Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1874-06-04
NEW PLAN OF ELECrING A PRES
IDENT AND VICE PRESIDENT.

lDENT AND VIE rishD>h
IL Is net likely that tho question Of
|. change In the machinery for choos-
M the President Of the United States
an receive attention at this session Of
congress, but it undoubtedly will next
Winter. Tho imperfection Of our pres
mt system Is already universally ad-
It falls to secure to the pop
liar vote the choice OF President, and
may place In tho Presidential chair =
man who was the choice Of a ANAL
minority Of thu people. 1t falls to
for any method Of deciding
contests, and subjects the country each
recurring four years to the danger OF
and civil war BY making Il
possible for tho election to be decided
by gross frauds perpstrated by a csu-
paratively inslgnllcant number Of
persons In . single State. Ii places
the popular choice, under certain con-
tingenciss, at the mercy OF the vote In
such States rs Arkansas and Louisiana,
where, lt appears, fraud has been the
rule for tho past eight years, Is now
the victor and controls those States.
Who can any thati II the election Of 1874
had turned upon the vote In the cleo
toral college Of either or both Of those
States, a peaceful conclusion or decis-
lon could have been reached. What
power IL there existing under the Con.
stitu,ion to decide such cases? The
truth Is generally recognized that tho
present system has little to commend
and q great deal to condemn IL. 1t Il
an expensive. bungling aud compli.
Gated set OF political machinery, found
ed upon the theory, not truly Demo.
cratic, that the States and not the peo-
pie should oleet the President.
In accordance with tho generally ex.
pressed wish Of the people, tho Senate
over a year ago referred to its Com
mittees on Privileges and Elections,
Of which Senator Morton was and Is
Chairman, u resolution directing them
to examine aud report at the
present session, what In their
opinion would be tho most prae-
ticable mcthed OF olcctlng q
President and Vice President, and
also some provislen for a tribunal au-
thorixed to adjust aud decide all con-
tested questions connected Herewith.
Senator Morton addressed himself to
the task. aud last summer spent con-
siderable time In making Investigations
upon the subject. During thu present
session no BROUGHT the matter before
the committee with tho plan ho had
finally decided on. The exlsting pro-
visions OF tho Constitution for tho
election Of Preslden, and Vice Pres
ident are two fold. Article llI., Sec
tlon . creates the Electoral. College,
and Article MI. Of the Amendments
provides the method Of counting the
Electoral vote. Senator Morton's pro-
posed plan, which Il alleged to be
unanimously supported by tho com.
mlttcc, Il substantially as follows:
Resolved, Sc. ttwo.thirds OF teach Hos,e
concurring thcteinL That the follow
Ing article |. hereby proposed as an
amendment 10 the Constitution OF the
United States, aud when ratified by
tho Legislatures Of thrsc-fourths VI
the several States. shall be valid, to
all intents aud purposes. asa part OF
tho Constitution. to-wit:
/. The President aud Vice Pre.l.
dens shall be- elected by the direct
vote Of the people la the ann fol-
lowing: Each State shall be divided
Into districts. equal In number to the
number Of Representatives to which
the state may be entitled In Con-
gress, TO DO composed Of contiguous
territory, and TO be rs nearly equal In
population as may be ; and the per.
...,l, dls,.I,, To- p...LI.,, ...I -
-" ~. ~ =, a., SI","l wa, ,y-
.s.,i .n.n, 90. ps.a',.n,s. ""'s"
III Tha $3.50 h,w,om 81. hi.,..,
,nmhsr 81 vo,s. for P,s.,S.n, 81.
State shall receive two Presidential
votes from the State at largo.
III. The person having the highest
Irni,oS So 'n.'n :. .osss :" tue
Nv. 1.-Two person, have ma sam.
number Of votes Ia any State. IL being
tho highest number, they shall receive
sacn ons rr~esiuent,a, vote rom the
nersons hail b,v. s,cb ,hs ann. nnn,
Der of vote, In anr state. /. being the
highest number, no Presidential vote
shall DO counted from the State at
,aigc. more persons man one snaI'
iny ,h, hI,has, humber In any Ji,,ri,t.
u Presidential vote shall be counted
from that district.
Inc foregoing provisions sna,i
dsnt'
VI. Congress shall have power to
nrOviIs far hatIinN anI e0nlneflnU |