Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1868-08-22
p-REs1pENr1AL ,E1RoToRs.

The passage of a bill by the Legisla-
ture of Florida, providing for the Sc
of Presidential Electors by the
Legislature Of that State, is a strictly
constitutional method OF choosing those
The first President, Wash
it is believed, was elected en-
tirely by Electors chosen in that way.
Certainly, the vote Of Pennsylvania for
him was cast by Electors chosen BY the
Legislature, and in other States the
same method was adopted. There were
in operation in the United States, at va
rious periods, four methods of choosing
Electors for President aud Vice Presi-
dent, viz by joint ballot of the State
Legislatures by q concurrent ote oil
the two branches of the Legislature 4; by
the people of the State voting by gen.
eral ticket, and by the people voting by
districts. The latter method was sup
posed to be the most fair, but it had tho
same disadvantages of the Congressional
district system, and split up the vote be-
tween opposing candidates. The poll
ticians soou found that it would be bet
ter to cast the whole vote Of n State one
way, and the district electoral system
soon went out Of fashion. The right Of
q State Legislature to select the manner
in which the Electors Of President and
Vice President shall be chosen, is Sc
cured by Article II, Section 2, Of the
Constitution, which says: Each State
shall appoint, in such mi rs the
Legislature thereof may direct, n num-
Der Of Electors equal to the whole num-
Der of Senators and Representatives to
which the State may be entitled in Con-
gress."
The only qualification to this s6so-
Lutte right of regulation by the State
Legislatures Of the name in which
Electors are to be chosen is, that Con-
gress may appoint the day upon which
the Electoral Colleges shall meet.
Gradually throughout the United States
the general ticket electoral system came
into operation. There was but n single
exception, which vas in the State Of
South Carolina. That State never
yielded to the people before the rebel
lion the right to have any influence
upon the Presidential election. The
task of casting the vote Of the State
was i~ntrusted to Electors chosen BY
members Of the Legislature, who were
themselves elected long before any can
didate for the Presidency was agreed
upon by the conventions of the princi-
pal parties. The members Of the Leg
islature were not chosen in regard to
their Presidential preferences, and the
whole system, as practiced in South
Carolina, was exclusive and aristocratic
in its tendencies. We believe that the
new Constitution Of that State contains
a provision for the choice Of Presiden-
tial Electors by the people. The expe-
rience Of South Carolina wns such as to
make the course necessary.
Probably in the Constitutions of the
other Southern States, the practice hay
ing always been in favor of popular
elections, the subject WAS not thought
of, and no provisions have been made
upon the subject. 1t is likely that the
example of Florida will be followed by
the other Southern States which have
been reconstructed ; and the strange
sight may be witnessed Of q popular
election for President for the first time
in South Carolina, and a choice Of Elec-
tors by the Legislatures Of other South
eru States. We cannot say that we can
warmly approve the plan Of choosing
Electors by the General Assemblies Of
the various states. 1t q only be JUS
tilted By the unsettled condition of the
Southern States at present and the ne
cessity Of the case. The Legislatures,
undoubtedly, represent the loyal major
tiles in all the reconstructed States,
and if, as it seems from the threats put
out by the. Democrats, there is danger
Of riots, turbulence and a~ssassinations
at the Presidential election, it will be
better to avoid those perils by the adop.
ton of q plan perfectly constitutional.
At the same time, It is to be hoped that
this being a case Of necessity, tranquil
lily and good order will be so well re-
stored before the coming Of another
four years that the choice Of Electors
will be given to the people, a practice
in accordance with the sentiments and
principles Of republicanism.