New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1877-05-26
PRESIDENTIAL METHODS.

MS PLAN TO ELECT THROUGH ELECTORS CHOSEN
BY THE STATE LEGIsLATUREs-THE OBJECTIONS
TO rr ANswERED-PIANs That WERE BEFORE
THE cONsTIxuoSAL CONVENTION.
To the Editor Of The tribune
SIR: | ventured some time since 10 propose
through the columns of The TRIBUNE a plan LOT the
election Of a President of the United States by
means of which the agtatlons, the eXciteniel7, .no
interrupton TO business the large expense and tue
serious dangers attendant on the present p'"n s''
NO ovo,dcd while ut tho same time there would De
obtained fair and just expression OF the VIII VI ,o
neon by districts of limited extent throughout the
rountrv II was to be anticipated that the plan
,,ould encounter criticism. No plan in fact LOT
accommodating this object has ever been proposed
which has not been sharply criticised. There were
at least half dozen plans brought forward Ill INC
original constitutional Convention. 10 one
Of which found ultimate favor with that BODY {;
the proyison in regard TO the subject which was
finally incorporated into tho Constitution having
b.eu merely an expedient for evading decision oil
the question and throwing the responsibility oil
deciding it upon the Legislatures Of the States
RECENT PLANS.
Nor have propositions of more recent origin been
n,oro fortunate OF these is l. discouragihg TO Oh
serve that the least consideration appears 10 De
given to such az woud be most likely to aitoIu IT,
lief from present evils, and those only have pros
pect of success which embrace the vicious element
of an exciting popular canvass. Inc proposal % d
recent writer that the Presidency on the occurrence
of vacancy shall pass by Inheritance 10 1he senor
senator and the plan of Mr. Nicholas, recently dis
cussed in Eapa's Weekly, which provides that by
means of "A complicated mechanism, the electoral
coIlc0o shall find a President and Yicc-President
among their own number, are examples oil
methods which would be certain always to
secure MS good President, if not abso-
lntelv tbe best. and would cilcctualy eX-
clude all possibility of popular excitement and all
temptation 10 corruption; bnt suchplans rs these
would so completely destroy the occupation OF the
",yorI,crs for the party the "wheel-horses," and
other classes of men inside of politics. that they
may safely be said to have no chance Whatever
The same advantages presented in the plan pro-
posed by me- while this plan does not, like them, IN
yove the element of hazard. If it fail of adoption
therefore. as it probably will it viii fail for the
same reasons whieh are fatal to them, but not any
means because Of the validity OF the objections
which have been brought against it through the
uuhlic press few OF these objections it IS The OBJ
ect of the present communication to notice.
The PLAN it will be remembered, is that tie Prcsi-
DENTAL electors for each state shall be elected % the
lower house of he State Legislature the members
from each Congressional district elecung one. while
the two state electors are elected by the Senate. One
Of the earliest objections offered to this was that the
plan i. not original and that, moreover n must be
"A bad one, because it was proposed IN the Conedtd-
tiouaI Convention of 1857 and rejected. The ~
ectoris here douby in error Is was not proposed
in convention in form "a, proposed by me, and n the
form IN which il was proposed il was not rejected
The provision on the subject originally adopted by
in, al
2d of June. 1877, and in convention on TIE 1Tth Of
July. was THAT the Executive be chosen by the
National Iepislaturc.' Two days later tie words
bv the National Lecisatugc" were stricken ont,
and the words by electors % be appointed los tir
several Legislatures of the individual States sub
-tituted Tor them. Ga the ith of tae s9Ine month
the words "by the National Legislature were 'e-
stored bat in the final draft Of ia, Constitution tIe
clause received the form IN which we have 10 at
prrS.nt, empowering the Legislatures 80 duert the
mode OF choosing electors, and By Inference 20 make
tile choice Themselves If tley see ht. The assertion,
Therefore. that the Constitutions, Convention dis
approved of the choice OF Presidential elections by
the state Legislatures is NOT true..
OBJECTIONS.
Bat il has been further objected 10 the pan.pIo-
posed by me that u Is opposed FEB tAf genius of oar
institutions" which T., said o require TIA. al' po"e.
should bc derived directly FROM the people. If This
is the case, there mist ba something extremely
wrong about the constitutional "ode OF cierli-
Senators Of the United States. VINO i"f a.een,tIN
past have been chosen by 'th. state legislature.
And tlo trainers of the Consultation th."s. Ives
must have known very little about tAa genius oi
our institutions" not only "h,u ttey committed
this great buudcr i'm regard ,o tir ,"nse, bui "Hcn
they gave to the Ike utne Vijh tine >"aaio ,na
power 20 appoint all al Icr uncICuar, Oh 'ir Gov
,r,,.reut from the heads 1f departments and judges
o, .h. S,ureu, Conf. downward. without arylcl-
.rc.,,. "a, fine peoa,,. Hut th;s concern for " thc