The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1876-12-08
MILTON sAyLER INTERVIEWED.
What the Next Speaker Of the House Says Of
the Electoral Question.

recently had an interview with the Hon.
Milton sayler, as follows r5a q-.-f
Representatives. is great deal of mis-
apprehension as to the Electoral College
and. the method of choosing President,
and we want the fulness of your informa-
tion on this important subject. ez5fg
Mr.. sayler-Well, can tell you certain
facts. But don't want you to attempt to
draw me into the expression of any opinions
on certain points. I tell you this to save
you the trouble. I don't know really that
| have any information except that which
is possessed generally by the intelligent
people of the country. The question of the
method of choosing the President of the
United States was very serious one in the
construction of the constitution in 1889.
Under that system, substantially, the pres
ent system of electors was adopted. But
no distinction was made between the vote
for President and the vote for Vice Presi-
dent and it was only determined that the
person who should receive the highest
number of electoral votes, provided it was
majority of all, should be the President,
and the person receiving the next highest
| number, providing also that it was ma
jority Of the electoral votes, should be the
Vice President, provided that no elector
President from his own State. The evident
| intention was that the electors in the sew
| eral States should be chosen as an inde-
| pendent body, and should cast their vote
| for whomsoever they preferred that the
President should be elected very much as
our Senators are elected now, from the
State, without reference to any pledge and
without reference to the claims Of any
individual. Under this provision, at the
first election, General Washington received
sixty mine votes, which, being the highest
| number, he was declared President of the
United States. Mr.. Adams, Mr.. Jay,
Mr.. Harrison, Mr.. Rutledge, Mr. Clinton
and two or three others also received votes.
Mr.. Adams, receiving the next highest
number to General Washington, was de-
clared to be the Vice President It seems
to have been understood at this time that
the President Of the Senate should receive
the votes and announce them in the pres
ence of the joint session of the Senate and
House, and that their duty was simply
clerical. The constitution Of 1889 fixed no
time for the choice of electors or the count
ing of the vote, and during Washington's
first administration, as | remember now,
Ali
erence to dates, the time was fixed for the |
choice of electors, and also the time for the |
counting of the vote in the Senate. think
this was in 1892, and that it was then fixed |
to choose electors, at certain time, which |
is the present time, and that the votes |
should be counted on the second Wednesday |
in February. That is my recollection of |
my reading of it. The next election, oe-
curing IN 1906, is perhaps worthy of some |
note Just now, inasmuch as Mr.. Adams |
was then chosen by one majority, receiving |
II out of the 140 electoral votes, and Mr.. |
Jefferson receiving the next highest num-
ber of votes and being declared the Vice |
President. It was in the election of 1900
that tie vote occurred between Mr.. jeff
erson and Mr.. Burr, which led to the |
twelfth amendment to the constitution, |
which provided for the first time that sep
arate votes should be cast for the President
and Vice President, and that they should
be separately indicated on the ballot. This |
amendment was proposed, as | recollect,
in 1903, and finally adopted and proclaimed
some time during 1904. It was not till
1864 that the vote Of any State was rejected
by the action of the Senate and House.
At least I do not know of any instance
occurring prior to that time. Then, by
action of the two Houses, the votes of the
States in rebellion were rejected in the
count. Discussion had arisen, however,
in the joint Convention, and the famous
twenty second joint rule seems to have had
for it's chief object the determination Of the
election Of the President and Vice Presi-
dent without discussion. This joint rule,
which was passed in 1865, provided that
either house might make its objection to
the reception of any vote while in joint
convention, but that when this was done
the Senate should retire to it's own chamber
and the House remain in it's chamber, and
the two houses should thereupon vote upon
the question of the right Of the State to
have its vote received without debate, and
that the vote of the State could only be
received by the concurrent action OF both
houses.
Reporter-What are the facts now as to
this twenty second joint rule
Mr.. Sayler-I am very willing to tell
Won facts. but am not disposed, under any
circumstances, to give you any opinions as
to the questions that may arise in connec-
tion with it. AS now recollect, during
the last session of Congress, think some
time in January, Senator Edmunds. OF
Vermont introduced resolution into the
Senate re-enacting during the Forty-fourth
Congress the joint rules that had been in
oneration during during the Forty-third
Congress, and that Senator Morton moved
TO amend by excepting the Twenty-second
Joint rule, which amendment was adopted
by the Senate. The message was sent in
this form to the House of Representatives,
and by the House was referred to the Com
m;ttee on Rules, who have never reported
upon the subject.
Reporter What is your opinion Of this
system of electors !?
Mr.. sayIer-It is difficult to say what |
better system could be provided, but the
original idea has certainly been entirely |
danarted from-that was, that this EIec-
toral College should make an independent
choice. whereas now they are simply re-
garded as the medium to express the popu-
lar wish. AS have before stated, the
question was regarded as . difficult one N
the very formation Of the goyernm ment. and
eaeros no less difficult now.