New-York tribune., 1877-01-04
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
POINTS IN AMERICAN POLITICS.
RICHARD II. DANA. JG., ~ TIE NORTH AMERICAN
REVIEW.

every two months. We are promised ny its publishers
something fe-ier aud c0gprenensiVc under it'
new editorial management than under the cid regime
Thc Forthcoming, number fer January. 1877, viii contain
an article by Richard II. Dana, ir, which my safely
Dc taRcn az u sample of what they moan to
90 n poli,ieS II is entitled points in American
Poi,iCs." aud refers 70 suggested amendments t9 The
Con stiUtiOu especially than 20 present clucfSe-
Cies hut contains great many passages p'9'es to
the existing troubles. Ar. Dana discusses the mode OF
cAoos nc Pc cual electors ny rho several Says, and
fayois return 10 that originally employed by most OF
tlrstaoS. namely, two Ov the vote Of the whole state
and one by tie Of each Congressional district He
pTuna@uces hjS the safest and haSt, because 1t gives |"
eae vote and to the Of each electoral district III
small state nearly the same Importance rs one IN large
STATE, because the minority in each state has chance
Of representation in the I'll eeral College because 1t dis
tributes the electoral vote fairly and equally over he
whole country. ana because it removes much
OF he temptation TO fraud, which exists under system
which eugbes city section to control the twenty
or thirty or forty electoral votes of large state The
present system of swinging the vast vote OF great state
with such predictions power unit in the election
gives 10 great state sIc undue prtpouderance Over
snaa Ter states almost 20 crush thcln this power Is
fcf IN the national conventions tOi NOMINATIONS OF is
dents and thus It has come TO pass that the selection OF
candidates and election of President, instead at being
power and fraction spread equally possible over
The whole country, is reduced to few great ceuters
where the political machinery Of few great States Is in
play.
TIE machinery OF the Electoral College, it IL urged.
only compcaes the process Of election. hut gives
greater scope FOR fraud ia direct vote the
people and has becone comparatively Useless since
It has ceased % do the work originally Designed Itof
really choosing the President and Vice -PTsidcnt. in
stead of merely recording the popular vote. An lction
by the aggregate popular vote of tie country
is Objected 10 rs sIhversive Of STATE r-hiS,
and as containing the same clements Of evil
arnfipr +ht
system in the several states The plan favored is that
each citizen Of state directly for the candidate for
President whom he prefers, the candidate having TIE
plurality of the whole state being credited wltA
Two electoral votes the candidate having The plural
ity o votes in any district being credited with one elect
oral vote for each district which be carries.
The question OF the mode of asccraining the vote i
discussed at length. The only difficulty likely 10 aiiSe is
where the acceptance rejection OF votes depends upon
some on, s,ion Of public law Ike asceranmcnt OF the
real vote Of the people Of the Sotes and Districts when
the votes are ALLEGED 70 heeS IL fact different from
the returns which the electoral vote y 10 hccouuttd
whatever provision may be made. the hope is expressed
THAI II win not lie in any way involving h" Supreme
Court tlie United States, the respect for Which is
largely based upon the popular confidence that It Ia sub
stautiay separated from party politics Objection is
made Vcsng the power IN Congress- whose decisions
would b" received nv the public as free from RI
san bias. II the virtue OF Congressman has rot been
founl sufficient adiGdge the right to single seat
which mas not aft CT the scale OF power in the House.
wha; confidence he PLACED in their decision which
VIII determine the possession of the national admin
istratimi for four years
The exercise of these functions woItld increase The
political erctionecrne power Congress. denoraze II
as legislative assembly, ami make IT, more than has
FROM whose Sou there he appeal. II would
also greatly increase the central power at the expense of
force which IS already 1armingly -Tcat
In discussing tie relations of the Reprbc with helate
rebclStte >rDauI says that nothngis weaker in states
nausInp than INDULGENCE in wishes and afterjhoughts
The wo.L Of reconstruction has been completed aud has
been based uno the cGnal rights of ALL with the t OF
unlimited right of suffrage 20 rie whole body OF cmanc
pa,cd slaves in al their ignorance, weakness. creduiity
and lrrts shncss. The who a few years axe were
the lit,er enemies OF the Republic have been restored TO
Their civil aud political franchises.
If the cmaucpa,ed slaves lid not enHr upon tie dig
chaIcs Cf tlci. political duties mainly ignorant, tith
crejuous al,d hruJish, then slavery was rot what We
have alWaVs bclicN ed aId represented u I" he IL inc
late matters id not cherish grt deai OF Igstncnt
tlrcy tlcr cherished system and brought them down
tor 'l;,g cf layr and pOlding The substantial po
ic control over entire Repubnc; If they nave not the
desire to REGAIN such form they smetllhS of
their cld prestige. then we Lave heen equally
M. saien as tc effect OF slavery up0u Tie masters
result of two hundred years OF savehodins has
been TIE Transforming OF mIlons oi pagan AIIlch ne
gr persons capable OF 1T once entering upcn ihe
duties of citizens Of lcpHhic capable OF ami ScrinS
its complex affairs Win sll patience, ana ihteilg'hc
or OF selecting cT rulers ana representatives, NEb
i0rIcicc thar eur opposition slavery mistake.
and that shoud have encouraged instead OF restrict
ing its propagation and progress. Believing tnat we
were not rsta;t il any OF these positions, and having
established reconstruction upon those principles as 10
ehnee W. were hound TO contemplate ana De prepared
for ia, consequences.
Thcre seem TO us to be dangers from two so
long this antipaty Of races and the struggle between
them political power shall have enough OF strength
Remaining 10 MAKE instrument in the party poi lcs
OF tne Republic A. the history Of The political parties
has been is natural tia; the maneuvc1ng leaders
rde should turn TO TIE blacks, ana me
other the whites, Win races iul OF sympathy
aud hands full o? ballots IL Is natural that cacn
should exggeIate the patience aud foreaTance OF
Their supporters aud the ihcaaelty ana eVii d9eHs 81
tnelr opponents. IN tis state OF tnngs 1t - nara to ct
tTustwOi Thy Information The nam WaGtlcaI question
IS, when the mIitay power ot thc kepuDc sial pt u
voked, and how iar II shall he nse II ie Siat GOV
ermrntS come u understand that they can iayc ne
r. .deis troops az pohce Whenever thcy are ia tfonr
If tney but their request il the form required ny
the Constitution, they VII lose e habit ana caaciiy OF
exercising state 'Ncflin'hJ 40 al ihe sIcc'det Vi Iho
bnronc,s "a different dy dynasty in the legislative has
iud1al chambers, aDd vong-IO"ns OF state though
tJIat a. nasty - 0ui own ana Oi when We are ciuH'7
aud subjects j. not and should never become an
agreeable Il tpleIahle spectacle TIA
case arises where the Gsl&tcb OF Feuefh troops 10
a STATE OF the Union 10 take any part whatever in
its internal affairs Is necessary, IT Ia the duty of
the ciVii authority, which always commands thrh
IN cluef, taJ their instructions are such that
sonJ be the riIe that the Ifng Of sobefs and the
flash Of bayoets should not be seei or heard ~ halls
cOlsccrci to CVl legislation or 10 the voting by Iftc
1,e.. Iue army should only be called ia preserve
Ia. p4ac. and suppress insuTTecOn wien the civil
authOritcs ul. H. 10 preserve peace IL Is necessary of
Iroors 10 IKE pCss cOurt-hOuSes or legislative
jlils or vot,rg booths, they must understand that
it is part OF theT duty to discriminate be
~ H. cats i'm ;Lc Ie.islature ana upon the bench
or 10 the right AZ caatn- yOtce. Disputed cLdms 10
s'ats or yotes ere entirely ci; matters ana ne
pa,scd uou by CiV authorities only; and II IS csscntld
t,'s -, .,, tSa oSsro,l,lv Ia which they clam mem
b,rnIp Tie soldiers first Mea i to obey orders.
ana hc looks to some one 10 gave tieu Relying
,sr.lgW ffsfH gftTd WaT4f Id