Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1874-06-17
LlecIiOn OF Presidoni.

The possible evils Of our present system
Of electing a President and Vice President
have been a matter Of speculation with
thoughtful people, for many years, and at
last Congress has come to see them. SEN
ator Morton delivered an able speech, 10
which our present method Of choosing a
President was thoroughly lyzed aud its
weak points exposed. The Senate ap.
pointed committee, with the distinguished
Senator from Indiana at its bead, to mature
a plan for choosing a President and Vice
President which should be free from the
objections urged against our present cum.
brous mode Of selecting those officers.
That committee have given the subject
much thought, and finally agreed upon the
following propositions;
l. The President and Vice Presden, shai be ELECTED
BY the direct vote Of the people In tic manner foi.
lowing Each state shall he divided into districts
equal In number TO the number Of Representatives 10
which the state may be entitled In the Congress 10
be composed " contiguous territory and 10 be n.
nearly equal In population may ne and the per.
son having the highest number Of votes in each dls.
trct for President shall receive the vote of thai s
trct which shall count one Presidential vote
IL The person having the highest number Of votes
rot President 20 state shall receive two Presidential
votes iruin the Stato-atlarge.
III. The person having the highest number of Pres.
idental votes In the United States shall be President
". II two persons have tho same number " votes
Va any state, u being the highest humber, they shall
receive each, Presidential vote from the state.
at-large and 70 more than two persons shall have
each the same number Of votes Ia any state It bcng
the highest number, no Presidential vote shall ho
counted from the state atarge. lfmore persons hnu
one shall have the same number Of votes Id being Inc
highest number In any district no Presidential vote
shall be counted from that district
| v The foregoing provisions shall apply To the
| VI. The Congress shall have power TO provide for
holding and conducting the elections Of President and
cislon Of such elections Is may be contested.
VII The states shall be divided into districts hy
the Legislature thereof but the Congress may at any
tme hy law make or alter the same.
We like the new method on one account,
and that is that under it the principle Of
minority representation is recognized AS
the law now stands, each elector votes for the
number ofdclcgates which hisState is entitled
to have in the Electoral College. The vote
Of the State is thus cast solid for one can.
didate, the minority having no representa-.
ton. The change proposed would give
each Congressional district one vote, aud
the minority would have the same chance
for representation that it now has for the
election Of Representatives to Congress
A Democratic district would cast one vote
for the Democratic candidate and Re.
publican district one for the Republican
candidate. 1t distributes the power and
places it nearer to the people.
The report accompanying the proposed
amendment to the Constitution is quite
lengthy and exhaustive, pointing out the
evils Of the present system and explaining
the remedies proposed. 1t is doubtless the
work Of Senator Morton, who grasps the
whole question 10 a mastery manner, and
there can be no doubt the plan suggested
would prove a great improvement upon the
existing one.