The Portland daily press., 1869-11-01

GU IWo lCllho III luC STRAIT.
The Mode of Choosing the President
Nothing has more puzzled our statesmen
and political philosophers than to discover
the best Continuance for getting correct eN-
preston of the popular will in the choice OF
a chief Magistrate. Every method yet aoopt-
ed has involved the choice OF electors as III
termediate agents in giving expression to the
popular choice. According to the constitu-
ton as originally adopted each eector was TO
vote for two persons, one Of whom at least
should not be an inhabitant of the same State
as himself There were consequently twice
as many votes as electors. The person who
had the greatest number of votes, if such
number were majority of the whole num-
Der of electors was TO be President, and the
person having the next highest number
was to be Vice President. No eector
designated which of the two persons
named in his vote was meant for Plesi
dent or which for Vice President. 1t was
possible that either person might get the Office,
and hence no person considered unworthy OF
being President was voted for, at ALL 1t is a
remarkable and significant fact that so long
as this system prevailed no man of inferior
merit was Vice President. Such men as
Adams and Jefferson obtained the Vice-Pres-
idency in that day. SI'.i'' saI
Time however disclosed a serious defect in
this method. As each elector cast two votes
two persons might have the votes of majori-
IL r.
and yet have an equal number Of votes, TINS
preventing the choice of either by the electors
and throwing the election into Congress.
This was precisely what happened in 1900
There were 13S electors. Mr.. Jefferson and
Mr.. Burr had each 70 votes so that neither
was elected In Congress choice was effected
only after long and tedious balloiing Finally
Mr.. Jefferson was elected on the Both ballot.
The danger thus disclosed that Congress
might in such a contingency fail of making
a choice and that the country might be
left without a President, Vice President
or legislature in session to elect either,
led to the adoption of the present method of
choosing the President and Vice President.
The advantage of this over the old way is
that it operates with greater certainty. The
electors designate the persons respectively in
tended AS President and Vice-President so
thlt there is less chance of throwing the cleo
ton into Congress. If this happens the
choice is from the three persons having the
hi hest number of votes instead of the five as
under the old system. If no person is elected
haG 1o 10, rtI, Of 4ho U;oo
President elect, if there is one, becomes Pres
ident As the chances are very small that
both the House of Representatives and the
Senate will fail ofmakins choice, there is
almost moral certainty that the government
will not be left without responsible head
But if this method has some advantages it
also has some defects One is that the Vice.
Presidency is almost always left prey to
mediocrity. ....t
Very few first class statesmen have occu-
pied the position Of Vice President since the
present system was adopted. Tyler, Fillmore
and johnson are examples of the political
renegades which it is liable to place within
one step OF the highest Office in the nation.
TIE brittle thread of one life is too insignif-
cant an obstacle to place between such men
and trust which they are almost certain to
abuse Our bitter experience under John
son has made us more cautious in our pres
ent choice. But the lesson of this experience
will soon fade from our minds, and we shall
go on as before peddling out the Vice Presi
dency to any political hack whose name or
influence promises 10 add to the strength of
the cket In some doubtful locality. What a
Vice-President and possible President we
should have had if the Democrats had been
successful a year ago.
Another defect in this system is the one
pointed out in Mr.. Adams paper read at the
Social Science meeting at New York and
published in the Press recently, the facility
it affords and the temptation it holds out to
the preparation of fraud. This danger has
indeed displayed itself in an unexpected
quarter. TWAS formerly thought by those of
our statesmen who opposed the system that
the electors might betray their constituent
and thus defeat the popular will. No trouble
has however been experienced in this direc-
ton. The real danger is that by the manu-
facture of fraudulent votes the wrong electors
will be chosen. Its said that thirty thousand
additional votes for Seymour suitably distrib
uted wonld have given the last presidential
election to the Democracy although Gen
Grant would still have had popular majority
gilmore than 10000. 1t is vicious system
that makes such insults possible
A remedy similar to that proposed by Mr.
Adams was formerly advocated with great
perseverance by Thomas Fl. Benton of Mis-
souri. Though he proposed it session after
session, and supported it with his usual abil-
ity, though his efforts in this direction were
marked by that tenacity of purpose which
was so conspicuous feature of mis- character,
he failed to impress upon Congress and the
peopse the necessity of such a reform. The
efforts of others failed in the same manner,
because the danger seemed too remote to
awaken the public interest 1t is TO be hoped
thai the wise counsels Of the fathers sanction
ell as they are by the teachings of our late ex-
perience may not pass UNDECIDED, and that
some p. ovisson may speedily be made where
by frauds may be prevented-the election of
President and Vice President made as direct
and simple as possible, with the details so ar
ranged that defeat of the peoples choice by
skillful combinations may be rendered diff
fcult, if not impossible. -i a..