The Andrew County Republican. [volume] (Savannah, Mo.) 1871-1876, 1876-11-23
1.-THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE.
WHO MADE IT AND WHO HAVE
PROFITED BY 1T.
Hayes and Wheeler Fairly and Le-
gally Elected.

ST. JOSEPH, No, Nov. IL, 1876.
EDITOR ST. JOsEPH HERALD:
Tho clam that Mr.. T lien ought TO be
inaugurated because he has popular
majority Of quarter of a million votes
is absurd. viewed in the light of history.
1t is persistently put forth by the Demo-
cratic press, and have conversed with
Republicans who incline to concede that
it has some bearing upon the question
which was settled on the 9TH instant.
At the formation of our Government
there was class OF Statesmen continu-
ally clamoring for the rights of the
States. As a concession to those Dem
ocrats. the Electoral College, devised
by them. was adopted. 1t took the
election OF President out of the hands of
the people, where tho liberal fathers of
the republic would have left il, and
placed it in the control of the States.
The device was purely Democratic in its
origin, and up to this year, the Democrats
have always profited by it, and gained
their ends through it.
In 1874 James X. Polk was elected
President by the Electoral College but
the people cast Il majority of their bal
lots for Henry Clay. Polk's election
was decided by single State. Had
the Abolitionists Of. New York voted
for the Mill Boy OF the slashes he would
have been President, and the whole cur
rent of our national history, Us we'll as
national thought, would have been ar
rested and forced into other and better
channels,
Four years later the election of Gen.
Taylor turned upon a single State. The
detection of the Van Burenites in New
York defeated Lewis Cass. In 1856
Buchanan was elected President by the
College, although the people rolled up
a majority of 377 ,629 votes against him.
That year, also, a single State, Pennsyl-
vania, decided the contest. In 1860,
the Southern Democrats ran Brecken-
ridge with no other object in view tnan
the defeat OF Douglas through the ma
chinery Of the College. and they sue
ceeded in electing Lincoln and inaugu-
rating war, although an adverse ma
iority of over nine hundred thousand
votes stared the Illinois Rail Splitter In
the face on the canvass Of the popular
vote.
This shows that the Democrats have,
so far, carried their ends and aims by
means ot an Electoral College which
every Democratic newspaper is now
cursing. dc not believe in this sys-
tenn Of electing President. 1t Is not
republican, it is cumbersome and is La
bio to create national outbreak. Ben.
ton opposed it, as have all progressive
statesmen Of the latter halt of the nine
teenth century. But II is the law of the
land and every election must be decided
by the ballot under our forms of law, or
resort must be had 10 the sword.
There are those who oppose the in.
auguration of President who secures
majority of but one in the college. II
our form OF government Is good for
anything, If this is republic founded
upon law and the consent OF the gov
crned legally expressed, that majority
OF one Is just as good, just as binding
upon all, and just as sacred as q majori.
ty Of one hundred would be. In the
second Presidential contest, decided In
1897. Thomas Jefferson was beaten s
votes by John Adams, the latter re.
| ceiving seventy. votes to Jefierson's
6S. In the third contest.-for l reckon
Washington's eight years as the first
Aaron Burr tied jefferson, each receiv.
ing IS votes, and the House. finally
was called upon TO unite the knot. lht
ballotings OF the College at that time
produced SO great an excitement us u
threaten the overthrow OF our institu
tiOns In 1929 the ColleOa was cop,