New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1874-05-26
Elecring the President.

A Washington dispatch to the Herald
of May 81, says:
In q conversation with Senator Morton
to-day your correspondent called his atten-
ton to the proposed amendment to the
constitution for the simplificatiOn of the
,nodus 0pera,adi of our presidential elections,
agreed upon by the Senate select COM
mittee on the subject last summer, of
which committee Mr.. Morton is chair
man. Upon asking the Senator if
this amendment had been abandon
ed, forgotten or laid aside to be called
up at the next session, he answered:
..Oh, no. We have not abandoned nor
forgotten it. We have only been waiting
for an opportunity for it's consideration and
q day or two hence we expect to have it
before the Senate Tor discueeioD." "You
expect to get it through this session. of
course!" 'We hope to carry it through both
houses by the required twO-thirds vote be-
fore the final adjournment of the present
session, in order that it may be acted upon
without the loss of time by the State Legis-
latures which meet during the coming win
ter. Our object is to have the amendment
q part of the supreme law in season for the
presidential election of our national CEN
tennial, 1876. We regard it as matter of
the highest importance to the country, and
we are satisfied that the great body OF the
people desire the proposed change"
From some further remarks of the Sen
ator upon the subject it appears that
v hile the committee framing their amend
ment were guided by the great idea Of
making as nearly as possible the election
of our President and Vice President an
election directly by the people of the
United States, as the people of one supreme
sovereign national government, the indi-
viduality of the States and State rights
and State pride had to be considered and
respected by the committee. Hence their
proposed amendment provides, not that
the people Of the States and Territories OF
the United States. en- na0sse, shall vote for
President and Vice President, and that Q
majority or plurality of the popular vote of
the whole Union shall detnrmine the
election; but that the States and State
lines shall be 80 far respected in these
national elections as to preserve sub
stantialiy the present system, while dis
pensing with those, middle men, as
they may be called, of the electoral col
lege, and avoiding that dangerous contin-
gency of an election by the House of Rep
resentatives. Hence the proposed cOnsti-
tutional amendment provides that for Presi.
vote by States-first by the State at large
for its two senatorial votes, and next in
each congressional district for the vote to
which, under our present general State
ticket system, it is entitled. The plurality
rule is to be substituted for the majority
rule throughout. 1t is too late in the day,
however, we apprehend, tor any hope this
session of this proposed or any other
amendment of the consultation that will
simplify and bring more directly to the
people the election of President and Vice
- O. l..k
less, IN bringing the subject before the Sen
ate Mr.. Morton will open a discussion
which will 90 far to disclose the wishes
and expectations of the people touching
the abolition Of these middle men Of thu
electoral college.