The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1873-01-09
A Change in the Election of President and
Vice President,

A Change in the Election of President and
Vice President.
The lamentable death of Horace Greeley is
likely to be followed by one good result-that
is, an amendment to the Constitution of the
United States in regard to the election of Pres.
ident. The dangers of the present electoral
system are now seen by all. Here were the
Electors of Kentucky, Tennessee, Maryland,
and other States, elected to vote for certain
man, now bringing in a candidate OF their own,
who was not candidate at the Cincinnati or
Baltimore Conventions, or the people. The
latter don't believe in delegating the right OF
making President If the Electors in ques-
tion wanted to rob the dead of the honor which
was his due-if they were seeking to rob Gratz
Brown of his right to be Mr.. Greeley's success
sor-why did they not vote for either Judge
Black, who was candidate at Baltimore, or for
Judge Trumbull, Mr.. Adams, or Governor Pal.
mer, whose names were before the Cincinnati
Convention?
If we are to continue these intermediate
Electors, we shall find, by-and-by, tnat they
will betray the people, even when there are
both living candidates. The Constitution has
already been changed on this subject AS it
originally stood, the Electors were to vote ior
President and Vice President, making no dis
tinction between the officers, the one receiving
the highest number of votes to be President,
and the candidate obtaining the next highest
was to be Vice President There were four
elections under this clause, viz: In 1888, 1892,
1896, and in 1S00.H In the last named year the
chusetts, for President and G.. G. Pinckney, OF
South Carolina, for Vice President. The Re-
publican candidates were Thomas Jefferson, Of
Virginia, for President, and Aaron Burr, OF
New York, for Vice President. Of course as
the electors at this election gave an equal num-
Der of votes to Grant and Wilson, so, in this
instance, the Republican Electors all voted for
Jefferson and Burr. They apparently took it
for granted that the former would be President
and the latter Vice President. Of the Federal
candidates Adams received sixty-fve votes and
Pinckney sixty-four-one Federal Elector pur-
posely refusing to vote for Pinckney, in order
that he might have the second Office. AS soon
as it was discovered that Jefferson and Burr
we're chosen, the Constitutional question arose
who was to have the first place? The House
of Representatives had to decide the matter in
a vote of States, and it took tbirty-six ballots
before Jefferson was chosen. If the House had
voted per capita Burr would have been elected,
as he had majority of the members in 1.-THE
Federalists, with one or two exceptions, all
voting for him.
The trainers of the Constitution: made wise
by this crisis, Immediately changed it to the
form we have now, requiring the electors to
designate on their ballots who shall be Presi-
dent. The death of Mr. Greeley should lead
to another change. Suppose General Grant
had been run away with and killed by one of
his fast horses, on the End or 3rd of December
AN event not at all unlikely-we should have
had the danger of man being chosen Presi-
dent by the Electors for whom not single man
in the United States had voted, either for the
first or second office. They might, in that
event, have elected Ben Butler or Simon Cam
eron. - -
If we are to preserve pretendedly popular
system, let us now get rid of the electors alto
gether. There are some who desire direct
popular vote of the people of the United States
in one mass. We apprehend that it would be
impossible to make such an amendment The
larger States would oppose it. Now, for in
stance New York has thirty-fve electoral
votes, and Delaware but three. New York is
usually very close She might give 1000 or
5000 majority for candidate, while Delaware
might throw 5000 or 1000 majority against
him. In that event Delaware would have
twice the influence in the election that the
Empire State did, although she has not one in
habitant where New York has thirty. 1t is de-
sirable too, we think, to preserve State autono-
N.Y. for this is Federal and not National
Government, whatever people may say.
Our plan to amend the Constitution would
be one upon which all could agree, Let each
State have the number Of Electors as at present
fixed, in the same way. Let the candidates for
President be voted for directly by the people of
each State If g, majority of the citizens Of
Ohio vote for Grant and Wilson they should
be entitled to have checked in their favor at
Washington twenty-five votes for the respective
Offices for which they were given. This will
dispense with the Electors, some of whom will
be bought up some fine :morning, and disap-
point those who voted for them, confding in
their honor to carry out their pledges. Now is
the accepted time to bring forward the amend.
'ment 1t is of non partisan character, and
will be supported by both parties in Congress
and in the State Legislature. In two, years, the
cumbrous, anti-democratic, anti-repubIican sys-
tenn ought to be struck out of the Constitution,
just as the article that preceded it was by our
fathers in 1901. In 1876, give the people
chance, if you please Cincinnati Enquirer.
SENSIBLE LAD1Es,-The lady members of
tlo E;ret Rontist Church in Nashville. have