Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1879-11-21
POSSIBILITIES OF STEALING THE
NEXT PRESIDENCY.

ANALYSIS of the Federal Constitution has
given him high rank among legal au-
thorities, has set it down in one OF his
works that ii our system OF government
should ever he overthrow it would
probably occur in a contest over the
I Presidency.
The author referred to seems to have
come to the conclusion, as result OF
his studies upon that instrument, that
it had one weak plank, and that, the
provision for the election OF President.
| The correctness of his judgment needs
/ no fuller demonstration than the history
of the last contest.
But even before the last Presidential
contest the attention Of public men OF
both political parties had been drawn
to this subject, and the peril to which
the country might be exposed in the
contingency OF a disputed election was
\ pointed out and discussed. We be-
/ heve Senator MORTON had, prior to the
I last election, submitted proposition to
modify or supply what was supposed to
be lacking in the constitutional provi-
sions in this regard.
/ Whether the extra constitutional ex-
pedient Of am electoral commission
I which was resorted to as means OF
tiding over the difficulties and dangers
of the last contest, was wise and neces-
sary or nOt-whether it would not have
been better to have fought it out on the
| line of the constitution so far as il met
| the emergency, the situation into
which we were then thrown, with the
diversity OF opinion that existed
among men of both parties, upon the
meaning and scope of the Constitution,
demonstrates the vital necessity OF So
strengthening and simplifying the pro-
visions for such a predicament that it
could bring with it no peril second
time, or leave any room for doubt or
controversy. No one supposed, when
that electoral commission business was
ended, that we would ever pass through
another Presidential election without
an amendment 70 the Constitution.
Strange to say, we are but one year re-
moved from it without any change IN
the situation. We have in prospect
contest quite as exciting and close as
the last, and it is quite certain that We
cannot RELY even on an electoral COM
mission to relieve the situation, il the
history Of the last election should be
repeated.
We live in time when it is wise
TO discuss not what political parties will
likely do under certain contingencies, but
rather what Il Is possible for them to do.
The Indian covered the whole ground
when he said; "White man very I'M
certain" In the earlier days Of the
Republic, straightforward methods in
politics were the rule, not the eX-
ception. The political morality OF the
times seems to be measured by the pos
sibilities LETT open to contesting parties.
Ii is necessary now 10 close up the
gaps that the trainers of the Constitu-
ton were assured would not invite a
breech in those times. They did well
to provide for one hundred years OF
growth in political expedients, bit they
could not and did not anticipate the
present generation.
The SEcculations now going on among
politicians in reference to the approach
ing election, show that there are more
loop-hOIes for fraud than we're discovered
in the provisions tor counting the cleo
toral vote. The more reckless and I'M
scrupulous politicians are beginning to
speculate as to how electoral votes may
be captured in advance, and the popu-
lar choice iorestalled, As it was in 1876.
They have done some service, too, IN
showing that this is possible to be done
with the sanction oi the Constitution
itself.
The Constitution of the United States,
it is argued, expressly declares that
each State shall appoint, in such man
uer as the Legislature thereof shall di-
rect" the number of electors to which
it shall be entitled. Il is true that at
the earlier elections for President, a
majority of the States chose their presi-
Dental electors by their Legislatures
and not by the popular vote. This was
the practice in some OF the States, even
since the war, although now entirely
abandoned for the more Democratic,
and altogether more acceptable plan
of choosing by the popular vote.
Nevertheless the Constitutional au-
thority exists, and it is suggested that
tine recently elected Republican Lcgis-
lature Of New York may make the 30
electoral votes OF that State certain for
the Republican candidate by returning
to the method OF appointing electors
by the Legislature. The same
suggestion is made for two or three Of
the Southern States.
These things show the possibilities OF
the situation-the weakness and INSULT
cheney Of the Constitution in respect to
the election tor President. tits not pro-
LcLlf, though it is possible, that political
party should hazard the experiment OF
capturing the thirty-fve electoral votes
of the State of New York, for such a
stake as the presidency. Although the
Legislators in New York were not
chosen for that purpose, and although
such action would in effect he to antici-
pate the presidential election by one
year, and although it would probably
prccipitate the country into civil war,
vet how much more desperate would
such a scheme be, than the game played