New Orleans Republican., 1873-08-09
Senafar NIart0n,A Plan.

Washington Dispatch 10 the New York Herald i
Senator Morton arrived here to-day for
the purpose of availing himself Of the tacili.
ties OF the Congressional Library aud GER
tain imprinted records of Congress in pre-
pairing his report for the Senate Committee
on Privileges and Elections, of which he il
chairman, upon the proposed election OF
the President and Vice President OF the
United States by direc. vote OF the people,
instead OF by the Intervention Of the Elec-
roral College. The Senator is accompanied
by the committee clerk, and intends to de-
vote the ensuing days OF his soJourn 20 ar
duous research and annexation upon the
matter now uppermost in his political
thou yhts He intmates that his bill and
supporting speech OF last session contains
the substance of mis- mature thought anu
investigation upon the subject, but recog-
niziny the truth of the remark OF his indus
trious predecessor in this particular field of
reform, Senator Benton, that a select body
like Congress is always inert on questions
which propose to restore to the body of the
people privileges which they have granted
away. he intends to prepare and submit tor
the adoption OF his committee such report
as will 90 ringing through the country and
arouse press and people to the demanding
either OF constitutional amendment, pro-
posed Dy Congress to the State Leglsla-
lures, or by the State Legislatures to each
other and to Congress. The Senator, too,
finds no cause of regret il the fact that. for
once in his senatorial career, he is engaged
III an important work that is neither sec
tional nor partisan. and which nothing
but the worst political ma!ignancy can
con.true into design for his own
advancement before the country. At
the best, he claims no more than
a ready perception OF popular discon-
tent with nominating conventions that can
Il. 1,,,z l,,rn u Ili-,v
to meet such sentiment half way. Mr..
Mortons plan OF reform. which is that Of
dividing the States into presidential dis
tricts OF e0nal population and contiguous
territory, and giving each district a single
vote tor President and Vice President,
would. in his opinion. II adopted before the
summer of 1876, strike such blow at the
caucus tyranny Of party conventions that
Casarism, if there should be any danger of
it under the existing electoral plan, would
be impossible or. what is the same thing.
possible only in the event of the masses be-
ing as enamored Of the idea of perpetual
office holding as the army OF office holders
now in possession. Senator Morton,
in his reports, intends to 90 back to
the debates in the Constitutional Con-
vent:on over tho mode of electing
the President and \ice.President, and show
how the best aud most logical minds there
present. the head of whom was the illustri
ous Franklin. pointed out the Inconvenience
and dangers OF the method that prevailed,
and argued eiOquentiy for cntrusting the
people directly with the one question that
really concerned them more than any other
in the federal system. he will show, too,
the mistaken reasons on which the cOnsec
vatiyes in the convention carried the point,
and fastened their presidential election
upon the aristocratic models of the Nene
tian and Genoese Republics, while fearing
that they had already conferred too much
direct political. power upon the general mass
of the people. He will refer to the cases Of
Jefferson and Burr. and Adams. and Jack
son TO illustrate his assertion that the
electoral college system. besides being use
less as medium Of selecting men OF better
character and attainments than could be |
discerned by enthusiastic and unthinking |
direct voters. can become. through intrigue
SO dangerous as to precip:tate civil war, |
and that such danger grows with the lapse |
OF time, and is. by the nature OF the'sys- |
tenn. more dangerous now than ever, and |
Will be SO hereafter. The district system is
supported bv the Senator in preference to |
the plan preferred by Others of giving |
independent vote for Pres:den: and |
Wee President, because it gives more
practical force to the wishes of !
contiguous communities and interests, |
and restraints the power of such log-rolilng |
com binat0ns as carry prolibicory tariffs |
AMI fraudulent internal improvement bills.
This was the plan recommended By an IL
lustrious Senate committee that sat upon
tis question nearly fifty years ago. and |
brought IN report that contrasted the
merits of both plans Of voting; and,
though the logical argument is admitted to
be apparently on the side of the individual |
voting, the practical view OF the question
that the result of vote by
districts organized as PROPOSED would be
much nearer pure, impartial expression
Of the popular will. Senator Morton ex-
poets to carry his committee unanimously
for hi, plan. and hopes to Advance the meas
ure considerably before Congress as early |