New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1874-08-08
PLANS FOR PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS.

PLANS FOR PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS.
run OBJECTIONS TO SENATOR MoRTONs SCHEME
THAT OF MIR. DoBBs OF ENGLAND EXPLAINED
AND ADVOCATED.
To the Edifor OF The Tribune.
SIR: observe in your issue OF 10Th ult. a just
criticism Oh Senator MortUns plan for eeeung f'esf
dent and some facts TO the gerrymahderhg VI rcn
sylyania The writer thinks direct 'o'e py '"e peo'o
greatly superior both Senator Morons and the pres
ent plan. Way not make II stiii bel'er Ny ie"o''"s "
defects OF all these as follows:
On n direct vote nominating conventions anu ther
attendant wre-puug and confusion would sun coh'ro'
the matter street partisans woud theh eoncehi"'e
IN ir vote and elect the candidates OF one OF e o'hc
party organizations, whereof IL may DE truly saiu
Z" plague on both your houses Votes cast Ior any
candidate not thus nominated would be- as at present
thrown away To obviate tins, propose that unless
some one candidate receives at first majority OF the
whole OF the cast every other Candidate sha oc
compelled to transfer his votes to one OF the ten cahd
oates having most votes II after this transfer no
uue candidate should have majority OF the votes
cast then a similar transfer should be made To
the candidates first, second, and third on the
list II ,after this transfer neither OF the three
sbonId have a majority the other two, 1t
should be optional with the third on the list to transfer
his vote TO the first second, or to retain H. In the
former case the first second would DC eeced as tue
third igh determiue IN the latter case the hrst would
Putting the case III fOuuu hupcfs LOT cou
yenence we will suppose the first transfer effected aud
thai the ten highest candidates have votes dncluding
transferred ones) follows A. 100000; Is, l25OooO;
C. 10000 d. 10000 L, 600 F, 100000 G, l,20OOO
H. 1oooooo Then highest would be A. b. and
T. C. and ID transfer to A, which makes AS vote
900 900; and transfer to Z, which makes Els vote
275OOO transfers to b. which makes Be- vote 725O0o0
Now neither OF the three having majority OF the total
5000 CO., can II he choose. holding the balance OF
rahh ding yorp civ n fOta of
100000 or elect by iaissez fare transfer. as he
may see 1T. The practical result would be that each
voter would Indicate the OF his first choice,
without thro wing away his VOTE losing its force In
the udlrectons friction Of party machinery II that
man OF his choice cannot command majority vote, he
can do the next thing he hand the votes
of his clients to he considers next best entitled
TO them.
think can foresee the objections that will be ad-
duced but believe they will all prove 10 be either more
applicable TO present methods or Offset by far more
serious objections on the other side. As TO gerry
Wandering" there is remedy but in making repre-
seutaton personal instead OF local. by providing that
1000 voters all parts OF state shall have the same
right representative 80 600 In one part or H. In
other words divide the whole number Of votes cast by
the number OF candidates 10 De elected ana tue quo
than the quota are elected distributing their
surplus TO those receiving less. Those nus OBJ
tsining quota by transferred votes are also elected
The plan simple enough. but more space Ia required
for details than can probably be given at present 1t
strange, however, that while popular attention 10
much xcited BY the corruptiOns Of legislation seems
impossible get TIE OF the people the
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