The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1878-03-14
The Mode Of Choosing the President of
the United States.
The Morton Plan.

In consequence of the grave defects in the
present plan of election especially set forth iu
the previous article, Senator Morton in 1874 re-
ported to Congress new plan by which the
people were to vote for the President and Vice
President directly, dispensing wholly with the
electoral college. The Bill provided
that the people of the different states
shall vote for the President and Vice
President in districts equal 10 number to their
Representatives in Congress and as nearly
equal in population as may be-the districts to
be formed of contiguous territory by authority
of the state Legislatures, but subject to
alteration by Congress. And the person having
the highest number of votes for President or
for Vice President in any district shall be con-
sidered as receiving one presidential vote;
while the person receiving the highest number
Of votes in the whole state shall be considered
as receiving two presidential votes Correspond
ing to the Senatorial electors); and the person
having the highest number of presidential votes
for President or Vice President in the United
States, shall be the President or the Vice Presi-
dent as the case may be. Congress is to have
the power of holding and conducting these
elections by appointments of its own, and to
establish tribunals for deciding contested cleo
tions. The Bill was not acted upon, but these
with some additional provisions as to certain
contingencies constitute its substance.
The direct election of the President has long
beeu favorite idea with many, and Mr.. Nor
toms bill is not bad embodiment of that idea I;
but it seems to me to be impracticable in such q
government as ours and of doubtful wisdom, if
it could be realized. At this capital point in
our system, it almost entirely ignores the states
aud virtually transfers theswhole machinery and
direction of the choice of tho chief officer of
the Union to the general government With
out at all allowing the extreme principles of
ststes-rights doctrine, it is obvious that the
states had too long enjoyed separate organic.
alton, an Independent action previous to the
Union, to be ignored in so vital matter in the
Union. Aud is it quite certain that it would
be well, IT practicable, to throw the whole
responsibility and pressure upon the general
government? Why not divide this pressure, BY
distributing poi ton of it among the States?
Let the States have their preliminary skirmishes
in the fight, and the final struggle will be less
fearful: let them have their say in the matter,
and they will accept with less reluctance the
final decision. Why not let off into side chan
nels by the way something of the swelling vol.
ume of political feeling, rather than retain its
full Volume and force TO dash against single
barrier at the end? adr. Morton's plan, then, for
electiDg the President, seems to me objectiona-
Bile, particularly on the ground that it tends too
strongly to entfalzaton. Ii requires also for an
election SIMPLY plurality and not majority
of votes, which is so essential to the com lete
a,qulescence of the people in choice of their
Chief Magistrate. j. T. q.