The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1873-10-10
Proposition to Abolish the Electoral
College.

Senators Morton, of Indiana, Car
penter, of Wisconsin, Anthony, of
Rhode Island, and Bayard of Della
ware, members of the Committee on
Privileges and Elections of the SEN
ate of the United States, closed
their conferences on the 9Th inst,
which have been held in New York
from day to day during the past
week, in reference to mode of elect
ing President. The substance of
their deliberasions thus far involved
the following propositions:
"First-To abolish the Electoral COL
lege.
"Second-That the President and Vice
President be elected by the people vo-
ting directly for the candidates.
"Third-That each State shall be di-
vided into as many districts as State is
entitled to Representatives in Congress,
to be composed of contiguous territory,
compact in form, and as nearly equal in
population as may be; and the person
having the highest number of votes for
President in each district shall receive
the vote of that district, which shall
count one Presidential vote; that each
State shall be entitled to two Presiden-
tial votes at large, which shall be count
cd for the person having the highest
number of votes in the whole State.
"Fourth--The person having the high
est number of such Presidential votes
in the United States shall be President
"Fifth-These provisions to be appli-
cable to the election of Vice President
''Sixth-Congress shall have power to
provide for holding and conducting eIec.
tions for President and Vice President,
and to establish tribunals for the decis-
ion of contests as to the vote in any Dis
trict or State, and make regulations gov
erning the proceedings of these trIbu-
nails"
By the adoption of the district
system of voting by the people dir
rectly for the candidates, with two
Presidential votes in the States al
large and the plurality rule for de
termining the result, the election il
brought as nearly home to the peo
pie as can be, not to make it an elec
ton by the Nation as one communi
ty, and it still recognizes the States
as such, while it enables the people
of each district in the State to ex
press their will, so that hereafter {
State need not cast a solid vote, a
under the present system. 1t tends
to dispense with a convention, which
is now necessary in order to form al
electoral ticket for each State, anC
it enlarges the liberty of the indi
vidual voter, who can vote for AM
citizen he may select for Presiden
or Vice President. BY the pluralit,
system the election will always b,
final, and there can be no necessit,
for an election by the House of Rep
resentatives, which Is SO much on
jected to. The plurality rule ha
been adopted successfully in all tn
States in the Union except four, il
the election of State officers, and j
generally prevails in the election o
members of Congress. In none o
the States where it has been tries
is there any thought of abandonint
it.
4 Other questions are considered il
connection with tie votes in State
and districts, and providing for tn
exigency of death or resignation o
the President after election and be
fore Inauguration. There are sug
gestions which have been consider
ed. hut of course no conclusion!
could be arrived A.
K -