New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1874-05-27
ELECTIONS.
NEW PLAN PROPOSED.

nFNr AND OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES OF
Nyw PLAN PROPOSED BY SENATE COMMIT
rEE-PRoPosED AMENDMENTS TO THE CoNsn
TUITION TO INSURE AN ELECTION BY MAJORITY
OF THE POPULAR VOTE.
rvRox THE REGULAR CORRESPONDENT TUE TIIBUSE.l
WASHINGTON, May 26.--The imperfection OF
ou present machinery for choosing President and Vice
President Of the United States is universally admitted
II fails the election of the man who receives
majority Of the popular vote and msypace IN the flcsi
dental chair, as once happened, a man WIN "''
The choice OF small minority Oh INC P''F
1t fails 10 provide any means ior uc0i.ius W.
tests and subjects the country once III every ioui s
10 the danger OF revolution and civil war; by m'AluS
possible for the election TO be decided oy gross
rorpetrated by comparatively few persons IN single
state Had the election OF ls2 turned upon the Noe Vi
Louisiana or Arkansas or both, who can say tha'
peaceful decision would have been reaehedf In snort
the present system very little to commendt 1t is
bungliug and unnecessarily complicated founded on
the old theory that the states and not the people should
elect the President and ought TO be reformed
This was the feeling Of the Senate, when, more thah
year ago referred TO the Committee on privileges ana
Elections a resolution directing them TO examine ana
report the present session OF Congress upon inc most
practicable mode OF ehctlng the President and vice.
President and providing tribunal TO adjust and decide
all contested questions connected herewith senator
Morton the Chairman OF that Committee spent por-
ton the last Summer vacation in Investigations on
this subject and when, during the present session he
brought the matter the attention Of the Committee he
found them favor OF some reform and very
little prone TO cr;icise any plan he might suggest In
fact there has been less opposition than desirable,
1t only by the criticisms of opponents that In
portant measures like this are perfected
The existing provisions of the Constitution for the
election of President and VicePresident are twoIold
Article H. Section the Electoral College, and
Article XII. OF the Amendments provides the method
he A "a
these the Committee will probably agree to report
JOINT resolution of which the following Is substantially
copy:
ResoIced. de- Owo-thrds Of each House concurrng
thereiu That following article Is hereby proposed
ns an amendment TO the Constitution Of the United
States, and when ratified by the Legislatures OF three
fourhs oi the several states, shall be valid TO an
ineuts and purposes, part OF the Constitution W
wit:
be elected by the direct vote Of the people III the manner
following: Each state shall be DIVIDED mo districts
equal in number to the number OF Representatives 10
winch the State may be entitled IN the Congress TO DC
composed OF CONTIGUOUS territory, ana TO Oe as eaS
tGc highest number OF votes IN each district for Plesi-
dent snail receive the vote OF that district which shali
count one Presidential vote.
H. The person having the highest number OF votes for
President in State shall receive two Presidential votes
from the State at large
Ill The person having the highest number of Presl
dental the United states shall be President
Nv. II two persons have the same number Of votes IN
any II being the highest number, they shall Re
cove each one Presidential vote from the state at
large aud il more than two persons shall have each
the same number Of votes IN any state II being tne
from The state at large II more persons IMAM one sh
have the number of votes it being the highest
nuu Der IN any district no Presidential vote SNAIL be
counted from that district,
v The foregoing provisions shall apply 10 the election
oi Nce-preluent.
Vi Congress shall have power to provide for holding
ana conducting the elections Of President ana Vice,
President and 10 establish tribunals Or the decision Of
tuch elections may be contested
The report OF the Committee, which will accompany
this resolution wn it is understood after recOuuting
l..
election, adduce arguments in favor of the
system The original theory Of the Electoral College,
the report will argue, that those composing 1t
should themselves choose the President and VicePres
dent II expected that they would be OF high
character and wisdom, who would be free to
else their best Judgment in the selection of the proper
1t supposed that it would not be safe to
trust the people with the election OF the Chief Magis-
trate that the choice Of President by the OF the
people would result consolidation that would swa
up the smaller states aud that by such an election
the Slave States would be shOrn Of their power since
the slaves could not vote and the masters could not
vote for them.
Now that the principles OF Democracy are better
dersood been found that large electoral bodies
can be safely trusted than small that there
Is less danger Of corruptng Them and that the danger
arises rather from excluding the from
power than from comforting upon them. the original
theory Of the trainers OF the Constitution has been
thrown by pra ;tce the electors pledged in
advance and 1t folly to retain the system OF which
only the outward form remains.
Another objection found by Committee to the pres
electoral system is that II absolutely c!rcumscribes
the power and the rights OF the individual voter He
vote for the whom lie desires shall fill
the Office He may not like 10 vote for either SET Of
electors that is the field give his support
either candidate for the Presidency aud be obliged
10 lose his vote because electors OF his choice have
been nominated. The proposed change will not de-
prve State Of It's present vote in Presidential cleo
ton, while 1t gives to the minority in eacs,ate OPP
portunty make itself fell wherever it ife ljority
al any district
The Committee will also show that the present system
isunfa and prove from the experience past years.
The successful candidate always receives greater per-
ecntace OF the electoral than of the popular vote
In 1854 Mr. Lincoln Iecsyed 50 per cent OF the popular
vote per OF the electoral while in 1875
Fillmore received 25 cent OF the popular vote, and
onv per Of tue electoral vote. although fourteen
OF his friends elected 10 the House In the four
states OF Pennsylvania ONO. Indiana and Illinois, from
160 10 1872 ne Democratic strength as compared with
the Republican, was about as TO 10; but under the
operation of the generatlcke system they were wholly
nurepresented in the Electoral College but the
House % r. representatives., under the district system
Tke The STATE of New,York Tor the same period: In
1860 NeWYOrK cast her IS electoral soidy for Mr.
Congress OF whom were Democrats. In 1864 she
aeain her 50 electoral votes sody tor Mr. Lincoln
at the time elected 81 members Of Con-
gress. Of whom II were Democrats. In 1903 she
cast her 80 electoral votes sodlv for Mr. sey-
mour. The State carried for Mr. Seymour By his
overwhelming majority in the CITY OF New York, about
the character OF which charges made but of
which The Committee Expresses TO opinion; bat the
q! the state. unaffected IN their districts by this large
majority the city, returned IS out OF the 81 members
O! Congress, who were opposed 10 Mr. Seymour. thus
showing coRciusively how the voice OF the people of
NewIOrk outside Of the city had been stihed in the
Presidential election By the city majority, operating
through the geuerairCket system. Ia 1872 NeW-N
cast IS electoral votes soldy for Gen Grant the
time electng 50 members OF Congress, OF whom
Democrats.
The Committee further call attention 10 the fact that
the choice of electors now wholly in the hands OF the
Legislatures OF the states and shat any state Legsa-
deprlXe lis neope OF al dlrcct VOICE