The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1877-11-10
rHE MODE o. eLEOTINa APaeslOEMf.

THE MODE o. GLEOTlNa A PRESIDENT,
oar present ele3loml system 10 q
umsG complicated makashIIl, IL
locs not dl lhs worlS Gov which 10 was
designed Instead Of securing au exc
preston II the will OF tho majority Ia
'lcolnR q president, II has repeatedly
lelealed that viii and given usu MINOR
ny president IL is fail olimperlrolons
Which amount b. dangers, and Ia tho
met contest would have landed the
'ountry In civil war but for the good
sense Of the people, II stands con
demned by experience and nothing can
ever again qayaniao II into public favor,
II must be either modified IN important
respects on given up altogether Tor q
new method, There ~ much more 10
be said In favor OF the plan Of eleclnR
president by popular vote than Is
conceded by the friends Of the present
system II Is democratic, II is fair H.
puts the choice Of president in the
hands Of the people Of tho whole coun-
try II carries out the idea of the
threciold division Of the government
The semitic represents the autonomy
Of the different states Delaware
counts just os mMh in that cham.
Der M New York. The house
represents local interests and consiitus
cnces It's members are chosen by
small districts in order that each sub.
division of the union may have voice
in the government The president
ought TO represent the mind and the
majesty of the whole people, without
regard TO districts or state lines, lie
should be the president of the people
OF the nation and should be chosen by
the minority by popular vote This
plan gives ideal completeness to the
structure Of our government aud obyi
ute5 I'LL th, difficulties that inhere in
and would grow out Of any other plan
1t would give tho nation majority
president 1t would add new interest
to the election were it known that ev.
cry vote would tell directly on the re.
suit All the essential features of the
present cumhrous method of electing a
president were adopted by men who had
very little faith in tbe people and dared
not trust them with power In the
convention ,hat framed the constitution
there was strong prcpondcrhncc
OF federal influence Tha aristocmtic
element was pronounced, Men after
wards distinguished NJ democrats, like
Madison for instance, shrunk from
placing much power ia the peoples
hands, while Hamilton and Washing,
ton leaned strongly towards the British
system. Universal suffrage was Il thing
then hardly thought Of Almost every
state had n property qualification for
voting, The strong tederolists of the
body feared that too much power had
been given the people 10y the constitu
ton and predicted that the government
| would fail unless shored up by addi,
tlonal conservative props and restric
tons. The success Of the government
was surprise 10 iisfounders and every
body and was traced directly to tn,
popular rights it gave the people il
public affairs. The democratic party o
Jefferson grew directly out ofthe life Of
the new nation and was strengthened
ny every years experience. The Who'll,
political history Of the country sets il
the direction of increased popular pow
en- We have reached universal sut'
irago Gnd now the negro has been Ell
iranchised The proposed change in tn,
method ofclecting a president is in tn,
direct line of progress, of our historic
deye lopment-the last step from feder
, alism to democracy.