Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1872-12-19
Presidential Elections.

Presidential Elections.
or the two plans thus far proposed in
Congress. Gen. Banks contemplaies elect
ing the President and Vice President by
the people. lengthening the Presidential
term la six years and forhldding its renew
al, and raising the salary TO S5o.OO0 per
snnum. Mr.. Lynch's merely provides In
detail for the election of these officers d.
rectly by the people. The increase of sal
AIRY presents question which may be con.
sidered independently of other changes
IL would seem on the face of it that. un-
less the present salary of s25 900 WAS
once too high, II must now be too low. for
the purchasing power of the money has
diminished more than one-haif since jack
sons day, 10 say nothing Of Washington.
IL has been alleged, however. that the prac-
tce of supplying appropriations for the
" bite House has become 30 much more
liberal OF late Years that the President,
now can really save more OF their salari-.
than their rly predecessors could The
matter could be easily settled by Investi-
CATION. The President OF the United
States ought 10 be compensated. il not in
proportion TO the dignity OF his once.
certainly with some regard 10 the cost Of
maintaining that dignity while In office
and af'erward. The principle OF afiixny
pension 10 the tenure of Office, which
prevails largely in England, has been
adopted here with respect 10 the Judges
of the Supreme Court OF the United State.
who may resign after reaching seventy
years of age when they have been on the
bench ten years but the expcdiency OF ex-
tending the principle requires careful con-
sideration OF its effect upon our Republl-
can institutions.
In changing the Presidential machinery
the first point reiat-s TO the retention OF
electors In any form. Until recently the
plan OF innovation most In vogue was TO
retain the electors the same In number as
now. but TO have them chosen by Con-
gressional districts. except the 40 at
large corresponding 10 the United States
Senators. This would destroy the power
of the great States. like New York and
Pennsylvania. over the Presidential cleo
uon-in fact, he would make the States as
States Of no account The Congressional
district would become the unit OF election,
except as TO two electors ia each State.
The result would be TO make the choice
ordinarily conform more closely 10 the
popular vote than IL does now For IN
stance, the last Presidential election. in
stead Of designating 800 Grant electors 10
IS tor Greeley would.-taking as a basis
the probable complexion Of the next Com
gress, together with the vote of the several
States-have stood about 266 for Grant TO
100 for Greeley. There might be elections
where this method would prevent a wrong
result, by making IL expressive OF the popu-
lar majority. rather than the result OF an
accidental majority OF electors secured
through the agreement Of a few large
States carried by trifling majorities
The Boston Advertiser devotes a long ar
ticle TO the origin OF the Electoral s. stem,
and arguing that 1t has survived any use
fulness which might once have been ex-
pected from IL, concludes rs follows:
Now the cheap newspaper makes every
citizen acquainted. not only with the views
OF every public man throughout the land
but with all the great public questions
concerning which they strive. Inevitably
under these circumstances parties are
formed and exist, independent Of personal
leaders. party Is no longer the follow
ing OF statesman, but an institution
superior TO any individual or anv minority
that enters into its composition. Have
not the events of the last year shown how
weak are the leaders OF parties: Properly
they are no longer leaders only foremost
men. A natural result Of this changed
condition is tina, the people no longer en-
trust to The discretion Of others the choice
OF me President. Each party strives to
elect 10 the Presidency . man who will
represent its ideas and serve its purposes.
No man is chosen TO the electoral college
except lie be pledged 10 vote for candi-
date pr eviously selected.
The national party convention is to the
party what II was intended the electoral
college should be to the nation. Even the
discretion OF the national convention is
more and more limited. The popular
voice dictates their choice of a candidate
beforehand. The Cincinnati convention ia
not an exception TO this rule. for it did not
represent party. The parties then hav-
ing deprived the electoral college of all
discretion in the premises. having named
the candidates for the Presidency, the
issue Is joined and the struggle conducted
precisely as If there were no electors to be
chosen. and the electoral college, as q wise
precautiOn against tumult and disorder.
which Hamilton imagined 1t would be and
which, indeed. it was in the early days Of
the republic, Ii Of no account whatever
Ii has become q mere decentralization Office,
without any Of the adv antxges Of such an
institution. whether or not it would be
better to go back TO the former condition Is
useless inquiry. We cannot, il we wish
to ever SO much. The necessity is laid
upon US to make the best of the circum-
stances in which We are placed. The
electoral college, from being preventive
OF tumult and disorder, has come to be An
Imminent threat Of the worst disorder. of
which those who have eyes TO see may
discern . warning in the scattering Of
votes without respect 10 party fidelity AFTER
the death Of Mr.. Greeleyf Why should
this possible cause OF serious trouble, this
impeachment to the expression Of the popu-
lar will, be retained? The two bills re-
ported TO Congress are unnecessarily com.
plicated with other matters which 1t may
not be wise TO consider now. But the
electoral college should be abolished. it is
worse than useless; it is . danger.