The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1869-10-29
Election of President by Ballot.


s,..,,,n .r p-.s,a.,, Inv ,,.u.,
AT the meeting OF the American Social
Science Association, held this week in New
York Charles Francis Adams IT. nrasan+od
49,. q p,o...a 20 49,, ~.
paper oa 'he Iiec.'on Vi Tlesiuehis ol tne
United States by Ballot" OF which the follow
ing is an abstract:
The following muestion was asked in +bo
naner on " Protection of The Railot na do
before this Association At it's meetin3 Of All
bany on the 18th of February last - Can any
good reason he suooested yvbv tho noonla -,
This country should NOT directlv vote far t IL
Presidents as thew ever have for their Gov
ernors? D THIS auer, did NOT have 1ono r.
wait for a conclusive resnonse A yorn ohIo
criticism unon fine naner in ouos,io,, Il 81,
after appeared in the Chicapo Tr;b,,no ,,,b;oi'
| while emnbaticallv condemnno the n mm
mode of CHOOSING the eloctoraI co,ianosp
ed ont very clearly certain other Jsnoo go :;
| herent in the method of direct aisctions ne
| which if supported by reason. are nndnnhtaI
| Iy conclusive against if. The difficnltv in ~.
| existing system, that of electing the COLLEGES
from each State as a general ticket and h1
popular vote, is that an irresistible temntation
to fraud is held out. A lew Thousand mann.
featured votes in New York city. by control
| ing through bare popular majority. tbe 3a
votes of the State, exactly Offset 150.OOO non.
ular majority in illinois. Massachnsetts and
Vermont, which, together. throw the same
number of votes as New York The nreSen,
system. therefore not only renders frand,,'
lent voting most uunatural,y eff Give hnt ey.
actly points out the localities where If is need
ed to produce result. and almost how mon J
votes are REQUIRED. Fraud fins becomes y
political necessity TO countaract frond -
can only be perpetuated nnder Certain c,ro,a,,
stances. They are poss,bIe in LARGO nitias
where the voters are necessarily unLnown ~
each other. and in ruda and Iawlesc oo,,,,,,,
mites, They are impossible in well reonIat tod
and moderately peopled sections of conntr1,
The simple question therefore is. how can The
influence of the crowded or lawless nortions
of the community be most effectualIy restrict.
ed within their legitimate limits3 IF the
President were elected bv a direct nonniar
vote of the whole community. it is trne tb at
one or many illegal votes in one section could
only offset the same number of Icnoi 80" ~.
another section. Whereas in tho iaSt o,aot;1 -
sinole ballot mannfactnraJ NV o,,s
California 20 III have been Ohio to pa,sy ,o o
LEGAL votes actuallv cast hv tho o+t on i?o
Iowa In co for DC II ron,od;nd ~ pai ~
and at Least danryeJ frand 81 w., IIlmouity
INV redncino ali votes Iaa.I ~ W s gu ausanlase
level fine election bu !. d;rnot ,,n,s,'Is, " d
would be an Improvement on tba ,'.oa 49, =
,ystem. Sucb a chance bowevar p,es ',au
nointed ont bv the T,Sh,,ne ,vo',id Ia DO was
to grave objections-it would he cnn,-
Irons Eoh,e 10 FIND ond nell 80
Jreat dancers in case of c,o m vote iea 10 W
New York whatever II NAV he accustomed tn
within its own limits. might not see with
eouapimity vast opposino maior;tiaS rolI;,,o
up from the wilds of Texas 10 SETTLE snn,o
closely contested election Sncb an oh;o ST.
is conclusive. and while the ex;st,no snStom,
stands condemned. no relief is n, he fonnd IN
the direction suooesfed in Fehrnarn III
What is the next step in discussion so,ro
thing must be done. The frauds nnnrnoo.
denied, systematic, appalling. which = wear
AGO wera onIy vaguely ALLEGED arc now No, 49,
uers of record. Courts Of law bavn na aaa
upon them; committees have investigateJ
them. Finally. the community is cony;ncod
in regard to them, for partisan leaders even
acknowledge them, as was seen in the World
CT September 5,h As usual, however. noth-
'ng is being done 10 guard against them in
the future. The country has hitherto es-
capped presidential elections contested on the
ground of fraud, only by a miracle as If wore
This GOOD fortune cannot continne forever
The subject cannot be too much discussed
The solution OF the problem will be arrived at
when that system of elections is devised nm.
der which the effects of frauds shall be re-
stricted within the narrowest possible limits
The existing system and the method of aIoo.
ton by direct vote being rejected. we are
brought directly back to the electoral system
conducted by districts. The article reiarred
to in the Tribune be. tectly set forth tho yyorlr
ing of this system. The two members of
each college. representlno the ITnited Stat as
Senators, would be elected by a vote at ,arue
Each district would elect also one member
of the college. ANY number of thousands of
fraudulent votes in given district could only
affect three electoral votes under this 81 stem
instead of thIrtv.three as was tba oaSo 1aat
year, or the grand result. as would he tbe case o
under general popular vote. All incentive
to great fraud wouid Tins h, renewed
The regulation of this subject is esnec;.,lv
reserved 70 fhe state IeoisIatnres hv ort;oIn o,y
section lst. of the constitution Tho oues
ton of changing it tor Theoretical reasons has
been long aeitated. Hamilton, Jackson. Ben
ton. Sumner and others have al t;sona,oJ :.
Now the change is urged as an absolute no
cessty to prevent outraoeons frauds tho
question is practical and vital not moraiu
theoretical. Reform is essential to nolitic.I
health. All who have considered the subiect
arrive at one conclusion: that a cbano,. ",
the constitution is imperative. The necessa-
~ uOu1UcdtlOn VIII De found fpducp1 N form
in the report of Mr. Lawrence Of MI " 'o thn
New York election frauds. 0A'9 'ii ''ie
"Article-
"The electors Of President and vioo pros;
dent shall be chosen as tolows.-
"Two electors of President and Vice Pres
ident shall be chosen at large from each State
by the qualified voters therein.
"a number of electors in each State equal
to the whole number of representatives to
which such State may be entitled in Congress,
shall be chosen in single districts of contigu-
Gus and compact territory, each containing,
ds nearly as practicable an equal amount OF
population.
The times, places and manner of choos-
ing such electors shall be prescribed in each
State by the legislature thereof, but the Con-
gress NAV at any time by law make or alter
such regulations.
Congress shall prescribe the mode of de-
termlninS the validity of the choice of elect
tors, and contestihg the right of President
ana Vice President"
Here is tangible measure of vital reform
winch seems to be uneXceptionable. What
can be done to make it a practical question
How can its adoption he forwarded2 poll
tlcians, caucuses aud conventions cannot be
to dry up, not to create fountain Of 800 Srrn'
ton. 1t carries with it no political PATRONAGE