The Kanzas news., 1859-01-08

The New York zTituns contains the fol-
lowing remarks and suggestions ia relation
to the election OF President by the people
withous the Intervention of party co1yen
tons
Wby sboald bot the people freely choose
their next President An who understand
the matter know that the real eisciee IS now
made by the rival bands of politicians. yir-
tualIy self-ehoseR to the rival gatherings
termed National Conventions. and that the
People are allowed Hobson's choice and one
nsore-that is, they may vote for the nemi-
nee of this Convention, or of that. If they
presume to have another choice than this
TO vote for any person not the nominee of
one of these TWO Conyentions-they simply
throw their votes away. Yet these Con-
yentions are not merely extra-constitutional
and utterly unknown to the laws-they are
practically In the main cabals of self-seek-
ers, who are maneuyering and eounterplot-
ting for embassies, collectoFships, consul
ships, land offices. auditorships. etc. Sharp
", By great effort. and at much cost of mon
ey, and wear and tear of conscience, gets
himself elected to the National Convention
of his party, with an eye single to the push
ing of his own political fortunes. To this
end, it is essential that he should not mere
II help nominate candidate, but help in
vent one He must make the President, II
he is to establish a claim on the gratitude
of that functionary-merely TO declare that
A. or B. is the choice of the party, would
amount to little. The nomination of q Jack
SON, Clay, Webster or Calhoun. cannot ex
pect to be very greatly remembered by their
nominee, for they have simply done what
they were sent to do-what every one ex-
pected them to do; but they who fish up a
Polk or Pierce from the depths of medioe-
rily and obscurity and open to him the doors
of the White House. may reasonably calcu-
late on reciprocation of. the favor. They
have set him up as chief distributor of Of
fees and spoils; and he must be more or
less than man if he does not prove to them
their bounty was wisely bestowed. The del
egate 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 portion
of the swag. Hence the frequent nemina-
ton of candidates for the highest stations
who are alike unfit and undeserving.
But again convention is necessarily
shy of bold, decided, positive men. 1t
to all men-who are little of this and a
little of that-who are neither hot or cold
who have never offended nor alienated
any, because they never said nor did any
thing of conseqnence-and whose opinions
and utterances are fair compromise be-
tween something and nothing The politi-
clans strike sort of general average be-
tween these members of their party who
mean something and those who mean little
or nothing, and the man who comes nearest
to this Golden mean,' is apt to be their
favorite.
Why not revolt against all this machinery
and smash it? What need is there of Ma
tional Convention !? None in the world
or rather, the only need of it is that felt by
the political aspirants whose only chance of
promotion depends on a skillful working of
the wires. IF it were felony by statute to
hold or attend National or Nominating
Convention, or any other contrivance for
confning 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 century.
"But the Constitution must be altered if
the People are to vote directly for Presi-
dent it is said. That is an entire mis-
take. 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 popular Sovereignty"
principles. Abolish it, and National Con-
yentions with exclusive party candidates be-
come inevitable. With Electors, they are
utterly superhuous.i
The true mode of choosing President is
this: Let The Republican and the Democrat
&c voters of each State nominate and support
an Electoral Ticket. pledged to Uote fo' that
candidate for President and Vice President
respectively. whona the largest number Of 90
ters for that ticket throughout the Union shall
indicate as their Cko,ee. Then, let each vo-
ter in whatever State vote the Electoral Tick
ct of his party headed by the names of the
candidates of his choice for President and
President. The Electoral ticket of the
strongest party in each State will thus be
chosen, and the People viii decide, in.
choosing il, for whom the Electors of the
respective parties shall vote. For instance:
Let us suppose that the Republicans in 869
should carry all the Free States, including
Kansas and Minnesota, except Indiana, Or
egon and California, they would have ma
jority of the Electoral Votes, and would
therefore choose the President. Choose
whom? We answer: Whomsoeyer the
largest number of the voters for the Repub
lican Electoral tickets throughout the I'm
ion shall have designated on their Electoral
ballots For instance. we will suppose that
800, 900 shall have voted for the Repub-
Ecan Electors on ballots headed,
.sFor President, John c. Fremont !;
President, William L. Dayton"
oo,OoO shall have voted for the Repub-
liean Electors on ballots headed. ''For
President, William Fl. Seward; Vice
President. Francis p. Blair. -" and
SOC. 600 shall have voted for the Repub-
lican Electors on ballots headed. For
President, salmon P. Chase; Vice.
President, Edward Stanly.'' and