The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1873-10-16
The Committee on Privileges and
Elections.


Hon. o. p. Morton, Of Indiana;
Hon. Matt II. Carpenter, OF WiseOn-
sin: Hon. II. =. Anthony OF Rhode
Island. and Hon. Thos. F. Bayard, of
Delaware. members of the Standing
Committee on Privileges and Eiee-
tious of the Senate of the United
states. Yesterday closed their confer
enees. which have been continued
from day to day for the past week, at
the Fifth Avenue Hotel, in this City,
in. reference to the mode OF eleeting
the President. The Senate, just be-
fore aGjOurning last Spring, instruct
ed the Committee to examine the
whole subject during the vacation,
and report their conclusions at the
next session of Congress. The sub
stance of their deliberations thus fsr
may be briefly stated as involving
the following propositions which were
corsidered:
FSrst abolish the Electoral Col.
Ieges.
Seeond-Thnt the President and
Vice-Pfesident shall be elected by the
people voting directly for the ezndi-
dates.
Tnfrd-That each State shall be di-
vided INTO as many districts as the
| State is entitled to Representatives in
Congress, to be composed Of eontigi-
Gus territory, compact in form, and
as1leaFIy equal in population as may
be, and the person having the highest
number of votes for President Ia each
district shall receive thu vote OF that
district for President, which shall
count one Presidential vote; that
each State shall be entitled to two
Presidential voters at large, which
shall be counted for the person have
ing the highest number of votes in
the whole State.
F01rth-The person having the
highest number of sueh Presidential
votes in the United States shall be
| President.
FTJth-These provisions to be ap-
plicable to the election of Vice Pres
ident.
IStch-Congress shall have power
to provide for holding and conducting
the election for President and Viee
President, and to establish tribunals
for the decision OF contests as to the
vote in any district or State, and
make regulztions governing the pro-
eeeding of these tribunals. By the
adoption of the district system Of vot-
ing by the people directly for candi-
dates, with two Presidential votes in
the State at large, and the plurality
rule for determining the result, the
election is brought as nearly home to
the people as can be, not to make it
an election by the nation as one CONS
mnnity, and it still recognizes the
States as such, while it enables the
people of each district in the State to
express their will, so that hereafter
State need not cast q solid vote as
under the present system. It tends
to dispense with the convention
which is now necessary in order to
form an electoral ticket for each State,
and it enlarges the liberty of the indi-
YidGal voter, who can vote for any
citizen he may select for President or
Vice President. By the plurality sys-
tenn the election will always be final,
and there can bsno necessity for an
election by the House of Representa-
tiVes, which is so much objected to.
The plurality rule has been adopted
successfully in all the States in the
Union except four in the election of
State officers, and it generally pre-
walls in the election of members of
Congress. In none of the States
where it has been tried is there any
thought Of abandoning it.
Other questions are considered in
connection with the votes in State
and districts providing for the exi-
gency of the death or resignation of
the President after the election and
before the Inauguration. These are
suggestions which have been consid-
cred, but of course, no conclusions
could be arrived at.-NelU York Times.