The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1859-11-18
The Destruction Of Political Parties.

tended as an Address OF the people of the
United States, by Il. s. NICHOLAS, of Louis
vile, Kentucky, on the subject Of change
in the method of voting for President and
Vice President. Its. author entities it
A Plan for obtaining our President with
out the intervention of political parties"
The realization of this plan too nearly re-
sembles, we fear, the blessings of some lost
or as yet to be discovered Utopia.
This plan proposes an amendment OF the
Constitution which will secure the election
of an Electoral College, on basis admit
ting of the election of one elector by States,
having less than million of people OF two
electors by States having between one and
two millions of three, by those having be-
tween two and three of four, by those
having between three and four and of
five, by those having over four millions.
These electors would form the College, over
which it is proposed that the Chief Justice
or President of the Senate, or Speaker of
the House shall preside and have casting
vote. The electors are to be listed in al
| phabetical order, and divided into six
classes with reference to that order surplus
numbers to be distributed among the classes
by lot. Then class one dominates an electOr
| from class two, two from three, and so on to
the sixth class, which dominates from class
one. These nominations will result in des-
ignating body of six electors. And from
this body, two are to be drawn by lot. One
Of these, the whole college shall designate as
President and the other as Vice President.
1t estimated that such college would,
under the next census returns, comprise fifty
members.
The defence of this scheme, and the ex
plantations of its advantages, form large
part of this not over-bulky production.
Though proposing an amendment of the
Constitution, it is in fact but restoration
of that instrument to its primitive intent
AS now pledges are required of the electors,
the election is, as in fact it has been for half
a century, purely popular, contrary to the
design of the Constitution, which contem-
plated choice by body Of electors judi
ciously selected, and uncommitted to men
The disadvantages and evils of the present
system are enlarged upon.
One of these evils is the formation of
parties on grounds of personal and sectional
preference. Another is, its fostering of the
proscriptive spoils principle. Another is
its tendency to support corrupt and profit.
gate Administration, since a party can be
made to do anything to support itself. The
President becomes the subservient tool or
the imperious dictator of the party that
elects him.
Judge NICHOLAS does not for the first
time breach his idea of the desirableness of
amending the Constitution on some such
plan as we have sketched. In 1910 he pub.
lished plan, which embraced the present
scheme of electing the college, but proposed
to take seven, by lot, from the college, which
was to elect from these seven. ROGER M.
SHERMAN and JOHN G. CALHOUN, though, as
we understand, approving of many features
of his plan, thought sevea too wide range.
This is an obvious objection, and Judge
NICHOLAS has done wisely to reduce the
number to two.
Judge NICHOLAS, in favoripg this plant,
presumes that the people would select their
very ablest and best men for electors. But
as parties cannot be avoided under our form
of government, or any other form with any
considerable infusion of freedom in it, it is
probable that as the electors would represent
some party, that the persons on whom the
final lot might fall would be such a represen-
tative. As to the very best men being
chosen as electors, it might happen so, or
quite otherwise. The chance of getting a
first rate man as President could not be
much better than it is now, and the chance
of getting a most obnoxious man would be
much increased.
But, all the while, most will feel that this
scheme belongs to the region of abstract
speculation. An objection to it in the pop
uIar mind is the very thing which is claimed
as merit for it; the fact that it would
make the popular influence less felt than it
is now.
We scarcely expect that this or any sue
ceeding generation will witness any amend
ment of the Constitution in the forms pre-
scribed by that instrument. We may have
shall have in times future as we may have
had in those past-virtual amendments of it
by judicial construction or legislative or
executive practice. Beyond such amend
ments the Constitution will remain, we think,
as long as the Union lasts, the same that
we see it now.
MRS. JOHN WooD is going to New Or.
leans to play for 800 a night. BARNEY