, 1873-08-05
MIR. MORTON'g ELECTORAL REFORM,

Morton has sot hi1nsolt to work In Washington
to develop his project for now plan Of olocting
tho President and Vico-Presidont, in order TINT
ho may prcsont IT to the noxt Congress. Mr..
Morton introduced tho subject to tho last Con-
grosa with q worry able speech illustrating tho
necessities for @ change, but no action WINS
tnkon. Tho last Congress WIS too much on
gagod with Credit Ntobiier Investigations and
back-pay grabs to consider any kind Of reform.
Tho present time ia worry favorable, however,
for consideration Of the subject Tho question
ta In no aonso partisan. Tho necessities for
change ar o found ~ in tho uBolessnoss Of tho
Electoral College; (2) in tho pollticnl dangers
involved in IT. aud (s) in tho extra-constitution-
al and arbitrary rule established by Congress-
for counting tho Electoral voto.
Tho Electoral College has lost tho functions
which 1t was originally intendod IT should oxor-
cao. It WIS tho evident purpose Of tho frnnlors
Of tho Constitution TINT tho pooplo of every
Htato should choose Presidential Electors whom
they could trunt to soleot proper porson for tho
Chief Magistrate without voting directly for any
particular person. So long as this system OBJ
tainod, tho Electoral College was ono Of our
most important political institutions. But tho
plau has long Binco boon abandoned. prosidon-
tial Electors are NOW moroly representatives Of
parties, virtually pledged to voto for cortain
candidate. Tho people ut tito last election really
votcd for Mr. Greeley or Con. Grant, md not
for tho Electors that wore on tho ticket.
Tho Electors wero consequently supo1luous.
and, as tho systom ia ono that is scarcely unaor-
stood by tho people, it would bo wiso to drop it.
But the Electoral College, though It can do no
good, may do great harm. If, for instance, Mr.
0rooloy had boen oloctod to tho Presidency by
tho people. and diod boforo tho meeting of tho
Electoral Colleges it is probable tint tho Elcc-
toral votos would have boon divided nmong
others that should have boon combined on ono
candidate, and thus tho will OF tho people might
hayo boon defeated by tho election OF Con.
| Grant on account Of such division. There in
also tho danger, though it has noyor got ariaon
| that tho Presidential Electors may DO induced by
! bribery or unfathfulness to betray thoir con-
| stttuonts, and refuse to vote for tho candidate
| for whom tho people expected thom to vote. Tho
Electoral College system is thus not only unnoc-
essary but dangerous. L still creator danger In tho
present systom is found in tho authority which
| Congross has assumed. Tho Constitution says
/ TINT tho "Prosidont Of tho Senate, in presence
of the Senate aud tho House Of Representatives.,
shall opon all certificates OF election. and
tho Yotos shall then be counted" This gives
Congress no discretion in tho prcmisos but
Congross las assumed as once judicial and olec-
tive powors by m arbitrary rule which 1t haa
| established. Undor this rule, tho objection of
single momber to tho counting Of o vote neces-
sitatoB o withdrawal OF tho sonato from the joint
BoBsion, and separate consideration by both
Houses of the objection. II, on renssomblng,
both Houaes do not agree to count tho voto
| which has boen objected to, The yoto Ia thrown
out. The power is thus conferred upon q
majority in Congress-, or in either House
OF Copgross, to defeat MI opposition can-
ddato WHO may have beon duly elootcd.
At the last counting Of yotos, Congress- throw
| out tho votos Of Louisiana aud Arkansas, and
roioctod lhreo Electoral yotos for Horace Groe-
10y, neither Of which actions is authorized by
tho Constitution. Had tho election Of tho prosi-
! dent depended on tho yoto of Louisiana Or ar
kansas, the situation would llavo boon very se-
rious ono, and might eaBily hayo led to reyolu-
tion and bloodshod. Any proposition to chnngo
tho prenent Hystem must therefore, include o
romody for tho proaont falso systom Of counting
the votoa, as we'll as the abolition OF tho Elocto-
raj Oollogos
hIr. Morton's general plan is like TINT formerly
advocated by Mr.. Bonton. It requires division
OF oil tho States into Presidential Districts of
equal population and contiguous territory,
tho majority Of district votes to elect the
President. Tho dotaila Of tho plan arc not
announced. nlr. Morton limsolf Ii in favor Of a
lirect popular yoto, but propoaca this as a COM
promise, in tho belief that tho plum of oloctiug
tho President by dlreot popular yoto would not
10 wol received. Tho vote by diatricta can bo
adopted un1or certain rcstrctlonH, without aac-
rlnciug tic Federal foature Of elcctlng tho pros-
idont by statoa. To do this, 1t will 10 necessary
TINT each district Hhall certify ita vote to tho sata
Government, and TINT tho State Governments
shall certify tho district votes to Congress.
There would DO. eay, ninotoon Presidential Dis.
trlots In Illinois. Uhls is tho number of Congrca;
aional Dintricls), and this number Of votos would
bo certified to CongreHs, aay ton for Con
Grant mud nino for Mr. Greeloy. Congrcns
should tAon bo deprived Of all authority
to change or throw out tho yotos as tey arc cor
titled Az tho Presidential yoto IL not oointod
till Fobruary though tho cloctlou occurn In No.
yombor, thoro Ia ample time for the judiciary ol
each Btato to decide disputed olootions. Thcro
would then 10 nothing for oongrohs to do hut to
count tho tllsnbor Of district votes returned to
it, md doolaro tho candidate roooiying tho ma-
jor1ty to bo o!eotod. Thoro wonl DO loss likoll.
hood, untor tlia system, Of tho election being
thrown Mto tho House Of Representatives.. Mr,