The Portland daily press., 1877-02-13
A Constant Danger,

After great fire there is always talk for
nany days of enlarging fire departments and
making them more efficient. Men say some
| thing must be done and done quickly, and
persuade themselves that they are doing
something-besides talking-,and soon after
that something has been done. Then the
matter passes out of mems minds until the
next fire. A bridge gives way and hun
dred persons are manned or killed. For
weeks the proper construction and strength
ening OF bridges engrosses public attention.
Committees of investigation are sent out.
But by the time they make their reports in
terest in the subject is dead. And the build.
| ing OF we k bridges goes on as of old.
There is danger that the increasing indiff-
erence of men, the dislike to consider impor-
tant questions the Importance of which has
not been emphasized by some recent and
startling Illustration, may lead our people to
neglect one very necessary reform in our leg
lsatlon. A month ago all, possessed by fear
that the contest over the Presidency would
lead to bloodshed or at the best subject the
country to long and doubtful dispute over
the succession, demanded that by amend
ment to the constitution or by other effective
legislation a change should be wrought in the
method of electihg President, and that ad-
equate provision should be made for speedily
settling all controversies as to the choice
made at the polls. To-day people, having
had their fears relieved by the establishment
OF the Electoral Commission and perfectly
content to accept its decision, are falling into
indifference as to constitutional amend
ment; and there is great reason to fear that
the matter is passing quite out of the public
mind. Saved from present danger we decline
to look forward four years. We trust the
morrow to take care of itself.
Such public indifference to constantly re-
curing danger is reprehensible. The present
state of the electoral system is continual
menace, which patriotism and policy alike
demand freedom from. There is no assur-
ance that four years hence the same compli-
cation may not come up again; the probabil-
tiles are that it may. We cannot hope a
second time to agree upon so happy an ex-
pedient as the Commission. Indeed the
party against which decision is given in this
election will not soon consent to repetition
of the experiment. Nor will the decision
about to be reached be of benefit in similar
contests hereafter, for from the constitution
of the body making it and the circumstances
attending the establishment of that body it
will not have the force of legal precedent.
When people seriously think they shrink
from the probability of recurrence of a
Presidential election like that Of last year.
One such is enough in our history. Another
might work us hurt past all surgery. And it
becomes the duty of all who in any way can
influence public opinion to keep alive and in
tensify the popular apprehension until the
country is induced to doctor its ills. The
necessity Of some additional legislation regu-
lating the election and declaration of choice
of a President should be kept before the peo-
pie. From much discussion and constant
comparison of views will come some plan
which will meet the exigencies of the case
and prevent the repetition of a struggle so
dangerous to the public welfare as the one
which. by happy accident, we are enabled to
bring to bloodless close. Another time we
may have to do as other peoples have done,
as we have done once before in our history,
fight out the quarrel with iron and blood.