The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1877-01-21
The regular circulation OF The Sun fo'
Ns reek ending Jan. 20. 1877. tnds
Total for the week
The First Electoral Colleges.

quired to vote for two persons, without
designating which OF them they voted for
~ President and which Of them as Vice
President; but the person having the
greatest number of electoral votes, II
majority OF all the electors appointed, was
10 be the President, and the person having
the next highest number of votes was to
be the Vice-Presidsnt.
At the first election, the whole num-
Der Of electors appointed was sixty
nine, OF which thirty-nve constituted
D majority. There were no nominating
conventions In those DAYS, and no oppos-
ing tickets OF Presidential electors put into
the field by opposing parties. There was
general desire throughout the Union to
have the Constitution go into operation
under the Presidency of WASHINGTON; and
the general exp, citation that he would be
the first President had great deal of influ-
snce in causing its adoption by q sufficient
number of the States. When the Electo-
raj Colleges were about to meet and give
their votes, some Of the leading men
among tho friends and trainers OF the
Constitution, who were most solictous
70 bring about the election of WASHING
TON as President, were embarrassed by
the possibility OF his not receiving a larger
number of the electoral votes than any
other person. Apparently they were over
anxious on this subject, although II was
certainly possible that without some pre-
vious concert and understanding. the
electors might not sufficiently appreciate
The Importance Of putting wAsHINoroN's
al ,F haI
the name of the other person voted for.
There was q pretty general concurrence
In the propriety aud expedieucy of max
Ing JOHN ADAMS the Vice President. In
order TO accomplish this and at the same
time to avoid giving him the same number
Of electoral votes as 1t was intended should
be gwen to wAsHrNGroS, some manage
ment was deemed necessary. The chief
part OF this arrangement was undertaken
by ALEXANDER HAMILTON, whose motives
were entirely proper; but as the result was
that while WARRINGTON received the
whole number OF the sixty-nine electoral
votes, aud Mr.. ADAMS received only tn rty-
four one less than q majority, a lasting
dissatisfaction was caused IN Mr.. ADAMS
and his friends, which became afterwards
serious misfortune to the Federal party.
Mr.. ADAMS was not an aspirant for the
Presidency, aud there was no competition
whatever between him and WAsHISGToN
for the highest office. But he always felt
Il to be a grievance that steps should have
been taken, the effects OF which were to
reduce the number OF his electoral votes
below majority even of the whole aggre-
gate number in the Electoral Colleges. lie
might have been permitted to receive
Exty-eight votes, aud still he would only
have become Vice-President.
At the second Presidential election the
whole number of electors appointed was
enc hundred and thirty-two, OF which
sixty was majority WASHING
TON received the whole number of the
electoral votes, aud ADAMS received
seventy-seven, ten more than a majority.
He thus became VIce-President for the
second time. Two more elections were
held before the Constitution was changed
At the election for the third term the
whole number OF electors appointed was
one hundred and thirty-nine, OF which
seventy was a majority. Mr. ADAMS re-
oeived seventy-one votes, Mr.. JEFFERSON
sixty eight. Mr. ADAMS, Of course. became
President, but with a majority OF one only
OF the electoral votes, while Mr.. JEFFERSON
became VIce-Presideut with two less than
. majority. At the election for the fourth
term there were one hundred and thirty
eight electors appointed, of which seventy
was majority. Mr.. JEFFERSON and
AARON BURR both received seventy
three votes; there was consequently
NO choice OF President, aud the cleo
ton was thrown INTO the House. At
the end OF the thirty ballot JEFFER-
SON was elected President by the votes OF
ten States. BURR became Nice-Presldent
by the sovcnty-three electoral votes which
he had received.
The inconvenience Of the electoral sys-
tenn, M it was arranged by the original
Constitution, had now become apparent.
The Twelfth amendment was proposed in
1903 and adopted in 1904. 1t required the
electors to ballot, directly and by distinct
ballots, for n President and Vice-President
70 make distinct lists Of their votes for the
two Offices, seal them up. aud transmit
them TO tho Pres dent OF the Senate, by
whom they were to be opened in the
pTcStHit oi lHt lNO iou'c- lHtJ were
then to be counted.
The idea that they are TO be counted by
the President of the senate, when there are
grave and difficult questions arising upon
their being counted or not counted, accord
ing as the electoral bodies appear TO have
been lawfully or unlawfully constituted
Or where there are two sets OF returns, has
now been sufficiently examined and con-
demned by public opinion, 80 that il may
be considered as nothing but desperate
scheme to force declaration OF All election
contrary to the law and the facts OF the
case. II is a scheme, however, against
which the constant vigilance OF public
opinion must be directed, until IL,
execution becomes impossible. From lie
very mature, this scheme is fraught with
the utmost danger to the rights Of tho peo
pie; for 1t is impossible for them to exer.
cise any restraint over an officer like III,
Vice President, when he assumes 10 decid,
what vo,cs shall or shall uoi be counted