The evil is destructive to the rights and
sovereignty of the people, and to the purity Of
elections. The remedy is in the application Of
the democratic principle-the people to vote
direct for President and Vice President, and
second election to be held Immediately between
the two highest, if no one has majority Of the
whole number on the first trial. But this would
require an amendment Of the constitution, not to
be effected but by concurrence Of two-thirds
Of each House Of Congress, and the sanction Of
three. fourths of the states--a consummation to
which the strength of the people has not yet been
equal. but of which there is no reason to des-
pair.
The great parliamentary reform in Great Brit
ain was only carried alter forty years Of contin-
ued, annual persevering exertion. Our consti-
tutonal reform in this point OF the Presidential
election, may require but few years; in the
meanwhile am for the people to seled, as well
as elect, their candidates, and for reference to
the House to choose one out Of the three pre-
sened by the people, instead of caucus nomi-
nation of whom it pleased. The House Of Rep
resentatives is no longer the small and dangerous
electoral college that it once was. Instead Of
thirteen States, we now have tbirty'one; instead
of sixty-fve representatives, we now haxe above
two hundred. Responsibility in the House 10
now well established and political ruin, and
personal humiliation, attend the violation OF the
will Of the State. No man could be elected
now, or endeavor TO be elected, latter the sxpe-
rence of 1900 and 1924 who is not at the head
Of the list, and the choice Of majority Of the
Union.
The lesson of those times would deter imita-
ton, and the democratic principles would again
crush all that were Instrumental in thwarting
the public will. There 10 no longer the former
danger from the House Of Representatives, nor
anything in it to justify previous resort to such
asselnbIages as our national conventions havs
got TO be. The House is legal and responsible.
which the convention is not, with better chance
for integrity, as having been actually elected BY
the people, and more restrained BY position, BY
public opinion, and clause in the constitution
from the acceptance Of Office from the man 'ney
elect It is the constitutional umpire; and unti'