, 1875-02-09


We cannot believe that tho States containing
less than 5000, 900 of inhabitants would da'o
to defeat a constitutional amendment intond-
cd to prevent future civil war, nfter 1t hal
received the sanction Of tho States embracing
1000, 600 Of population. Wo do not hclievo
TINT N1aiuo or South Carolina wos1d vote
against it, md Connecticut is too Intelligent
to risk tho consequences Of being responsi-
bic FOR its defent.
Tho electoral advantage the little States
have now in casting the Senatorial electoral
votes ia moro fanciful than real. Vermont or
Delaware, for instance, would count heavier
in tho general result Of a popular voto than
aho can in tho Electoral College. Her majority
for llor candidate may exceed that givon by
New York or illinois in caso they should 10
closely balanced. On tho ropulnr.voto plan
Of electing President, the vote Of tile States
would costnt on tho result Just as the vote Of
counties do for Governor Of State. And
this is fair for all sides and parties.
An Apportionment of districts by Congress
for the election Of q President would of ne
cessity 10 a universal scheme OF partisan nn-
! fairness and jerrymantlcr. This one point
| alone is necessarily fatal to the whole pian,
md yet 1t is necessity, perhaps, Of any plan
which retains the electoral system, or which
places the election Of President on any
other than representative vote. If Mr..
AloRToN will change his plan, go as to provide
| for tho election Of a President and Vice-Pres-
| idont by the aggregate and direct vote of the
t whole people, he will get rid of all the CHI
barrassing adjuncts which render the plan
| Objectionable.
But it is objected that, if tho people
be allowed to vote directly for President,
whom there are severa1 candidates prcsi-
don't may be elected who received but a
minority Of the whole vote. That Is true,
aud is true Of thespresent system, aud is n
| result TINT cannot DO avoided in any way.
It has occurred repeatedly during the last
thirty years. In 1913, Gen. Taylor received
5G per cent Of tho electoral vote, and only II
per cent of the popular vote; in 1856 Bu-
chanan got Is per cent Of the electoral vote,
and only IT per cent Of tho popular vote; in
1860 Lincoln got TO per cent Of tho electoral
vote, and only 10 per cent of the popular vote ;
in 1861, he got 9l per cent Of the electoral
voto, and 55 Of the popular vote; in 1879
Gen. Grant received 81 per cont Of the elect
oral vote, and only Is per cent Of the popu.
lar vote. We quote tlesa figures to show
that, under any indirect system Of voting, a
minority candidate may be elected, and TINT
this result hos taken place repeatedly. The
present system of allowing extra votes, hav.
ing no representative character, invitos and
produces such results. The eight States we
have named have population Of 1000 less
than Pennsylvania, and 1,4oo,ooo less thar
New York, and they have 10 votes for Presi
dent, while Pennsylvania hns but 20 md New
York 81.
The best and most certain protection against
frnud is in committing the election direct te
tho people. In that case fraud Of 10000
votes in New York mud 10000 in Philadel-
phia would only count 20, 900 in an aggregate
Of 7,000,0 600 OF votes cast In the whole
Union, while under the present system the
like frauds may determine the choice Of sixty.
four electoral votes out Of 3GG. Tho posi-
bility Of having the general result determined
by such frauds as are now common In largo
cities will be 80 reduced, and the results te
be accomplished by them become 80 remote
that their practice will not compensate the
necessary outlay and riak.
In m election conducted on this plan
every man will have the privilege Of voting
directly for tho candidate Of his choice, which
is something he cannot do now, nor un
der any indirect system. We hold tha
tho right to vote for President is no
confined to the choice OF one Of twt
candidates; the voter should not be do
MED the privilege Of voting for whom h'
pleases, and having 1t counted. Yet thi
would not have the effect Of multip1yin,
parties. The removal of the shaver,
question has taken away from on
: politics the main cause for thir'
parties, md hereatter the people general.
J will divide between two great parties. Their
may be individual protests, but the scattering
vote will not be so nkoly 10 result in th
choice Of plurality candidate as now. "
think Mr. Monros's idea Of remodeling th
system OF eleotlng President and Vice-Presi
dent, with view Of avoiding complications
TINT may provo perilous to the pehes and in
tegrity Of the Union, is wise ono md v
I think, further, that any reform havingsuch
: purpose can best be accomplished by placin
I within tho hruds Of the people tho direc
, means OF preserving thair own institutions
They are not to be corrupted, as will almoa
I any intermediate agents appointed to do fc
, them whit they can better do for themselves
THE LOUISIANA DEMOCRACY.
THE raor1a ri T,nuietnrn h hhva haa11 far thFf1