The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1869-02-24

Science Association, in session at ALBANY
during the past week, were of very inter-
esting character. Among the notable per-
sons present was Professor Goodwin Smith.
who delivered an address on the subject of
university Education;" speaking more par
ticularly of what it is in England, touching
only incidentally on the American college
system, which evidently had not impressed
him very favorably. The Hon. John STAN
ton Gould read carefully prepared paper on
THE Cattle Disease" which was full of val
liable information, and from which we pro-
pose to quote at some future time. The
President, DR.. Samuel Eliot, of Boston, also
delivered very interesting address on the
subject of Higher Education;" and papers
were read by f. B. Sanborn on "The Super-
vision OF Public Charities; !" by the Rev. Dr.
Z. Z. Wines, of the New York Prison Asso-
clation, on "The Irish Prison system % bv
Mr.. Charles l.. Brace on "Model' Lodging
Houses" and by various gentlemen on other
interesting and important topics connected
with the advancement and well-beins of So
ciety. One of the most valuable contribu-
tions to the discussions of the Association
was paper prepared by Mr.. Charles Francis
Adams, jr., and read by Mr.. w. H. Bogart.
OF "The Protection of the Ballot in Nation
al Elections. We present a summary of its
principal points:
Politicak virtue and political corruption.
Mr.. Adams says, are never the peculiar pro
perty of any party. Only the partizan be-
lieves that all virtue is to be found in one
party and all vice in another. Corruption
begets corruption, and wrong and fraud edu-
cate themselves. Just at present it is the
fashion to consider an extension of the suf
frage as the general and effectual panacea for
political evils. Without at all conceding that
this system is the best that in process of time
can be devised, yet il is the one under which
we live; and the student of social science
can desote himself to no better task than TO
the purifying and protecting of the system.
however crude aad unsatisfactory it at best |
may appear to him. Certain practical diff
culties. and msnifest evils are now making |
themselves felt IN the operation of the suf- |
frage through our machinery of government. 1
and with thee Mr.. Adams deals, proposng
to set forth no theories, advance no new
views. The question, he says, is large and |
difficult one and stands rather in need of |
suggestion and discussion than of patent /
legislative panaceas. The recent election |
was forturately so decisive in its result that J
there could be no doubt as to what that re-
suit is, bHe 1t might not be always thus, ard
there was general desire, growing QUO
the charges OF fraud in that election hat
something should be DONE Two thingsseem
likelyto result from the agitation uoT dying
away: First, an extension of the suffrage,
and secondly, renewed discussion of the
long-yeTTSS question. of the liberalization
l,rs' .ha. anere seemed to be general feel
was not suficiently protected. 'afis This
being the case, it only remained
to consider the manner in which the late
election was held, and the machinery in use.
and then suggest, if possible, some reqedv'
One leading feature of the skillfully consh,ct-
ed Constitution of the United States is co..
fessed and universally conceded failure. Thel
The machinery for the election of President I
through the system of electoral colleges |
has never operated as the trainers of the in |
strument supposed it would. From the out
set it has proved a cumbersome and useless |
arrangement. The colleges have never done
more than register the popular decision pre-
viously arrived at, and this they do not do
correctly. Not only do they not register the
popular verdict, but they hold out induce
ment to corruption and opportunity to fraud,
and threaten great dangers to our system.
ton received a majority of five per cent. in
the popular vote. In the colleges he received |
a majority of forty-four per cent Examining
the various familiar methods by which fraud
ulent voting was done at the late election, Mr.
Adams concludes that amending the natural
ization laws would do little toward checking
fhe evil. A change of less than 10000 votes
in seven States in the recent election would
have made Gov Seymour the legally elected
prasidopt uhila his anp0nout mor1ld sfill
have received a popular majority of 2S0,000
votes. This and many other rexemplifcations
show that under the existing system premi-
um is placed upon fraud in certain localities
where a few votes may outbaance great
many in another locality. The violation of
the ballot box BY one party makes its viola
tlon by the other party what is called in the
parlance of the day, political necessity. The
surest protection OF the ballot will be found in
the making frauds upon it, as far as may be,
unavaillng. The present system both pro-
vides the machinery through which the frauds
may be made peculiarly effective, and, at the
same time, designates the localities where
they can best be attempted. The removal of
the system of the electoral colleges would not,
indeed, go to the root of the evil, but would
at once deprive it of its greatest inducement
and best opportunity. The fraudulent vote
will continue to have fictitious value until
1t can in no case have a greater weight than
an honest one. 1t remains to be seen how
long the voters of Illinois, Ohio and Massa-
chusetts, rolling up useless majOrities by
scores of thousands, will stand with folded
arms and calmly watch the workings of
a system under which one vote in the Sixth
Ward of New York may well outweigh fifty
| votes within their own borders. There is no
reason why system shouldsbe retained by
which ten illegal votes in one precinct out
weigh, of necessity, ten legal votes in another,
and may outweigh, perhaps, 1900. The sys-
| tenn of electoral colleges, while thus faulty,
| has no redeeming excellences. What greater
| strain could be put upon our system of Gov
| eminent than an election of the Chief Magis-
trate by body which now cannot even
count an undisputed electoral vote with
out disgracing itself and the whole
country by unseemly broils? Twice
| in our history have elections gone into
| the House of Representatives. One almost
resulted in placing Aaron Burr in the Presi-
Dental chair; the other did result in the cleo
ton of the candidate of distinct minority.
The proposal to choose electors like members
| of Congress, by districts, would only partial
| ly reform the system. What good reason
was there why the people should not vote di-
rectly for the Presidentp After dwelling up
on the evils OF illegal voting, upon the neces-
sity OF careful registry, he says that it may
become serious question whether the Unit
| ed States will not be obliged ultimately to
take the whole management of national
| elections into the hands of national officers.
1t may well be questioned whether the Amer
ican people fully appreciate the logical results
of the proposed amendment Of the Constitu-
tion, by which all discrimination in the exer-
| else of the elective franchise on account of
race, color, nativity, property, education or
| creed is forbidden. Too many experiments
seem likely to be tried at once with regard to
the elective franchise. After prophesying
that woman will, If she desires, vote too, ere
long, and that elements of every variety will
be introduced into the list of voters, Mr.. Ad-
| ans examines their relativa degrees of fitness