Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1873-01-23
THE RUTLAND HERALD.
MONDAY, JANUARY 20, 1873
Morton's plan Considered

Senator Morton, Of Indiana, Friday,
delivered an able and exhaustive speech
in favor of his resolution to instruct the
committee on elections to inquire and
report upon the defects of the present
system of electing President and Vice
President of the United States, and the
proper remedy therefor, and, at the
same time, suggested his plan of pro-
&c lure. We think, with him, that the
present system has its defects and ought
to be changed, but we greatly doubt if
the plan proposed by him will meet the
want. 1t is true that under our present
system, we are liable to gross frauds; that
that there is no manner provided for
cases of contested election, except the
summary-or rather revolutionary-one
hereafter mentioned that, in possible
cases, there would be actual danger of
revolution, and that, perhaps, the House
of Representatives should never be al
lowed to elect Il President. But does
his proposition meet the case? He as
sumcs, although he is in favor Of an
election by a direct vote of the whole
people, that probably the smaller States
would not give up the right they now
possess, and consent to have their small
number of votes overslaughcd by those
Of larger States, as would be the case, to
q greater or less extent, in case Of a di-
rect vote by the people. He, therefore,
proposes such a change as would bring
fine election of the President directly to
the people Of the several States, each
State to be divided into as many districts
as il has Senators and Representatives
each district to have one vote in the
election of President and Eicc-Prcsident
and the vote Of that district TO be count
ed in favor of the candidates for Prosi-
lent and Nice-Presldent who should re-
ceive the largest number of votes in it;
This would still give to each State the
same number Of votes it now has in the
election Of President and Nice-PrcsIdeut
The votes, however, would be given di-
roctly for the candidates by the people
without the intervention Of electors.
Now what would be the result. and
where would we land under such a sys-
tenn? Can there be any radical change
i'm our politics and forms of political ac-
ton by any such plan? The change
must result in one of two ways Either
we will always, or nearly always. have
% President elected by a small minority
Of the popular vote, or the door is thrown
Wild. open for corruption.
Let us examine the last alternative
fvst. We, in Vermont happily, have
had very little experience in the corrupt
use of money and fraudulent voting,
either in orr State or national elections.
But every thoughtful, reading man
knows that. in many States, elections are
carried by the corrupt use of money, in
the hrihiug Of voters and otherwise, aad
also by fraudulent voting. This cor
rn,ion. too. we know, is not confined
to ally one party. 1t makes itself, how
ever. felt only in close elections. Where
Ihe voters are overwhelmingly one way
or the other, rs in the last Presidential
election, there is no need of such use.
are not fools, and will not
.h~ow away money without some hope
If a return. 1t is idle, therefore, to
look for any general corrupt use of
money except i'm closely contested elcc-
tons. This is plain common sense, and
must be the Judgment of every person
vino will give the subject a moments
n ought. How, then, will the election
als President stand under the proposed
First. There will be
species of gerrymandcring, so to ar
range districts, that they viii, in all hui
man probability, vote given way. The
political complexion of the several dis
tricts will, naturally, he different in diff
ferent States, and some will be sure by
large majoritics, and others, Of course,
will be more evenly divided. Fin we
rid ourselves Of our present machinery
for nominating Presidents and Vice
prasi Jcnts, there will, it is reasonably
certain. "c only two candidates for these
offices No~ any ordinary politician
can forcteI. ain ,ost to an absolute GER
.ainty, the result in certain proportion
of the districts in his own State, leaving
more or less close and doubtful districts.
What is the result? Why, the immedi-
alc use of money and the bribery and
colonization Of voters in close and DOUBT
ful districts A district with an over
ponicrance of voters can spare enough
to turn the scales in her doubtful neigh
Dor. 1t may he accomplished too, with
ont being illegal on the face Of it. This
is no theory or far-fetched fancy. 1t
has occurred, time and time again, in
Congressional districts, in State Senator
.al and Representative elections ard in
contests. 1t has been accom-
plished in New York, New jersey,
Connecticut, Indiana,
Kentucky and other States. In most of
the States, while a longer or shorter
term of residence is required to make
resident a voter, yet, being a voter in
the State, only few days residence in
a particular election district is requisite
to constitute him voter in that district.
A change of residence from ten days to
a month prior to election is all that is
Employment, which is not
necessary except as a color to the change
of residence, is easily found. II has
been done. 1t can and, probably, will
be again. Let us see, from what could
'taye been, what can be. In 1914, James
K Oolk was elected President by ma
ioritv o. sixty-fve electoral votes over
Henry CLAW, New York casting her
,birtv-six votes for Polk His popular
majority. in the whole country, was
some over IS, 900, yet a change OF 2,554
votes. or a colonization o. double that
humber in the State of New \ ,'rk, would
have elected Mr.. CLAW by a majority OF