The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1874-08-19
fRieHMoND.,W,zYNE COUNTY, INDIANA AUG 10, 1874 d.

and advised to throw down every pro- 1
lection to home industry, to put the {
labor of our country upon level in c
price and dignity with the pauper Ia Il
Dor of Europe and to continue our 4
dependence upon the East, and the
payment of tribute to foreign coun-
tries.
The States of the Northwest have
ceased to be regarded as mere outlying
vegetable gardens and truck patches
to furnish the marketing of the older
and richer communities Of the East,
and have become opulent, powerful
and intelligent communities, capable
of forming their own policies, and be-
coming by the development of their
resources the most independent and
prosperous among the States.
LET THE PEOPLE VOTE FOR PRESIDENT
DIRECT.
Another question of paramount i'm
portance rising high above ordinary
political consideration, is the propo-
sition to amend the constitution so as
to elect the President and Vice Presi
i dent by the direct vote of the people.
The dangers and imperfections Of the
present system are we'll understood,
/ and may plunge the nation into civil
war at any time. s.
The theory and reasons for the
+ establishment Of the Electoral Col
leges. have all failed, and the colleges I
are but useless machinery, potent only |
for mischief Electors being chosen !
by general ticket in all the States, a |
small majority may determine the |
whole vote Of State, and this has |
often been controlled by the fraudu- /
lent vote on a large city. which was
the case in New Y crk in 1868 There
is no provision in apy State, for con-
testing the election of presidential
electors, however notorious the fraud 4
or violence by which they may have
been chosen. Ifno candidate receives
the vote of majority Of the whole
number Of electors, then the election
OF President IS to lie made by the
House Of Representatives. in which
each State has one vote; Nevada, with
10 600 people, havingthe same vote'as
New York with 5,G00,0O0 Such an
,, election of President is Anti Republi-
8 can. grossly incquitable, presents the
grandest opportunities for corruption
! and intrigue, end is traught withiim-,
. minent danger to the republic I5es
. ! In 1926, MIR. Adams, who had rc-i
= ceiyed less than one. third of the pop-
!, uiar vote, was elected President by.
the House of Representatives. over
Gen. Jackson, who had received "a
large plurality Of the popular and
!, electoral vote. In this election Mr.
= Clay, as member of the House. cast
his vote and infaence for Mr.. Adams,
. afterwards became his Secretary of
y ~
:, charge Of bargain and sale ntthe
! only other election of President by
= the House of Representatives,, in 1901
- MIR. Jefferson was chosen after a pro-
y ltraced struggle running through
lishcd historic.tl fact that three States
II finally changed their vote to Mr..
Jefferson, giving him the election up-
on an understanding in regard to
r measures and the retention of certain
e, persons III Office which would now be
at regarded as corrupt.
l. The path of duty is the path o.
ee safety. We should brush away the
p electoral machinery and the election
at by the House of Representatives. ana
a choose the President and Vice Presi
v dent by the direct vote OF the people
ay giving the election to the cand date
it who has the highest number of votes
' CONTROL OF RAILROADS.
d. The power is given to Congress b.
of the Constitution ITO regulate com
"a mcrGe among the several States, an,
Ily whatever IS necessary to execute th
to power must be included m it.. Ii com
no merce can not be successfully fegula
ot ted without regulating the means 0
al transportation. the instruments b.
90 VIII ;ch it is conducted, then the poNe
ed to regulate these must be included
,ct OF course, this is to he understood a
he applicable only to commerce anon
ii the several States and not to apply t
he 'hat which is exclusively confined
ch the interior ct one State. Railroad
nd have now become the Instruments b
he which the greater part of commerce
ere carried on among the several State
,on and have, to a great extent, super
CIV ceded not only rivers and canals, bg
me also stages wagons ana horses. ,Thel
ted , are few lines Of railroad now that
the their connections and consolida tiol
nc have not become par Is OF lines enga.
'ta- ed In commerce among the sever
ye- States. Although railroad companie
like steamboat companies. are charte
led ed by the States, yet, IN most case
.iu they are authorized to form. cousoI
and datlons and running arrangement
lne with lines of railroad in other Stat
an and to take leases OF roads in dista
md States. Most OF these corporation
, n own and control lines of road runnil
be into or across adjoining States, al
, or several either own or have leas
ord thousands OF miles of road, stretchi
be- far north and south. and half W
les. across the continent. These gre
ing lines Of railway, thus ra1nifying t
,eo- Union and affecting the interests a
hat prosperity of the States, are under t
,ted control OF small boards of directors
Philadelphia, New York or Baltimo
.--- and chiefly ruled by a few leadi
minds that really exert more pow
pon over the Nation than Governors
the Presidents.
Hey, REGULATIONS SHOULD BE UNIFORM.
lere
the Whether we consider the intere
and of the railro; DIS or of the seve
ton States through which they pass.
the seems equally important that I'll
be should be subject to uniform regu
INST tions which can only be secured
anse national control If the through lii
kets from the Atlantic to the Mississi,
| we may be regulated in one way by Oh
= we another by Indiana, and still anotl
litv. by Illinois, they may become the v
rces tins Of unfriendly legislation, and
cans greatly crippled and hindered in tn
and operations; and each State, acting
and It's own interests, may not consI'
ense those of other States, and may re-
l,%o I, ,,,,4 a,ob C@,@a =,