Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1876-12-27
,~ficsrs, bu. for the appointment Of nen

omcers, Y for tne appointment o. men
in whom the people could trust. to
choose the rulers Of the nation for
them. The system Of the electoral col
less vas at that time n good one. but
the day Of its usefulness has passed.
Every four years now the citizens Of
this land are called upon to vote for
candidates to these offices. who are
placed in nomination. aud their claims
e~savasssd. for at least four months DO.
fore the election. The danger Of this
electoral system. as politics are now con-
Quoted. 10 amply e1smpliAsd BY the late
election in Oregon. In that State three
Republican electors were appointed in
good faith by the people. Yet Governor
Grover, usurping powers which his Of
Acs did not bsstow upon him. has given
one certificate TO = Democratic ~slsctor.
and 10 that vote 10 counted. It will elect
samuel J. Tildsn In defiance Of the will
Of the people.
The electoral System. We say. ID not u
good one. but an election by popular
vote would Be- but little. 10 any. i'm
.provemsnt. A popular election would
give the power to any large city over
crowded. as all large cities are. BY the
ignorant classes. TO overcome the lsgiti-
mate vote OF the State. Inths last cleo
ton Governor Hayes carried New York
State. outside Of New York City
and Brooklyn. which were notori-
ously manipulated by Tamuany repeat
srs. BY . large majority. Yet the
majoritiss for Tilden In these two cities
we're sufficient to give him the entire
electoral vote OF the State. Brooklyn
and New York send ten Representatives
to Congress; the rest Of the State sends
twenty-thrse: and yet these two cities.
which eau only WELD ons-third Of the
power Of the State in making or un-
making laws in Congress. are enabled
by our false electoral system to control
the entire State in making u President
Of this country That Is what electing
Presidents by q popular vote means.
There is Que very simple way TO oh
tain the actual will Of the people on this
question Of slscting a President. and
only one way. Certainly the appoint.
msnt OF a Chief Magistrate to execute
the laws Is Of as much II not greater inn
portance than the election Of a lsgiala-
turs to enact them. Let him. then. BE-
appointed in the same manner. % far
as the popular vote is concerned. as the
members Of Congress. Let the States
DO divided up into electoral districts.
and let the citizens O: each district vote
for their own e~lsctor. Had this boon
done in the late election we should not
now be confronted with the difficulties
which surround us. New York and
Brooklyn cities would not have over
come the Republican majorities in the
rest Of the State. Mr.. Tilden would
have received their ten electoral votes.
and Hayes and Wheeler would have re-
csived the other twenty-five. which justly
bsloug to them.
These are but two OF the most i'm
portant points. out OF many which might
be noted. in which the amendment Of
tho Constitution ssems to be impsr-
aiivsly necessary. The lesson Of the
last election must not be forgotten. We
cannot afford to have II repeated. II is
now nearly two months since we assem-
bled ut the polls as n great people.
and cast our votes for men to rule over
US; and yet to day the question Of who
is elected and who defeated. has not
been decided by any competent cor
stitutional authority. There il every
prospect VI a long contest In the matter.
which may ultimately be thrown into
the Supreme Court. There Is some
thing radically wrong in this. aud the
fountain head OF the wrong is the Con-
stitution OF the United States which We
hav. landed AN extravagantlv for M