The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1876-05-15

several states should direct, within thirty
four days preceding the fret Wednesday
OF December In the year in which an cleo
ton of president occurred, and electors
were chosen without uniformity OF time or
manner. They were chosen by joint bal
lot of the Legislature, by concurrent vote
of the two branches of the legislature, by
the people on general ticket, or by dis
tricts, as suited the fancy Of tho state. In
1916, however, congress enacted that cleo
tors should be appointed in the several
states on the Tuesday after the first Mon
day In November, but that each state might
provide for filling vacancies in the elector-
al college and in case an election shall
have been held on the day appointed. hut
they shall have failed to make choice of
electors, then they may be appointed on
such subsequent day as the state may, by
law, provide. As it now 10, electors are
all chosen by general ticket, by the people
on the Tuesday after the first Monday Of
November in the year in which president
10 to be chosen ; meet at their respective
capitals on the first Wednesday OF Decem-
Der vote by ballot, for president and vice
president make, sign and certify three
lists Of the votes so given, and transmit
one sealed by special messenger to the
president Of the United States senate, one
oy mail to the same officer, and one to the
United States judge for the district in
which the electors shall assemble which
votes are opened in the presence Of the two
houses of congress, on the second We'd
aesday of February, and counted. The
twenty-second Joint rule Of congress pro-
vides that if the vote of any state is object
ed to for any cause, that each house shall
consider the objection separately, and that
no vote, so objected to, shall BIZ counted
except by the concurrent vote of the two
houses.
We have been thus particular in stating
the method heretofore practiced in ascer-
tanning the will of the people, because the
effect Of the proposed amendment will be
to abrogato oil existing laws upon the sub
ject, substitute an entirely new tribunalfo
counting the votes, and necessitate new leg
station rs to the times when the votes shall
re given and when counted.
The object of the proposed amendment
is, OF course, 10 remove the counting of the
vote from the danger which is supposed to
attend tho strife for political power-the
danger that the vote of q state may be
counted or rejected as 1t may give the adj
ninistration Of the government to this or
that political party. The supreme court is
supposed to be beyond tho reach of politi-
cal bias, and surely If any tribunal can be
found beyond its reach, tho supreme court
10. But to make assurance doubly sure, it
is provided that no judge of the supreme
court Of the United States shall be eligible
to the Office of president or vice-presidsnt
until two years next after he shall have
ceased to be a member of that court.
Under the proposed amendment, a.
now, majority of all the votes cast will
be necessary to secure an election; and
he provisions relative to the procedure In
case of non-election will be unchanged
he house, voting by states, each state 10
have one vote, to choose president from
the three candidates having the high
est number of votes; a candidate,
in order to receive the vote of o
state must have majority of the
votes OF tho representatives voting from
that state. Two-thirds of the states must
- -. > - a. pai" uncn
the vote is taken, and il no election is eff
fected by the majority of states voting.
prior 10 the fourth of March, the vice
president-elect will become president.
The vice-president, in case no choice IL
made by the electors, Is to be elected, as
now, by the senate, from the two candi-
dates having the highest number of votes
twc-thirds of the senate must vote and the
person elected must receive = majority of
the votes given. If adopted by both
houses of congress, the proposed amend
ment cannot be acted upon by the several
states until after the next presidential cleo
tion-but better late than never.