The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1872-08-07
HOW PRESIDENTS ARE MADE.
Wide Difference Between tho Popular
and Electoral Votes.

All the powers Of sovereignty in the United
States rest with tha sovereign people, and yet
they do not elect their President or Vice.
President. They think they do; but the near
est approa ach the people can make under the
constitution to an election of these officers Is
In the election, Slate by State, of the agents
by whom said officers are elected; and, taking
the will of the majority of the people of the
United States as the test which would deter
mine the choice of their President and Vice
President, we see that 1t Is only in the chapter
of accidents that these officers are In reality
the choice of the people-that a man may by
the electoral colleges be elected President
with heavy majority of the popular vote G.
the Union against him, and that, worse yet, a
man may be constitutionally chosen President
by the electors for whom not one solitary vote
has been cast by the people.
The national constitution provides, In the
election OF President and Vice President:
First, that each State, as the Legislature may
direct, shall appoint q number of electors
equal to the whole number OF senators and re-
representatives. to which such State Is entitled
in Congress; second, that these electors shall
meet In their respective States (the electoral
colleges, } and vote by ballot for President and
Vice President; third, that they shall make
distinct lists OF the persons voted lOr and OF
the number of votes for each, and transmit
said lists, signed and certified, 10 the presl-
dent of the United States Senate; fourth, that
this presiding officer, In the presence OF both
houses oil Congress, shall open these certin-
Gates, and that the electoral votes OF
the several States tor President snail %
counted then and there, and the person having
lororoct nj VDtPa IF a maiOritV OF all
the votes cast, shall be President. Otherwise
from the three highest persons voted for oy
the electoral colleges the House Of Represen-
taliyes, by ballot, SHALL elect the President,
each State in these elections being limited TO
one vote., A quorum for this purpose shall
consist OF q member or members from tWo-
thirds Of the States, and majority OIL all the
States shall be necessary 10 ohoice. Finally,
when such election shall devolve upon the
House, and it shall fail to make an election In
The Interval to the 4th OF March next follow
Ing, land under existing arrangements these
elections come before the House about the
18th of February then the Vice-Presldent
shall act as President, as In the case OF death
or other constitutional disability OF the Presi-
dent
In the next place the person from the elec-
toral colleges having the largest number OF
votes for Vice. President shall be Vlce-Presl-
dent, If his vote be a majority OF the whole
vote for this officer cast by the electoral COL
leges. Otherwise from the two highest per-
sons on the list from said colleges the Senate
shall choose the Vice-President. A quorum
for this purpose shall consist OF two-thirds OF
The whole number OF senators, and majority
OF the whole number shall be necessary 10 q
Under this system OF electtng Presidential
electors by the popular vote on general
ticket We have had some strange results from
time to time since 1920. In the election OF
1924, generally known as our Presidential
scrub race-between Jackson, Adams, Craw.
ford and Clay-the electoral vote Of the
Union was thus divided upon these mentor
Jackson 90. for Adams "a, for Crawford al,
end for Clay 81 There being no election oy
tie electors, the three highest persons voted
for-Jackson, Adams and Crawford-Went be-
fore the House for an election. The house Dy
States, one vote Tor each State. on the first
ballot elected Adams, who securao IL States,
against for Jackson and tor CleWf0rd.
According to the voice Of the people jack
son should have been elected, Icr he had
popular majority over Adams OF 50. 900. The
choice of Adams, however, was fair election
by the House compared with what may be
done in an election of Preslden: By that body.
For instance. let us suppose that three candi-
dates, as In 1924, are before the House for an
election of one OF them. Jones has one hun
dred and fifty electoral votes, Smith one hum
dred and twenty-five, and Brown forty.
Smith and Jones are beyond the reach OF a
compromise, but Brown, Of Delaware, with a
halfdozen of the little States to back him, is
acceptable as a last resort to the friends Of
Jones and Smith, of other small States, and
go, with the votes OF Rhode Island, Delaware,
Florida and so on, till We make up the nine
teen smallest States in population, Brown Is
elected, though the States electlng him may
represent less than one-third OF the sovereign
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