The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1875-01-21
Presiiart;als Elections.


The following article from the Erie
Dispatch in relation to Presidential
elections, we think very sensible, aud to
the point, Nothing we have seen cm-
bodies our sentiments better: The
proposed amendment to the national
constitution framed by the Committee
on Privileges and Elections apd iatcn.
ded to provide for the election of Presi-
dent and Vice President by o direct
popular vote, isl not brought. forward a
day too soon hor:shouli its discussion
aud adoption be postponed by any con.
sideration whatever. 1t has been the
good fortune Of the Republic to escape,
thus far, the evils which the Electoral
System embodies, but the story of some
of the hot and violent election strug3 les
Of the past ought to warn us that we are
not safe till every possibility Of carrying
our most important election by trickors,
and contrary to the popular will has
been forever removed.
The fault Of the Election plan is that
it throws the entire vote of every state
into the scale in favor of s candida te
who may perhaps have but bare ma
iority OF supporters in that State or wto
may be able to secure greater or less
majority by fraud, while his opponent
is the real choice Of the people. 1t has
frequently happened that the Electoral
vote of one Of the large states has do
cded the Presidential contest and the
fact that the chief migistrate's chair is
at the mercy Of the gang Of baiictstuf-
fcrs who may chance to be ahead in one
state by ever 50 small a majority makes
Il: fearful Of any further reliance on the
plan Of choosing the President by Flee
tors.
The celebrated election OF 1914 was
always claimed as a fraudulent one By
Wings, whose candidate, Henry Clay,
was defeated by Polk by majority OF
5000 votes in the state of New York.
Had Clay received the Electoral vote ol
New York he would have been de-
clared President and there was abund-
ant evidence to show that, ia f0ct, that
state vas carried by the Democrats
only By proiuse distribution of fraudu-
lent ballots throughout the several
counties and by the most barefaced re-
peatiug on the part OF the Iank and file.
The proposed Constitutional Amcud-
meut provides that the President and
Vice President shall be elected by a
direct vote Of the people in each Con.
gressional District Of the Union, which
would largely decrease if cot utterly dc
aray wi,L the chances q controlling
the election by fraud. One vote is Civ,
en- to each District and the candidate
who carries the majority ef Districts 10
each state secures two votes from the
state at large, If the state is equally
divided each candidate takes one vote
from the state at large and a majority
of all the votss elects. The plan Is
simple, clear in all its workings ana un-
Objectionable in every way. If some
method of this kind is not adopted we
may expect serious complications at
every recurring election which will
some time be aggravated to deter
mined appeal to arms by disappointed
candidate aud hi, parisans. The
country cannot afford that such dis.
graceful scenes as are now CONFUSING
Louisiana should ever follow the occur
renee of national election aud be re-
enacted in all the States Of the Union.