Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1874-05-30
PROPOSED PLAN OF PREsIDEN.
TIAL ELECTION.

comes the great question at issue.
PROPOSED PLAN OF PRESIDEN.
TIAL ELECTION.
Last Thursday Senator Morton pre-
scented in the Senate the report of the
Committee on Privileges and Elections,
recommending change in the mode of
electing the President and Vice Presi-
dent of the United States. This must
be done of course by way of Constitu-
tional Amendment, and We presume the
following, which was the shape of the
matter in Committee two days previ-
Gus, is the article submitted by Mr..
Morton:
Article /. The President and Vice
President shall be elected by the direct
vote of the people in the manner 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 the Con-
gress, to be composed of contiguous
territory, and to be as nearly equal in
population as may be; and the person
having the highest number of votes in
each district for President shall receive
the vote of that district, which shall
count one Presidential vote.
2. The person having the highest
number of votes for President in
State shall receive two Presidential
votes from the State at large.
3. The person having the highest
number of Presidential votes in the
United States shall be President.
4. If two persons have the same
number Of votes In any State, it being
the highest number, they shall receive
each one Presidential vote from the
State at large; and if more than two
persons shall have each the same num-
Der of votes in any State, it being the
highest number, no Presidential vote
shall be counted from the State at
large. If more persons than one shall
have the same number of votes, 1t being
the highest number in any district, no
Presidential vote shall becounted from
that district.
5. The foregoing provisions shall ap-
ply to the election of Vice President.
6. Congress shall have power TO pro-
vide for holding and conducting the
elections of President and Vice Presi-
dent, and to establish tribunals for the
decision of such elections as may be
contested.
1t Will be noticed that the first Sec
ton does not recognize the apportion-
ment of Congressional Districts made
by State Legislatures, but calls for a
new one which may or may not accord
with that already existing. We have
seen no argument offered for the adj
ditional apportionment. The people
are full as much interested in
having their proper representation in
electingCongress in electing the Pres
ident. The Federal Legislature is at
least as important as the Federal Ex-
ecutive. The one makes the laws for the
other to enforce. If there is not
enough equity in the existing system
of apportionment fer the Presidential
we viii next hear of move
ment to abolish it in Congressional
elections for the proposed national"
system. Since the reign of moral
ideas" we have seen enough of State
gerrymandering to warn US against al
lowing Congress to gerrymander the
whole country.
The various provisions in the above
draft, for the non-counting of State
and district votes in certain contingen-
eies, are, we think, unnecessary. The |
vote that is split by ties can as well be |
counted by fractions, unless the art of !
is lost. 1t is very easy to
imagine a close contest, where the sum
IF such fractions in several States
would decide the contest.
The vesting of Congress with power
20 establish tribunal to decide con-
,ests, is very delicate affair, and calls
or mature elaboration. We appre-
late the force of the argument for
such tribunal. If the electionof 1872
had depended on the vote of either Ar
KANSAS or Louisiana, or both, a peace
,ul solution might not have been at
,ainable. But it must be remembered
hat the proposed tribunal is for apure-
ypoitical purpose. Also, that-tribunals
or purely judicial purposes have been
to politics in such way by
that we shudder to think
# leaving to Congress the constitution
# special court of politics. Suppose,
or instance, that a Durell was placed
IN the tribunal The difficulty suggest
d about the Louisiana and Arkansas
-ote would be increased instead of d.
ninished. Nor can we forget, that, in
he composition of a political court. the
majority in Congress for the time being
would be very apt to select plant tools.
Better vest the required jurisdiction in
he Supreme Court at once, as more
calculated to secure purity, ability and
The staple argument for any change
S that the present system allowsa can
ldate receiving a minority of the pop
liar vote, to be elected by a majority
# electoral vote. This results from
7oting by States, and from the extra
rotes representing Senators. The above
proposes to abolish voting
~ States, but leaves each State the two