National opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1865-1874, 1873-10-31

The members OF the Standing Com.
mitteo on Privileges and Elections OF
tho United States, have closed their
conferences in reference to the mode OF
electing the President. The Senate,
lust before adjournipg last spring, In.
struoted the Committee 10 examine the
whole subject during the vacation, and
report their conclusions Vt the next
session OF Congress. The substance OF
their deliberations thus far may he
briefly stated ms involving the following
propositions, which were considered
FFrst-To abolish the Electoral Col.
lcgc.
Seoond-That the President and
Vice. President shall be elected by the
people voting directly for candidates.
7hid- That each State shall be di.
vided into AZ many districts as the State
il entitled to Representatives in Con.
gress. to be composed Of contiguous
territory, compact in form, and ~ near
" equal in population as may be, and
the person having the highest number
Of votes for President in each district
shall receive the vote Of TINT district
for President, which shall count one
Presidential vote that each State shall
be entitled TO two Presidential voters
at large, which shall be counted for the
person having the highest number Of
votes in the whole State.
Fo0rth-The person having the high.
est number of such Presidential votes
in the United States shall be President.
Fnh--These provisions TO be up
plicable to the election of Vice.Presi.
dent.
Congress shall have power to
provide for holding and conducting the
election for President and Vice-Presi
dent, and to establish tribunals for the
decision Of contests os to the vote il
any district or State, and make regula.
tribunals. BY the adoption of the dis
tict system OF voting by the people d.
rectly for candidates with two Presiden-
tial votes in the State at large, aud the
plurality rule for determining the re-
suit, the election. is brought MS nearly
home to the people as can be, not 10
make il an election by the nation AZ one
community, aud il still recognizes the
States rs such, while it enables the peo-
pie of each district in the State TO ex-
press their will, 80 that hereafter
State need not cast n solid vote, as
under the present system. 1t tends to
dispense with the convention which is
now necessary in order to form an cleo
toral ticket for each State, and it en-
larges the liberty of the individual
voter, who can vote for any citizen he
may select for President or Vice Presi-
dent. by the plurality system the cleo
ton will always be final, and there can
be no necessity for an election by the
House of Representatives, which is 80
much objected to. The plurality rule
has been adopted successfully in all tho
States in the Union except four iu the
election OF State officers, and it gen
orally prevails in the election of mem
bers of Congress. In none of the States
where it has been tried is there any
thought of abandoning it,
Other questions are considered in
connection with tie votes in States and
districts, and providing for the exigen.
cy of the death or resignation of the
President after election, and before in
auRuration. These are suggestions
which have been considered, but no con-
illusions could be arrived at.