, 1875-01-22

| SOME OF TIE uEIECT5 IN OUR PRESENT SYSTEM
| WAsI1suToS, j, e., Jan. !l.-1u tile :souato
this morning, unfinished buhness hcipg tie
| resolution from the Committee Oh Privileges and
| Elections proposing all amendment to the Co,,-
t stitution iu regard tu tho election of President
and fice-1'resdent mas called u;3.
sts. Morton said this was q subject entirely
| above oil party considerations. Men Of al! pas-
ties could adircss themselves to it independently
| Of tue a1clto,nont which now pcrvades thu couu-
| try. Tho proposition IVES to amend tho Consti-
tulion 30 al to bring the election homo to tho
| people as near rs possible, anl at tho san,e
| time ayoil tho dangers which arc threatened by
| Tic present lnolo. WIel llu looked back over
tic history Of ihiH c,uutry it wsM n matter Vt
surprise to linn that there lad not becu tro7blo
resulting from the iulrerEecton Ut oUr system.
There Was 1lo power HOW in Congress Or in thu
Statoa to settlu n contested election In cases OF
electors. In election Vt e1ocEo:s
HIGHT lie ArTEspED WITH rEAup VIOLENCE Asp
TE,tEI.T,
! and there uas no power to correct tho evil. Iio
pointed out, at sllHo lensth. tho imperlectiunn
much POWER WAS vested in Tho hsuds OF lilo
Vice President. CT lrasidcnt OF tie
Senate, to whom tho electoral votes
votes When Ao himself WAS u caudidste. John
Adans counted the yoto and declared himself
eloctel il tut. Jefferson counted lie vote in
lbol. wLcn thotn waa u tic. suppose there hat
lccn two scls of electors thora from my ouo
State, ono set nakiug . tiu vote, aud tlo otler
cteetlug Jolforson. Thero was ,o power 10 pro-
vent hlHa from counting tho vote which would
have elected hin. Again, In lsai. Tomk1uu,
Who WI was u eandillato., counted tho votes.
III 1927 Van Duren did tho aa.ue thing.
and declared hlmaolf elected. in iii
johnson counted tho sote, and III 1HGl urarall-
ridge did so Although tho colut lad been
Honest III au these Cases, MI instance might
A!tso when dishonesty OIL tho p1rt Of O ficc-
President wonld elect. 1t lid nut HrpIn tu ilnYe
occurred 10 tho ftaMora of thu Constitution that
thcfe luight be TWO scts Of delegates, or fraud
in tlclr election.
lilo next rclolrcd to
THE COUNTING or THE VOTE
III tho prosollcn OF Tho twa !louhes Of Congrass,
mud Had that tho two lInnHes Of Congress- were
as witfsrHsea unly. TAey cnnla not Gct ~ a
joint convention.
AZ to tho dangers o1nl:dfculleH .,.lich ettoulet1
tho psesont nystenl, thoy wuro u.aS;'. In case Of
tho death l-atlc1danco ot thu electors from
any Stato otlIes elections from tint H.ate might
fill tho Eacancies. suppose Tho electors from
any State we're aEeny divided, and il oso diet, or
and thus lavu majority Oh their side, Il ,l-
jority Of ono conld cast tlo entire yuto OF tile
ssats of Now torA, aud two aud a half millions
u pcop!o might Ge utterly silent in their yota
for President. Unaor tho pzoaeut system. tcn
S.ntos ctnld elect President q ths United |
states. It was nuw an elccti ~ by states.
Hor 4 NATIONAL Ei.ECi;nS.
III 1856 tlefe Ncto thousands Of Republicans /
III tile Houth who did not yotu Lrraiso there WAS |
NO electoral ticket IN tho field tu1u fur Fremont
aud Dayton. Enle1 tito rretc Bystonl many |
1rc1l wero practically diafranchbed bocauso Tiers
not 1usu enough in s'.ct State uf tllolr own
way of thinking to put Ill electoral tickot in the
tield.
lts neut to the CIors II tleuk and 1lad read tie
twclty-secouu ju.ut rule Ut t'onsrras in regard |
to tbs enllins nj tho electoral VITA a,tl sud it
WuH kr<.Hsy unconstitutional. H. w4s tho iu,cu-
tim Ut tho trainers OF tho Constitution to make
the election ot President independent o! Con- |
groAs, but tlia tWeuty-Accoud r'l.e made tho /
election of President depend upon citiiar House
Of ConGrssa, ~ either uouso, under t4iY ruiz, |
you'd
PREVENT THE COUNTING or TIE yoTk
pf any State. III case the uouss waa Dsmo-