The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1873-10-09

made to provide remedy. Its happen
ing, however, in certain contingencies, or
OF the times already referred to, would
have inevitably produced disastrous results.
The constitutional provision, as it.now is,
is explicit, declaring that Congress may
" determine the time of choosing the
"electors. and the day on which they
" shall give their votes which day shall be
the same throughout the United States.
In accordance with this provision, law
was enacted in 1902, which is still in force,
by which it was directed that the elect
ors shall meet and give their votes on the
first Wednesday in December succeed
ing presidential election, ''at such place,
in each state, as shall be directed by the
legislature thereof" So that by the ex-
press terms Of the constitution, the elect
ors must "gye their votes" on that day.
and upon no other. If, from any cause;
the electors should be prevented from as
semblng upon the day appointed, the pco-
pie Of the entire state are disfranchiscd
from my participation in the presidential
election. That they may be 50 disfran-
chsed is not entirely a suppositious case,
but has actually occurred. In 1856, the
first election after the republican party
| had entered into the field as "A formidable
contestant for the supremacy, Wisconsin
lost her vote In the general election Of
the November previous the Fremont and
| Dayton electors had received popular
majority of over thirteen thousand votes,
but the vote was thrown away in more
senses than one. For two or three DAYS
prior 10 the first Wednesday in Deccm-
Der, 1886, one of tho most violent snow
storms ever known in the northwest had
prevailed throughout Wisconsin, so block
ing up the roads and impeding travel that
the electors were prevented from assem-
bling upon that day, and their votes. if
they had given any, would have been a
nullity. and could not have been counted.
With or without the vote of Wisconsin,
the result would have been the same but
who could have forctold the consequences
that would nave followed, if the snow
storm, instead of the people, had elected
James buchanan at made no differ
encc. and was passed by without any at
tempt 10 provide against similar contin-
gcncy in the future.
While it is, doubtless, true that this COM
mitiee will be able to propose u remedy
only for these two defects, it is equally
true that either, or both taken together or
separately would never, alone, have led 10
their present action, although they first
contributed greatly thereto. The death of
Horace Greeley between the day Of the
general election and the day appointed for
the electors 10 meet and give their votes
first concentrated general attention to the
subject, and this united with a desire for
a direct election 10y thu people, caused the
Senate to instruct the committee. ~ men-
toned. We are told that this committee
held secret session, Monday afternoon.
at the Fifth Avenue Hotel, in New York
city, and drafted an amendment to the con-
stitution, substituting mode by which the
Will of the people in such elections. can be
more readily asceitaiucd than now, and
also providing for court of arbitramcnt tc
whom all questions arising ont of contested
elections for national officers may he sub
mitcd for decision, This, ~ we have said
is all that it will probably amount to. hui
why the result should be kept secret is pas.
sing strange. We take it that the reference
to ascertaining the will of the peoplo
"morc readily" will simply amount to q
provision that the vote of a state shall no,
be lost by reason of a failure on the par,
Of the electors, 10y unforeseen accident, t.
assemble on given day. If there is any
intention or desire, on the part of the com
mittec, to have their proposal of amend
mcnt engrafted on the constitution, thi:
and the court of arbitrament" will be a.
far as they will go. However powerful
the argument may be in favor of dircc
vote of the people for President. there arc
too many small states in the Union, who
will, and ought to, he unwilling to allow
themselves to he ovcrslaughed in this mat
ter by the larger states. Our present sys
TEN OF electors was decided upon by the
trainers Of the constitution to preserve {
proper balance between the states the
district electors representing the people ant
the two electors at large representing ,ht
state. This principal will, probably, always
be retained, right or wrong, and indeed
the committee are understood to have dc
clared that they did not think such a propo
siiion could even pass the Senate. What
ever the proposals are. they must, event
ually, come before the people for their &C
ton, and it seems to us both folly and stu
pidity to endcayor to keep them secret