Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1858-12-09
Let the People Nominate theil
own President.

I
hope may have The careful consideration OF
all parties. 1t at least is far preferable 10
the present plan. II is as follows:
Why should not the People freely choose
THAR next President! All who understand
the matter know that the real choice is
now made by the rival bands OF politicians,
virtually self-ehoser to the rival gatherings
.terned National Conventions, and that the
People are allowed Hobson's choice and
one more-that is, they may vote for the
nominee of this Convention or of that. Ii
they presume to have another choice than
this-to vote for any person not the nomi-
nee of one of these two Conventions they
simply throw their votes away. Yet these
tional aid utterly unknown to the laws
they are practically in the main cabals of
self-seekers, who are maneuveripg and
contemplating for embassies, collector
/ ships, consulships, and-ofices, auditorships,
&c. Sharply, BY great effort. and at much
cost Of money and wear and tear oi con-
science.g gets himself elected to the National
Convention of his party, with an eye single
to the pushing fhis own political fortunes.
! To this end, it is essential that he should
not merely he lp nominate candidate, but
help invent one He must make the Presi-
dent, if he is to establish claim On the
gratitude of that funciionary-m.rely to de-
clare that A. B. is the choice of the party,
I would amount to little. The nOminators OF
a. Jackson, Clay, Webster, or Calhoun,
cannot expect to be very greatfully renem-
! bered by their nominee, for they have
simply done what they were sent to do
what every one expected them to to; but
| they who fish up Polk or Pierce from the
depths of mediocritv and obscurlty and
open to him the doors of the White House,
may reasonably calculate en- reciprocal
ton of the favor. They have set him up as
chief distributor of Offices and spoils; and
I he must be more or less than man if he
does not prove to them that their bounty
Was wisely bestowed. The delegate who
betrays his constituents and goes over at
the critical moment TO the aspirant whom
the knowing ones have backed to win,
thereby entities himself to double po ltion
OF the swag. Hence the frequent nomiaa-
tion of candidates for the highest stations
who are alike unfit and undeserving.
But again! A Convention is necessarily
shy OF bold, decided, positive men. 1t must
take up candidates who are all things to
! all men-who are little Of this and little
ui that-who are neither hot nor cold-who
| have never offended nor alienated any, be-
cause they never said nor did any thing of
consequence-an whose opinions und at
terances are fair compromise between
something and nothing. Tie politicians
strike a sort of general average between
these members of their party who mean
something and those who mean little or
nothing. and the man who comes nearest
to this "goiden mean'' is apt to be their
| favorite. } ..,sas, as $50 ,i
Why not revolt against ali this machin-
cry and smash it! What need is there of
National Convention. None in the world
or rather, the only need of II is that felt by
the political aspirauts whose only chance OF
prsmStion depends on skififul working of
tie wires. fit were felony oy statute to
hold or attend National Nominating Cor
vention, or any other contrivance FOR con-
fning or restricting the Peoples choice of
President to one or two persons, we
should have far better Presidents than we
have averaged for the last half-ce injury.
"But the Constitution must be altered il
| the People are to vote directly for Presi-
| dent" it is said. That is an entire mistake.
! The Constitution is just right now. The
Electoral machinery, SO far from being in
the way of, is indispensable to, the free and
fair working of the popular Sovereignty
| principle. Abolish it, and National Con-
ven,;ons with exclusive party candidates
become inevitable With Electors, they
are utterly superfuous.
The true mode of choosing President is
this: Let the Republican and ihe Democratic
rolers Of each State nominate and support an
Electoral Ticket, pledged TO uote for that can
didate for President and Wee President re-
spectively irhonr The largest Number Of poters
for that ticiet throughout the Union shall in
dicate as their choice Then let each voter
in whatever State vote the Electoral Ticket
of his. party headed by the names of the
candidates of his choice for President and
Vice-President. The Electoral ticket Of the
strongest party in each State will thus be
chosen, and the People will decide, in
choosing it, for whom the Electors Of the
respective parties shall vote. For instance:
Let US suppose that the. Republicans in
1860 should carry all the Free States, in
cluding Kansas and Minnesota, excl pit In
diana, Oregon and California, they would
have a majority of the Electoral Votes, and
would therefore choose the President. |
Choose whom, We answer, Whomsoever
the largest number of the voters for the Re- |
publican Electoral tickets throughou, the
Union shall have designated on their Elec-
toral ballots. For instance, we will sap
pose that
500, 900 shall have voted for the Repub-
liean Electors on ballots headed, "For
President, John C.. Fremont; Vice
President, William L. Dayton;" and
600,00o do. do. do. headed, "For Presi
dent, William H Seward; Vice Presi-
dent, Francis p. Blair, jr.;" and
100000 do. do. db. headed, "For Pres-
dent, Salmon p. Chase; Vice-Presi-
dent, Edward Stanly;" and
900 DO. do do headed, "For Presi-
dent, Charles Sumner; Vice-Presi-
dent, Cassius M, Clay
The result in each State (Cnlifornia