The democrat. [volume] (Weston, W. Va.) 1868-1874, 1873-11-03
blow 10 EIeeL a pre.Laent.

The members Of the Standing Com
mittee on Privileges and Elections Of
the United States, have closed their
conferences in reference to the mode OF
electing the President. The Senate,
Just before adiourning last spring, in.
structed the Committee to examine the
whole subject during the vacation, and
report their conclusions Of the next
session OF Congress. The substance OF
their deliberations thus far may be
briefly stated as involving the following
propositions, which were considered
First-To abolish the Electoral Col
lego.
iSecond-That the President and
Vice President shall be elected by the
people voting directly for candidates.
Third-That ench State shall be di-
yided into as many districts as the State
is entitled to Representatives in Con.
gress, to be composed Of contiguous
territory, compact in form, and rs 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 that district
for President, which shall count one
Presidential vote; TINT 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. So.
FoUrth-The person having the high.
est number OF such Presidential votes
in the United States shall be. President.
Efh-These provisions to be mp.
plicable to the election OF Vice. Presi.
dent.
iSirth-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 rs to the vote IN
any district or State, and make regula.
tons governing the proceedings OF these
tribunals. By the adoption Of the dis.
tict system OF voting by the people di.
rectly for candidates with two Presiden.
tial votes in the State at large, and the
plurality rule for determining the re-
suit, the election is brought as nearly
home TO the people as can be, not To
make ii MI election by the nation as one
community, and it still recognizes the
States us such, while it enables the PEG.
pie OF each district in the State to ex.
press their will, SO that hereafter 0
State need not cast solid vote, Rs
under the present system. II tends tC
dispense with the convention which i,
now necessary in order to form an cleo
toral ticket for each State, and it en-
largeB the liberty OF the individual
voter, WHO can vote for any citizen he
may select for President or Yice.P resi
dent. BY the plnralitysystem the cleo
ton will always be final, and there cau
be no necessity for an election by the
House of Representatives, which Is SC
much objected to. The plurality rule
has been adopted successfully in all the
States in the Union except four in the
election Of State officers, and it gen.
orally prevails in the election of mem,
bers of Congress. Innone Of the States
where it hAs been tried is there any
thought Of abandoning It.
Other questions are considered IL
connection with tic votes in States and
districts, and providing for the cxigen'
cy OF the death or resignation OF the
President after election, and before in
augurltion. These are suggestion,
which have been considered, but no con
illusions could be arrived Mt.