, 1873-08-04
THE PRESIDENCY.
Senator ntortonss Plns1 of IsfectlnE
tho .Hrcsit1ent and VicC-rrcsitlcnt OF
tho United Stutes. ,

Senator n1orton's Plnn of I3fectinE
tho -Prositlent and Vicc-r'rcsttlcnt OF
tho United Stutos. ..~..- IS s-.. j,
Wasfnqon Ju1y 31) Dfspateh to tae Aco Fork Herald.
purpbao Of availing himself Of the faoilitios Of:
tho Congressional Library and certain imprinted
rocolls Of Congress in preparing his report for
tions, Of which Lo Ia Chairman, upon tho pro-
posed election Of tho Prosidont and Vico-PIesi-
don't Of tho United States BY direct voto Of the
people, instead of by tho Intervention Of Eloc-
tho Committee 0ork, and intends to dovoto tho
duoua rcsoarch and anpotation upon tho
matter now uppormost in his ',poutlca1
thoughts. Ho .intiInateB that his = bill aud
supporting speech Of laut Hession contain tho
substance OF liA matrro thoi,glt md invostiga-
tion upon the bubJeot, but recognizing tho truth
Of tito remark Of his industrioun Predecessor in
thts particular field Of REFORM Senator Benton,
that select body like Congress- il always iuurt
Oh questions which l:ropose to restore to tho
body OF tho people pEvilosoH which stey hnr.eo
grantod away, llo intends to prepare md submit
for tlo adoption OF his Committee such report
press and puopo to lilo demanding either u d
constitutional an.ondtnont, Topnaed by Col1grens
TO tho Stato I.esI!aturc:', u ~ ho t'lMa Lc;;n
lsturoB to each other ald t. Congreas. Tlo ::5a-
tlIht, for once III hiH Senatorial 1areGr, hc lB
ongagcl in an important wcr; 'ha: 70 1olt!.r
ncctional nor. na:tisai,' and si'icl, othii,,;
but tho wor,s political ulnignal,cy eau ..onstrue
into t.osg,, for his own ;tra.'e,,n,cnt bclo:o
tho country: at tho best. in ci:l no iin-s
tl. II II rcady perception oi Il pop.,I,vr tGesouto t
with nominating conroniioLu !}las tnu:oe ln.:.'t
longor endure, aud wtl!is::I:n:s u :.1:cs'a.c:,
aeutimcnt l.alf .w..?. Mr. alosto IL p:n of ~
form, which is that Of sli7idi,,g tjc 3t'!ea into
pEosiuentinl districts of equal population n.,tl
contiguous territory, aand 3 WIS cash .istrics n
stnHl0 vote Tor President IND T!cE-IragiQont,
summon Of 1876, strike such a blow al su cnslrus
tyranny. Of party conventions thas Cesar
ism, il tl.oro should bo any dangor Of
i under the existing electoral p1nu, would
thing, possible only III tho 'evort Of the masses
heing ~ ollanaorcd OF tho idea Of perpetual
ofiice-holdug ns tho army Of ollico-holdors now
intonda to 60 baok to the debates in tho Consti-
tutional Convention oyor the modo Of electipg
tho President and Vice-p President, and show how
tho best md most logical minds there present,
the head Of whom was tue illustrious Franklin.
pointed out tho inconyoniencea aud dangers OF
the method that prevailed. mud argued eloquent
ly for ontruhting rhe people directly. with tho
thnn any other in tue federal syBtem: He viii
show, too, the mistaken renHons OH which tho
conservatives in the convention carried the
point and fashioned their Presidential election
sndI aonooso Republics. whilo fearing
| much direct political power upon
tho general mass Of tho people, Ho will rofer
to the cases Of Jefferson, and Burr, and Adams,
and jackson to illustrate hin assertion that tho
Electoral College system, besides boing useless
aa D medium Of seleotnE mon of botter charac-
ter and attainmenta than could be dscernod by
enthusiastic and unthinking direot voters, can
| becomo, through intrigue so dangerous "a to
prociRitato civil war, and that such danger grows
with tho lapso Of time, aud is, By tho naturo Of
| tho syssom, moro dangerous now than ever, aud
will be 80 hereafter. The district Bystem iH sup
| ported by tho Senator in preference to the plan
preferred by others Of giving ovory yotor in
eeyory ssa:e direct aud independent voto
for President md Vico.P President, because
| 1t gives moro practical force to tho
wishes of contiguous communities and interests,
aud rostrains the power Of such log-ro]ling
combinations us carry prohibitory, tariffs aud
fraudulent internal Improvement bills. This rms
| tho plan recommended by IN llustrious Senato
| committee that sat upon tho question nearly
fifty yoarH ngo, and brought in report that con-
trastod tho merits Of both plans Of voting and,
| though tho logical argument ia admitted to bo
apparently On the sido OF to individual voting,
| tho practical yiow Of the question dononGtrato7
that tho reault OF vote by districts organized.
| ns proposed would he much nearer T. pure, inl-
partial expression Of tho popular will. sotia.o2
Morton expects to carry his Committee uua,ti-
moa:'ly for his plan, and hopes to advanco t!:e
measure considerably boforo Con5rcua aa early
| III uoxt session.
|