The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1877-03-31
Electing a President.

WV nave plSoCIIlSI IIOII llIliG W
! time the various plans which have
been proposed for the Improvement
Of the system of electing the Presi,
dent of the United States. In the
light of recent events, there can be
no subject more important to the ma
tional peace than that of securing a
fair and honest expression of the
popular will. Fraud is one of the
easiest methods of defeating an hon
est election, and yet there is nothing
more difficult to detect, to punish, or
to remedy. The present system Of
fers great inducements 20 fraud. 1t
makes the whole electoral vote of a
State dependent on a bare majority
of tire popular vote of that State.
The four States OF New York, Penn
sylvania, Ohio, and Illinois, have
lis electoral votes, and, in an ordi
nary close election, the suit may
depend upon the vote of either of
these large States. y fraud of 5000
votes in New York may change
thirty ive electoral votes from one
to the other, and like fraud in Penn
sylvania would change twenty nine,
Ohio twenty two and Illinois twenty
one, electoral votes.
The two plans now most conspicu-
ously before the country are those
prepared by Senator Morton, of In
diana, and by ex-senator Buckalew,
of Pennsylvania.
1. Senator Morton's plan provides
that each voter shall vote directly
for President and Vice President and
the persons having the highest num-
ber of votes in the State shall be en-
titled 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 cleo
toral vote of that district, and the
electoral vote of each State shall be
apportioned-first, two votes for the
State at large to the candidate hav-
ing the highest popular vote in the
whole State; and one electoral vote
for each Congressional district to the
candidate having the popular ma
iority in that district.
3. Mr.. Buckalew's plan is to have
voters voth in each State directly for
President; that the aggregate vote
for President be divided by the
whole number of electoral votes to
which the State is entitled, and the
quotient will be the ratio on which
the electoral vote shall be divided
between the candidates in proportion
to the popular vote received by each. &.
Both of these plans provide for
breaking up the present unfair sys-
tenn of having the whole electoral
vote Of each State given to the ma
.jority of the popular vote, and are
commendable because they reduced
the premium on fraud to one or two
votes in State, instead of from six
to thirty five votes as now. Mr..
Morton's plan it is strongly objected
to that it offers an increased induce
ment to partisan majorities in State
Legislatures to act unfairly and dis
honestly in forming Congressional
districts. TO Mr.. BuckaleW's plan
it is objected that the majority in
many States would be deprived of
any advantage of which majorities
are justly entitled in all elections.
In every State where the electoral
vote was an even number, such as /,
6, s, 10, 16, 20, and so on, and the
popular majority was less than 1000
the electoral vote of the State would
be equally divided between the cam
didates; and this result being known
long before the election, all induce
ments for voters to take an interest
in the election would be lost. The
minority would share equally with
the majority. But this plan can be
amended so as to recognize the claims
of the majority. If the Buckalew
plan be amended so US to secure to
the candidate getting the highest
number of votes i'm the State the two
electoral votes TO the State at large,
and have the minority plan apply to
the division of the remaining electo-
raj votes, it would practically pre-
serve to the majority its proper pro-
portionate vote.
If the last Presidential election
had been held under the amended
Buckalew mode, the result would
have been Hayes 1877, Tilden 1872.
With the Morton plan it would have
been Hayes 1856, Tilden lS4.
Under either of these plans there
would have been q amuch greater vote
polled in the several States than was