Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1879-03-24
1rlsHIyG Toy c0RPESP0NDEvcF.

HINfffA . ItN ' IN n EtNf Nv itE-N r
W,Sni>oroS. u. C.. March 20 l-79.
Among the topics passed by in the last Con
gre,, was the Electoral College system. At
tcmpts have repeatedly been made 10 do away
the COLLEGE. but the statesmen who have
proposed to abolish have found their ,ugges-
tons coolly received, and Congressman have
always been too deeply cngrossed with other
cares to take mp subject which has arpcared
too abstract tnr their zeal. The electoral >ve-
tenn has been long REGARDED q, u>clc., AMI
possibly dangerous. We have seen bold at
tempt to steal the Presidency through the
bribery of an clcctor frustrated by chance and
we cannot hope that similar lucky chance
B will defeat Il second attempt in the future.
The machinery of the College only serves to
complcatc our elections and therefore docs
no good; it affords facility for fraud and
therefore may do us ill., The trainers of the
Constitution were educated with the idea that
/ the people were not to be trusted, and des-
pite the teaching, of the Revolution that idea
chung to them still when they met 10 c>tab-
fish Il form of goycrnmet for the people.
They thought that by the infcrpo>ition Of
electors a WISER choice of President would be
made than could be made by the people act
ing a. whole and directly: a direct vote
seemed 10 them hazardous and hence thew DC
rived the necessity of an intcrvcni . body
which should surpa>s the people in wisdom.
an intelligent oligarchv which should guide
the choice of the ignorant populacc a. his
father cares for hi. immature children. such
was the reasoning of orr torciathcrs: hut
from the VERY first thl, safeguard erected hv
them has been in practice di>rcgardcd, and
the will Of the people has been felt and
ohcycd hy every Electoral College. vet. as we
have bcIore suggested. that will may. if the
bride be high enough bc at some time, at
some critical period in the Nations history
di>rcgarded and We may behold the voice of
the majority impotont before the rcnaltv of
a traitor. Must we wait until some such
traitor is bought before awake to Il >, nse
of the peril which turks in thi. cumhrous
machine ryady some day to come upon u:
The uSrle ssneNs of the Electoral College
wa, demonstrated many decades ago. it, pos
sihilHy of evil WI, shown at orr last election
over ti'tv year, since il, abolition wa, sought
10y the ~tatr>mcn OF that time; but then a.
now the country did not share in it, leaders
apprehcn ions, and the measures proposed
were unsupported by Congress. and never
since hl, the subject met with the con,idcra-
ton it deserves. The laws pertaining to the
election of President and ice President have
been changed. but this method of giving cX-
PRECISION to the will of the voters still tarric>
with IL, like "Granltathcr's Clock. the heir
loom If the family. which never event bat
which has always kept lis place in the best
corner of the >ting-room
The theory of uur government i that the
majority shall rule; but by the working of the
Electoral College system Presidents have
been elected despite a popular majority
against them. For example. in two States
containing fifty thousand gotcrs each, b may
receive f3rty thousand votes III the one and
twenty thousand in the other popular ma
iosity IF twenty thousands vet a., his oppo-
ncnt. viii have as many electoral votes a. he
The plan proposed by the Congressional com
mtlccs during John Quincy Adams admins
tration vas the division of States into districts
similar to Congressional districts. allowing
each district one Presidential vote BY that
plan the popular vote would be more tairl,
expressed. Take our two States and divide
them into districts containing ten thousand
voters each according to this plan. and, unless
there l. considerable gcrrymandcfing. the can
III late Of the minority will be better treat
cd than before. ndcr the present system Il
bare majority IN State controls the choice
of the whole State rs the system prupo, ed
tho large lsnoritv in that State may exert its
proper influence and complete the triumph of
the majority Of the voters. Whether this
consideration has weight or not great re-
form is possible by the simple abolition of
machinery which has never served the pur-
pose of it, inventors. y little presidency in
urging such a reform will arouse the puhlic
mind to the necessary action, and pcrhap, AZ
ter that step further reform will seem practi-
cable. Brrr.