New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1873-01-23
THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION.

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the mode Of electing a President. Mr..
Grant may be said to stand reelected
without a competitor. ANY amendment.
therefore. to the present system may be
regarded as abstract. and applicable as
well to one party as another in the future.
Senator Morton, therefore. has the great
advantage in his proposal TO change the
rule Of election, that the public mind is
impartial i'll its judgment of public good.
The present rule OF eiecting a President is
by the election of members to IN electoral
college. 1t is like. we believe. the college
of cardinals which elect the Pope. These
electors are chosen by each State il such
manner as its Legislature may prescribe.
Each State is entitled to as many electors
as it has members OF both Houses of Con.
gress.
Tie plan propose: b. .Ir. Morton is
to make the election o: the President Iii.
rectly by the whole people. basing the
electoral representation upon the proper
ton which its numbers bear to the whole
number of the Union.
There is another mode for determining
the election of President provided by the
constitution, When no candidate has re.
ceived majority Of the whole number of
electoral votes. the House of Representa-.
tives resolves itself into a constituency. 1t
proceeds to ballot among the three candi.
dates having the highest number Of votes.
and so elects the President but in such
election by the House ecci State S'taH lace
one r0'e.
With the :iagran: examples of yenality
in high places now before the people.
there is no treason in saying that mem.
Der OF an electoral college. OF Of a key
State of Congress. may be accessible to
the inducements. warranted by the magni.
tude Of the prize in contest. This IS no
new doctrine advanced by Mr.. Morton.
After the ietea: o: General jackson. in
the election OF Nj. Adams by the House
o: Representatives,. his friends were greatly
excited because J.g. Adams was declared
elected upon a minority of the popular
and electoral vote Thereupon Mr. Ben
ton, with that aiilit! which marked his
public acts, examined the mode Of execu.
tive choice, pointed out its defects, and
suggested very much the remedy which
Mr.. Morton has presented. MI Benton
laid down the true Democratic principle
that
The only etfecrqal enode Of preserving oG.r
government from the cGGrUptians which
have undermined the liberty of 80 MANY
nations. is to confide the election of orr
chief magistrate to those who are farthrst
removed from the influence of his patron
age; that is. to the whole body of American
citizens.
Mr. Morton e., 'ye eLinI. mistaken in
The constitutional mode TO the
''timidity' o. those who framed the con.
They had the Difficult, taaI. ..
pleasing hamilton and Jefferson. Hence |
the constitution was a compromise. ard |
in the woyds OF Mr. sIaIison's ee.ebratei |
reply 20 the nullitiels, vas in part gos.
ernmen' OF the STATES ana in part gov. |
eminent .: Gle people. se.en'y-.L:ee
year, OF experience and large infusion: o: ,
otEe. peoples have fixed tie se:st:'nen: .:
the American people. They have decide:
lgaius. Hamilton Az: il. .;.vos Q: liz .9c. |:
.r!ae. O: J.t:eysoa. The govegn.eI: .low
!, q representation. Q: tie majority .: peoo
pie. These are but Two features. perhaps.