The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1876-05-16
Constitutional Amendments.

Greek then comes the tug ot war;"
Constitutional Amendments.
The mode of electing the President
and Vice President of the United States,
as now provided by the Constitution,
has long been considered Objectionable
for various reasons. One of these objec-
tions is that the machinery is too cum
brous and circuitous in its action. An
other is that it may fail, and indeed in
repeated instances has failed, to reflect
the will of the majority of the people of
the United States.
In the Presidential election of 1924,
while Gen. jackson had majority of
the popular vote of 50,551 over John
Quincy Adams, the latter was elected
President by the House of Representa-
tives; the competitors being Clay, Craw-
ford, jackson, and Adams, and neither
one having majority of the electoral
vote.
In 1874 JAMES X. POLK became Presi-
dent with minority vote of "a, 1l9, Clay
ana Birney exceeding him by that
much.
In 1S48 GEN. TAYLOR became the
President, though in minority Of 151,-
TOS OF the popular vote, as against Cass
and Van Buren,.
In 1856 JAMES BUCHANAN succeeded
in the election as President, though in a
minority OF 4l3, ,76o votes OF the popular
vote, as against Fremont and Fillmore.
In 1880 ABRAHAM LINCOLN became the
President, but with minority of 947, $50
of the popular vote. The total vote for
Lincoln was 1857, ,610, while The vote for
Douglas, Bell, and Breckenridge COM
bined was 2,S04, 4,699, nearly one million
more than for Mr.. Lincoln; and yet the
latter became the President.
OF course there is no practical mode of
electing the President by the people ex-
cept by accepting the candidate whose
popu Lar vote carries with it the largest
number of electoral votes when that
number is a majority Of the votes cast
in the Electoral College. To do other
wise, as some have proposed, and re-
quire a majority OF all the votes cast,
would of course require the abolish
ment OF the Electoral College, and would
in great measure obliterate the lines
of State sovereignty SO far as such elec-
tion is concerned. The expediency Of
this must be considered as exceedingly
doubtful. Whenever, as always may be,
there are more than Two candidates
there must be, as in all the cases above
cited, subdivision OF the popular vote;
and the preponderance of the vote must
then be determined by the electoral vote
and equitable mode OF determining such
preponderance, it would be difficult to
devise; supplemented as it is by refer
ring the choice to the House OF Repre-
sentatives in case that neither candi-
date receives majority Of that electoral
vote.
The cumbrous and circuitous mode Of
electing the President by means Of the
Electoral College, and thence transmit
tug that vote to the Congress, where the
same is to be opened and counted in
convention of both the Houses, and the
result declared, has been considered,
and perhaps justly, as an Insecure
method Of determining so important a
matter, as being liable to improper infid:
snces or Vaccinations Of party feelings
In Congress. In two or three Instances
danger from this has been but narrowly
escaped.
In order to obviate this liability to
danger as well ms to simplify in some
measure the working OF thfs machinery,
there is now before the Senate propo-
sition foran amendment to the Constitu-
f. tion in this behalf. 1t comes before the
Senate by way Of a report from its Judi
ciary Committee on joint resolution
forpreparing such Constitutional amend.
ment to be submitted for final adoption
as prescribed by the Constitution. s;
As now reported by that Committee
Che principal provisions Of the proposed
amendment may be summarized as fol-
lows:
cit proposes in lieu Of the twelfth.article Of
fhe amendment Of the Constitution to establish
anew article providing that tho electors shall
meet in their respective States ana vote for
president and Vice President viva voce, ana
Transmit certified lists Of ai the votes to .sc ..c
presiding Justice Of the Supreme Court The
Supreme Court. at time and place to be fxedi
BY law, shall publicly open and count the
votes, ana the person having the greatest num-
tsr OF votes for President considered by the
sourt 10 have been lawfully given and certi-
Sec, shall be the Psesident II such number be