Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1857-01-28


present the arguments sdduced in favor Of the
proposed changes.
TIE PRESENT SYSTEM OF ELECTMg PRRsI.
DENT.
Our readers will find below an article from the
Cincinnati Enquirer, on an interesting subject The
plan of remedying the danger of the present sys-
TEN suggested by the Enquirer is the same 30 ably
advocated by Gov. JOHNSON, of this State:
TIE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTORAL COLLEGE SYsTEN.
The recent base treachery Of three mercenary
ingFstes in the Pennsylvania Legislature, by which
a United States Senator was chosen whose politi-
cal sentiments were adverse to those of the people,
s indicated by the choice Of their representatives
should have the effect Of calling the attention Of
the public to the manner in which the President
and Vice President of this country are elected and
which affords peculiar opportunity for fraud on
the popular suffrage.
Under our constitutional provisions each State
makes choice Of 9 certain number of electors,
whose duty it is to cast its vote for President and
Vice President These electors are always chosen
By the people with reference to the election of
some individual who had been previously designs-
ted in primary meetings for President, and for
whom they are expected in honor to cast their
votes. There is no legal obligation resting upon
them 10 carry out Lub popular Will Out Dy Lu5
statute they are entirely free to vote for whom
they please. Nothing is binding upon them but
their party fsaty and loyalty to principle. If that
gives way through the influence of gold, the peo-
pie are certain to be betrayed and there no rem
edy for it.
SUPPOSE that at the last Presidential election In
diana and Illinois, having twenty.four electoral
votes, had gone against Mr.. Buchanan, he would
then have had bus one hundred and fifty votes, one
would there not b ave been danger of Lebos Wa
gonsellers and Menears among the electors any
TWO of whom would have had it in their power to
defeat the popular will When we consider the
viruence and bitterness Of the strife of parties and
the immense amount Of patronage at the dispose
OF every new Administration, is it not probable
Camerons will be found to bribe electors, when
two or three of them are all that is necessary for
their purpose2
The facilities for so doing are much greater than
in the Pennsylvania L gislature, where the mem
bers vote viva UOce, and members are compelled TO
show their hands; but in the Electoral Colleges
they vote by ballot rendering it difficult, if not
impossible, TO detect those who may be guilty of
rAscsty. The risk which the people run under
the electoral system of having their wishes NULL.
fed is very great and Of Itself ought to suggest
amendments to it. In electing such high officers
as President and Vice President there ought to be
no way by which popular expression could be
nulliied by gold as was the case in the Senatorial
election in Pennsylvania. Because the people have
never yet been betrayed by electors, it is no res
son why they will not be in future The signs OF
the times at Washington are not very encouraging
to those who look for s high degree Of honesty
among the peoples representatives, and do not in
vite the placing of any powers in their hands which
can be properly retained by their constituency.
A change might be made in the Electoral Col
lege system, which, while it would not interfere
with the present idea of electing 3 President by
states would secure to the people the certain reg
istrstiOn of their will
For instance, the law might be so amended that
the people Of each State could vote directly for
President and Vice President, and those persons
receiving the highest number Of votes should be
entitled to as many electors as they have Senators
and Representatives in Congress II Fremont, in
Ohio, got plurality Of the sufrsges, it should be
the duty Of our Secretary Of State to certify the
fact TO the proper officers at Washington who
should then award to him our entire representa-
ton Of tWeuty-three electors There is no use for
this intermediate body of electors-no1s wbste.
ver-thst could not and ought not to be dispensed
with. When they are voted for it renders it i'm
possible for citizen to cast his ballot for Presi
dent and Vice President Of opposite parties, since
the same men are equally pledged to both.
We are aware of the difficulty of amending the
Constitution in any vital point affecting its COM
promiseg but the change we speak OF would not
alter the relative rights of the States in the least
and would not encounter opposition on that score
Since the Constitution was adopted, the Electoral
College system has undergone one amendment by
general consent It formerly required that no dis
tinCtiOn should be made by the electors, in casting
their votes, between the Offices Of President and
Vice President, but that the person having the
highest number should be President and the next
highest should be Vice President
10 1900 Jefferson snd Burr received an equal
number of electoral votes, and although every one
knew that it was the intention of the people that
the former should be President and the latter Vice
President, yet the result could not be so declared
The election went to the House of Representa-
tives, and q struggle ensued that convulsed the
country by its violence and party spirit. This
failure to elect induced the people TO change their
system 30 far as to require the electors to desig-
nate upon their ballots the persons whom they
intended IS President and Vice President. 1t is
quite as proper and necessary now to make the
amendment above suggested. We believe that if
the subject is only agtsted, and laid before the
people in its true light, an amendment to the
Constitution abOlishing the electors would be the
result
a.