The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1872-04-27
The EIecsIon of President attd
Vice President.
HOW CONDUCTED,

There is nothing more complicated than
the election If President aud Vice President
pndtr our present political system. How II
could ever have been devised is a mystery.
There are few even among our most lntelh- |
gent men who can explain from the COM !
mencemeut the manner in which President !
and Vice President elected, and the great
mass Of the people are profoundly ignorant.
We propose here to trace the election up from
It's germ. FIRST, there is the primary town
or local caucus for the different parties; then
comes the county. district and State cOnven-
lions through that machinery delegates are
appointed 10 national convention. These
national conventions nominate candidates.-
These nominations, however, legally amount
to nothing. Each State elects IA number
Of Electors corresponding to it's Senators
and Representatives in Congress. and they
vote for whom they choose absolutely for
President and Vice President. There is uO>
thing requiring them to vote for any man
who has been nominated, except SO far as
they may Consider it binding in honor. The
Constitution intended that they should have
the first and final choice. It's trainers sup
posed that the Electors would be among the
first men OF the country, an0 would be better
judges of " ho would be fit for President and
Vice President than their constituents. the
people hence they were made an interme
diate booy. lu order to give these Electoral
Colleges full authority the Electors are obliged
to vote by secret ballot.
Suppose. for instance, that Ohio should
popularity cast its twenty-five Electoral votes
for the candidates who were iu the field and
supposed to be against rant aud his COL
league, but upon counting the Electoral votes
there might be number for Grant. These
votes would stand. and it would be next to
or quite impossible TO find ont the persons
who had cast them against The will Of the
people. The United S 'ates Senator in this
State is voted for by the members ef the
Legislature UiUd UOce. and if there is any be-
trayal of pledges the responsibility cannot be
dOdge1. But there is no such security in our
votes for President and Vice President. 1t
is to the credit of the country that thus far
In seventy years no elector, under the shield
of the secret ballot. has ever cast vote diff
ferent from that whicR it was intended by
the people he should give. But it may hap>
pen in the future. Our politics are becoming
more corrupt, and if there was close vote
in the Electoral College between rival candi>
dates there is no knowing what might hap>
pen. The electoral or intermediate system
ought to be abolished. After the Electoral
College has met 10 each State on the first
Wednesday of December, ard cast it's vote,
1t sends messenger with 1t to Washington.
Early in February the votes Of the States
are opened In a joint session Of the TWO Hou
ses, the President of the Senate presiding.-
in case one candidate has majority over all
the others. he is declared elected. If not the
Senate retres to its chaH,ber. and the House
proceeds to vote for the three highest caudi>
dates who had been voted for by the Electors.
The vote. how ever. is not according to tie
usual form, but is given by States. Thus,
New York is called with her thirty one mem
hers. Tl' ~ ask leave ID retire. Sixteen Cf
them dir hat the vote Of the Sta:e-and
it is OILY oCe-be reco ded for the candidate
running against Grant. Delaware is called,
which has but single menb Der, and he casts
one vote, the same has been given by the
thirty-three gentlemen from the Empire
State. Each State has simply one vote, and
a majority of the delegati determines it =
majority Of all the States. which are now
ihirty>seven in number. would be nineteen.
and that is absolutely required. If the vote
should stand eighteen for u. S. Grant, eigh-
teen for Judge Davis, and one State equally
divided aud casting no vote. there would be
no choice. On the 4th Of March the session
Of Congress not only terminates. but the terms
Of its members expire. lu the two or three
weeks they have to vote they may not have
choseh auy man for President The House
has been. on one occasion, nine weeks in
choosing Speaker, and it is reasonable to
assume it might be three weeks and no. elect
President. Then we hear the reader in
quire. who. On the 4th Of March, would be
President2 We will further ex plain. When
there is no choice for President and no choice
for Vice President. the United States Senate
chooses the latter officer. By wise provi>
sion in the Constitution, the Senate selects
between the two highest candidates voted f
nv the ect0rs. AS the Senators vote iudi>
viduaily. choice is almost certain TO be
made. The Vice President being elected.
aad the 4th of March arriving without a
President, he assumes that office for four
years. the same as ic the President had died
or as if he himself had been elected. In case
there i no Vice President on the 4Lh of March
the Cffice devolves upon the President pro
TEN of the Senate; and, in case of his dis
ability. upon the Speaker of the House; then
upon the Chief Justice Of the United Stltes
aud. finally. upon the oldest. in length of
service. of the Associate Justices But, in |
case Of :he disability Of both President and |
Vice President. the person discharging the |
duties of President does not hold the full |
term. but oaly until the next annual n .vem- |
Der election. when new President AID Vice
President will be elected for four years
This E ectoral system ought to be abol
ished /; it affsrds too great an opportunity for
fraud to reflect the wishes and intentions of
the people. 1t is too complicated The
Presidential vote of the different States could
be indicated. and the State autocracy pre-
served, by voting directly for President and
Vice President. aud then checkiug at Wash
ington a number of votes equal to our Sepa
tariai and delegate representation If this
is not done. We sh All upon some foe morning
wake up and find ourselves shamefully be-
treye1 by the men in " hOm we have renOSeJ
confidence as Electors. The law ought also
TO be so changed that Congress could COM
mence to vote early in the session. in d Gem
Der, for putting it off till the middle of Feb>
ruary renders the risk too great that no choice
at all will be made.
But, moro than all, there ought to be some
provision made for a contested election. Each
House is the judge of the qualification and
e,ectian of its own members IN Csnyress and