The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1868-08-05
THE ELECTION OF ELECTORS FOR PRESIDENT
AND. VICE PRESIDENT.

ness for the first time in the history of South
Carolina, the choice Of Electors by popular vote
in this State The Constitution of 1865 made this
innovation upon the old plan of choosing electors
by the Legislature, and it was then thought that
the white people would discharge this duty only
and for tho first time. Tho Constitution under
which We exist, framed by mongrel ConVen-
ton last. February, makes the sane provision IN
the following manner, to wit
Article 8th, section 9th on the R.ght Of Sn6rage-
"Presidential electors shall be elecedby the peo-
ple.'
This settles tho question, therefore, which has
recently been agitated at Washington and else
where so far us this State is concerned, in regard
to the choice of electors whereby it is proposed to
devolve this duty upon the Legislature, as for
merly Unless its plainest provisions are to be
nullifed by the Legislature now acting for the
State+ the Constitution must be obeycd in this
particular, and the election of electors for Presi-
don't and Vice President must deyolve upon the
people of South Carolina, both white md coored.
|; While contemplating this fact, We have thought
that it might not be amss to make our readers ia
miliar with the Office and duties Of Electors, and
the manner Of casting the vote of the respective
States for tho highest offices in the gift of the
American people. Of course, there are many to
whom this will prove stale information, but under
the practice heretofore pursued by South Carolina,
the people generally were not made acquainted
with the details of President making, and hence
we propose to supply the necessary information
The twelfth amendment to the Constitution of the
United States provides as follows:
"The Electors shall meet in their respective
States, and vote by ballot for President and wee
President, enc Of whom, at least, shall not be an
inhabitant of the same State with themselves; they
shall name in their ballots the person voted for as
President and in distinct ballots the person voted
for as Vice President, and they shall make distinct
lists of all persons voted for as President, and of
all persons voted for as Vice President and of the
| number of votes for each, which lists they shall
sign and certify and transmit scaled to the seat OF
the government of the United States, directed to
the President of the Senate the President OF the
Senate shall, in the presence of the Senate anu
House of Representatives, open all the certificates
and the votes shall then be counted the person
having tho greatest number of votes for President
shall be the President, if such number be ma
iority Of the whole number of Electors appointed;
and if no person have such majority, then from
the persons having the highest numbers not ex-
ceeding three on the list of those voted for as
President the House Of Representatives shall choose
Immediately, by ballot, the President But in
choosing the President the votes shall be taken by
States, tho representation from each State having
l. 20 oil
I of member or members from two-thirds of the
States, and majority of all the States shall be ne
cessary to choice. And if the House of Repre-
sentatives shall not choose President, whenever
the right of choice shall deyolve upon thcI before
the fourth day of March next following. then the
Vice President shall act as President, as in the
case of the death or other constitutional disability
of the President. The person having the greatest
number of votes as Vice President, shall be the
Vice President if such number be majority of
the whole number of Electors appointed, and if no
person have majority, then from the two highest
numbers on the list, the Senate shall choose the
Vice President; o quorum for the purpose shall
consist of two thirds of the whole number Of Sena
tors, and majority of the whole number shall be
necessary to choice But person constitu
tionally ineligible to the Office of President shall
be eligible to that of Vice President of the United
States.''
The result herein contemplated, by Which the
choice of q President or Vice President devolves
upon either House of Congress, has only obtained
on single occasion in the history of our govern
ment. JOHN QUINCY ADAMS was chosen President
by the House of Representatives in 1925. The
system of nominating electors by party Convcn-
tions has been in vogue for great number of
years, we believe, and prevents the vote of State
from being scattered for different individuals
Usually, there have been two great parties, as at
the present time, contending for the mastery, and
this sodfcs the popular vote, 30 that the choice
of Electors is easily ascertained The manner of
appointed Electors is left by the Constitution Of
the United States to the Legislatures of the several
States which are Of course controlled by the State
Constitutions. Tho number of Electors is fixed,
and is equal TO the whole number of Senators and
Representatives to which the State may be entitled
in Congress.
In conclusion, and in view Of the fact that q
Democratic State Convention meets in Columbia
tomorrow for the purpose of nominating Electors
on the SEYMOUR and BLAIR ticket, we append the
third section of the fourteenth amendment To the
Constitution of the United States by which it will
be observed that all persons who took an oath to
support the said Constitution and afterwards en-
gagged in the war, or aided and Allotted the Con-
federate cause, are disqualified from holding such
position:
Sec. 8. No person shall be Senator or Repre-
sentative in Congress, or elector Of President and
Vice President or hold any Office civil or military
under the United States or under any State, who,
having previously taken an oath rs member of
Congress, or as an officer of the United States, or
as member of any State Legislature, an
Executive or Judicial officer of any State, to sup