The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1879-12-15

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in imminent danger if the projects preached
by many republicans were Endorsed and
adopted by their party. There could be no
surer way of disgusting the country with
Presidential elections than to carry them
again and again by chicanery and sharp
practice. The road will be paved for the
easy acceptance of monarchy when IL
becomes apparent that, besides the tur-
MOL, agitation and party violence
which attend our Presidential cleo
tions, the result no longer depends on
the free choice of the people, but is deter
mined by the inscriptions man1uvres OF
dishonest politicians. We do not maintain
that the democratic candidate was cheated
out of the election in 1876, but it is certain
that half of the voting population OF the
country believe that he was, and If SINH
lar impression should be produced by the
next trial the effect will not be favorable to
the permanence of our political system.
Even when worked fairly our Presidential
elections do not always accomplish the will
of the majority. In 1876 the vote for Mr..
Tilden exceeded that for Mr.. Hayes
by more than quarter of million,
the plurality for Tilden having been PSI 925.
But since it often happens that the electoral
vote bears no proportion to the popular
vote the country cheerfully submits in the
absence of fraud But fraud was charged
in 1876, and the country escaped civil war
by Congressional device which is not likely
to be adopted again. The state of feeling
81, has 10
unfortunate time for trying experiments
which would undermine the confidence of
the people in our political system.
The chicaning scheme which is now
widely discussed looks to the election of o
republican President by o bold political
coup. 1t has been put forth tentatively by
some republican journals in this State, but
it has taken no root in the minds OF the
party and seemed likely to sink into the
limbo of abortlve projects until i was
taken up by republicans from other States.
We are astounded by the circumstantial
statements printed yesterday in our Wash
ington correspondence. We copy the open
ing paragraph Of the despatch:-
The project which has been mooted by some re-
publicans in New York. that the Legislature OF that
State shall when it meets in january. change the
method Of choosing Presidential electors. finds gen.
eral favor here among republican congressman.
and some Western men are particularly active in its
cidedly doubtful State; that the proposed change
would give large majority of its electoral vote
tainIy to the republicans. and that it would thus
settle beforehand and almost beyond doubt. the
suit OF the next years election and give the Presi
dency securely to the republicans: The plan. as it
sional district choose Presidential elector the two
electorsatlarge to be chosen either by the Legsla
Ia t~ndx 1VA totrf NJ ala 0AvH
Western republicans think that this plan ought to
be recommended to the republicans of the New York
that the Nationai Committee which is to meet here
next Wednesday, should consider the propriety of
those who favor it that the New York republicans
will be tmid about acting unless they caused to
feel that they have the consent of the party in other
States.
We refuse to believe that our newly
elected republican Legislature can be
cajoled or persuaded to do a thing SO
INSCRIPTIONS and dishonorable and SO
fitted to destroy confidence in our free
institutions. We do not dispute that this
act of political dishonor could be perpe-
trated without overs;epping the limits of
the constitution. If the Legislature were
audacious enough it could 60 still further
and appoint the Presidential electors
itself and still be within constitutional
limits. At an early period they were
so appointed in all the States, and
by the State of New York down to
1928, when for that one election the dis
trict system was adopted which it is now
proposed to revive. In South Carolina the
Legislature down to the civil war. The
Legislature of every State has unlimited
discretion as to the mode of appointment,
and there is no legal authority to call it to
account. But it would be none the less an
audacious and outrageous act of dishonor
for the New York Legislature to do what is
asked of it.
Long practice under the constitution is
as binding on the sense of honor as the
constitution itself We have conspicuous
illustration in the votes cast by Presiden-
tial electors when they assemble as an
electoral college. The constitution not
only permits, but intends, that they shall
exercise an act of choice, but in point Of
fact they are not free agents at all they
merely register choice made for them by
others previous to their appointment. A
Presidential elector who should exercise
the individual freedom which the constitu-
ton allows him would disgrace him
self and be denounced as o polit-
ical traitor. No law, indeed, could touch
him; his treacherous vote would
have to be counted, even though it
changed the result of the election; there
is no law by which his breach of trust
could be punished. But he would be
hunted out of society and Stunned by
honorable men for doing thing which the
constitution permits. There is another
conspicuous illustration which has ceased
to be as telling as it would have been re-
garded before there was SO much talk Of
electinp General Grant third time I'm