The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1877-03-22
Political Notes.

The political prophhts are likely to come to
grief again. The venerable William Allen
threatens to rise up once more and enter the
contest for the Ohio governorship.
1t is now stated the way will be opened for
the return of ex-Secretary Chandler to the
United States Senate from Michigan by the
appointment of Senator Christiancy as United
States minister to Mexico.
Edward Mcpherson of Pennsylvania, the
longtime clerk of the House of Representa-
tives, proposes to be candidate for that po-
sition at the organization of the next House,
and hopes to be elected.
The President will retire with one less bur-
den upon his heart. Congressman Cox has
condescended to call at the White House.
Now, if Bogy and Morrison would call the
reconciliation would be complete. But you
don't catch Bogy. He is sly, de-vilish sly.
Don Piatt's recent attack upon Senator
Dawes is explained by the fact that Mr..
Dawes declined to grant big bill which Piatt
presented for attendance as witness. No
body pays any attention to Don's attacks up
on men, anyway, but he has to fill up his
Independent journap' with something, and
venom is what comes handiest to him.
IF the Senators from the Northern states
were attentive listeners to the wise words
spoken in the debate on Mr.. Douglass's con-
firmation by certain Democratic Senators
from the South they probably learned some-
thing. The attack of common sense from
which Southern Democrats seemed to be
suffering toward the close of the late session
OF Congress has proved to be something more
sprIOnS than q Grpo 40
rangement. 1t has apparently become chron-
ic, organic and incurable.
There is no harm in wondering what might
have happened if Mr.. Tiden had CHANGED to
secure votes enough to have made him Presi-
dent. If it was Democratic Executive who
proposed to relax the rigorous support of the
negro, there would at once have been revived
apprehensions and antipithies which all are
anxious to see terminated whereas Repub-
lican President, representing party always
recognized as friendly to the colored race,
can go as far as justice and peace may re-
quire, with less opposition, because such a
course can give no reasonable occasion for
suspicion. This is doubtless one of the con-
siderations which tend to reconcile patriot
like Mr.. Tiden to his defeat. That bad
young man, however, his neph ew, fails to
see lt.--N. L. Tribune.
The Republican press is showing COM
mendable zeal in discussing plans for electing
future Presidents. The inherent defects of
the old and cumbersome electoral system
have become so obvious that no words are
wasted in its defense. The plans most prom.
inently before the country are those adyo-
Gated by Senator Morton and ex-senator
Buckalew. They are briefly stated by the
Chicago Tribune as follows: "Senator Nor
toms plan provides that each voter shall vote
directly for President and Vice-President, land
the persons having the highest number of
votes in the State shall be entitled to the two
electoral votes of the State at large; and that
the persons having the highest number of
votes for President, in each Congressional
district, shall be entitled to the electoral vote
OF that district. and the electoral vote of each
State shall be apportioned-frst. two votes
for the State at large to the candidate having
the highest popular vote il the whole State
and one electoral vote for each Congressional
district to the candidate having the popular
majority in that district. Mr.. Buckalew's
plan is to have voters vote in each State di-
rectly for the President; that the aggregate
vote for President be divided by the whole
number of electoral votes to which the State
is entitled, and the quot;ent will be the ratio
on which the electoral vote shall be divided
between the candidates in proportion to the
popular vote received by EACH" Under Mr..
Morton's plan the electoral vote in the last
Presidential contest would have been divided
exactly as it was declared: Hayes,1S5 Tild en-
1S4. With Mr.. Buckalew's plan amended so
as to give the two electoral votes at large to
the candidate having the highest number of
votes in State, the result would have been /:
Hayes, 1871; Tilden, 1872.