The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1872-11-14
Finishing Up the Presidential Election.

Finishing Up the Presidential Election.
The Presidential election is popularity said
to be over. Really it has just begun. But in
the ordinary course of events the formal pro-
ceedings by which effect is to be given
to the decision of the people attract
little or no attention. Indeed, the choosing
of electors IS regarded as ordinarily so con-
elusive as to the final result that many people
of average intelligence have never taken the
trouble to trace the proceedings to the end.
The real election of President takes place on
the first Wednesday of December. On that
day the electors chosen on the 9th VIII as
semble in their respective States ana Daiiot
for President and Vice President, in accord
ance with the provisions of the twelfth amend
ment to the constitution of the United States.
They then make out three lists of the per-
sons voted for as President and Vice Pres-
dent for Transmission to the President of the
Senate at Washington, who, on the first
Wednesday i1, FEBRUARY, will open them in
the presence of both houses of Congress and
duly proclaim the names of the successful
candidates, who are then, and not till then,
fairly out of the woods and beyond the reach
of accident or malice. Before that day ar
rives dozen unpleasant things may oc-
cur to annoy the candidates if not to en-
danger their final triumph. For in
stance, the spirit of intrigue or ambition
might possess the electors, in which case
they would resume the power conferred upon
them by the constitution by which they are
authorized to exercise an independent judg-
ment about the selection of President and
Vice President This power has always ex-
listed, but has always been voluntarily abdi-
Gated If the electors all met together, so
that 366 men would find themselves assembled
in one hall with the absolute power to choose
Chief Magistrate, the situation would be
extremely favorable to concert of action in
the direction we have indicated, and the
meeting of the electoral college would be an
event attended with considerable anxiety and
excitement. But the constitution precludes
the possibility of such a meeting for official
action, This being the case, the probabili-
ties are all against any self-assertion on the
part of the electors. If however, the sue
cessfu candidate for President or Vice Pres
ident should die before the first Wednesday
in December the electors would then neces-
sarily exercise their constitutional functions,
and the people of Maine would probably con-
graduate themselves most heartily that they
were to be represented by such safe and able
men as Hon. S. E. Spring and his asso-
ciates.
The day on which the electors meet in
their several States, the day on which the
votes are opened and counted in the presence
of Congress and the manner of authenticate
ing the lists made out by the electors are
left by the constitution to be regulated by
law. This is done by the act of March LIST,
1892 This law requires that the executive
authority of each state shall make out and
certify three lists of the electors of that
State and that the governors GER
tifcate shall be attached to- each
list of votes. We presume, however,
that Congress would, in its discretion, direct
the counting of votes not so certified, and
thai if Gov. Hoffman of New York or Gov.
Parker of New Jersey, for instance, should
on any account withhold their certificates,
alleging fraud or some other reason, their
States would not on that account be disfran-
chised.
The proceedings of the electors in other re-
spects than those to which we have referred
are regulated by the laws of the several
States. In Maine, the Governor and Coun-
ell are in session, in accordance with chapter
four of the Revised Statutes, on the third
Thursday after the election, for the purpose
of examining the returns of votes for electors
and sending special messengers to towns that
have neglected to make the necessary re-
turns. The Governor and Council meet
again on the Thursday before the first We'd
nesday of December and send certificate to
each electOr. If a majority of the electors are
not chosen, special session of the Legisla-
ture is called at which, the vacancies are fill
ed by joint ballot. Our electors meet in the
Senate Chamber at Aug sta at two 'clock
in the afternoon on the 4th of next month.
They are authorized to fill vacancy caused
by death or resignation, by majority vote,
and they will select messenger to carry one
of their lists to Washington and deliver it to
Vice Presi lent Cofax before the first We'd
nesday in January. To most people it seems
as if an election by direct popular vote
would save a vast deal of unnecessary and
costly machinery.