Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1858-11-17
The President Elected by the People.


The New York Tribune is anxious to Bnow
why the people of the United States Way not
themselves elect their own President, and Vice
President, without the Intervention of National
Conventions, and proposes the following
method -
"But the Constitution must be altered if the
people are to vote directly for President" it is
said. That is an entire mistake. The Consti-
tuition is Just right now The Electoral ma
chinery, so far from being in the way of, is in
dispensible to, the free and fair working of the
Popular Sovereignty" principle. Abolish 1t,
aud National Conventions with exclusive party
candidates become inevitable. With Electors
they are utterly superfuous.
The true mode of choosing President is
this Lei the Republicans and the Democratic
potsrs of each State nominate and support an
Electoral Ticket, pledged to DOte for that cGndi-
date for President and Vice President reSpec-
tipslg lchoD the largest number Of VoterS for thai
ticket throughout the Union shall indicate as their
choice Then let each voterin 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 Electo-
raj 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, including Kan
sas and Minnesota, except Indiana, Oregon and
California, they would have majority Of the
Electoral votes, and would therefore choose the
Precedent. Choose whom We answer, whom
soever the largest number of the voters of the
Republican Electoral Tickets throughout the
L. I tod Ahaiv al
ballots For instance, we will suppose that
800 900 shall have voted for the Republican
Electors on ballots headed, 'sfor President,
John c. Fremont Vice President, William
L. Dayton"
100000 do. do do. headed, "For President,
William H. Seward; Vice President, Fran
els P Blair, jr," and
100000 do do do. headed, :" For President,
Salmon P. Chase; Vice President, Edward
Stanly," and
100000 do. do. do. headed, For President,
Charles Sumner Vice President, Cassius
N Clay"
The result in each State, (California probably
not excepted) would be known all over the
country within ten to twenty days after the
close of the polls; and the Republican National
Committee would thereupon announce by tele
graph that plurality of the Republican voters
had indicated Fremont and Dayton as their
first choice; therefore, the entire Republican
Electoral Vote should be cast, as per agree
ment, for Fremont and Dayton-who would
thus be chosen.
Here is the entire machinery of National
Conventions and exclusive party nominations
dispensed with, and the People left free to vote
each man his first unbiased choice; with the as
surance that he would thus in no wise 'throw
away his vote" nor endanger the defeat of his
party, but, on the contrary, he could vote his
first choice in full confidence that, l. The
strongest party should carry the election; and
End. The man preferred as President by the
largest number in that party would be chosen.