The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1880-01-25

nv combinations among the large States.
This IL the only merit tho electoral Hysthu
ever had md tho trlie method proposes 70
retain that feature.
IL IL olnimed hy friends OF the electoral aya-
tom but think withnutauy very fprciheioa.
apn TINT IA was tho design ~ tho franers ~ The
consultation that IN ortlef to maintain the on.
tity or tbs State IT, votes should MI 10 east
for tho same psrsun for PraaIeut md Alca
President. If such was their intention, many
| of the Tra,npta of our organic Inv llv.d ~ aaa
that design frustrated, fe'r ut the 0rat election
only thres ~ the ten Statea voting gave ~
solid vote for President and Vlre President !,
nj tho third election eleven OF the sixteen
States voted SOL ny for President; tho plan
Of nomination by q ngrcasional eauouses
tended atill further ~ solidify the
votes Of tho States and ut zach election since
parties have designated nominees by national
conventions presidential olsotorR have only
perform oil ministerial duies. and tho votes
OF States have generally beon cast Eoitdly for
tho nominees Of tho dominant party Mt the
State election for presidential eiroiore An
other reason for my bolij that IL was not the
Original deeign that tho Statee were to give
q solid vote Tor President. IL that Spna-
| tors are required to bn 80 classified that
thosa from any given State shnll be.
long IL different classes. mud 1t will
not he claimed. | opino, that because
tho Statea arc II 4 allowed to elect their Sena
tors IN aoiido that their sovereignty II IN any
degree infrlnKed upon sing 70 tho olsasil
cation III Senators. aa prescribed by article l.
section o. tho States OF Connecticut, New
! I La "a
and California have each one Democratic
aud one Republican Senator. A. n further
raaaon for my opinion that the s0ltdty
pf tho State was not contemplated Il,
| that section 4 OF article / oonfers upon
Gpngreas certain powers Ia otnnaction
with tho election of Senators and Repre-
sentatlyes and pursuant therrto Stttes hav-
ing more than one REPRESENTATIVE aro re-
quired by law to no divided into suitable dis
trCts for tho choice III Representatives In
Congress; aud pursuant to m not Of Congress
ono house Of a State Legislature cannot pre-
vent the election on Il Senator Ia Congress by
refusing 70 60 into Joint convention. as was
frequently tho case before tbs net alluded to
was passed. But for tho district eystem the
preaent House OF Representatives would con
tain over 100 Republicans Of tho 293 members.
have enlarged somewhat upon my vlows
eonoerning tho original design Of our fore
fathers In tho adoption Of tho electoral sye-
| tenn, and | shall next endpavor tn show that u
departure from that design hns rendered that
aystem not only useloea. but nh instrument
which may 10 used at any time tp thwart The
will Of the people by corrupt partisan aRsn-
clos Il IL alleged by Il committee OF the
| House, appointed 10 Investigates the subject,
| that such frasds were com mitt.d In the States
| OF Florida and Louisiana as to give the cleo
toral votes Of those States to Mr. Hayes.
when In fact Mr.. Tilien received u ma ority
OF tho popular vote iii each.
| 1t will b. remembered that tho award Of
the electoral connisaion w.s 195 votes for
Hayes md 1874 ror Tillen. Therefore, leaving
Louisiana out Of the count, thu vote OF Florida
turned tho SCALE for had thnt S atss four
votes been awarded To Filden. ho would have
had 1873 votes to 1871 for Hayea There was.
therefore. tho greatest possible temptation
to fraud; the Presidency WAS at stake with
tho immense patronage 1T commands
amounting to probably $l0o,0o0.0o0 In ~
single term Of four years; and 1t was only
necessary 10 operate upon either tho gno-
rance OF eupidlty 81 u few men to stifla the
voice OF the American people. and render
Dugatory the solemn acts OF sovereign States,
Inveiah rs We may against thh perpetrators
| or frauds u System that otfars opportunity
for their preparation with Impunlty Il
certainly at fault and ought to bo changed
Another objection 10 tho electoral eystoln
Is that n presidential contest. where parties
W l.,I t
practically confined to few pivotal States.
The contest next fall will most certainty do
pond up u the votes OF Indianh and New
York. The pnrty which can carry both theae
States Il certain of gaining the presidential
prize. Party platforms viii b. constructed
to meet the vlows OF those States; candidates
most likely To win popular favor III those
States will DO advanced 10 tho front, without
proper regard to general fitness, and all the
corrupting Iufiuances which partisan rancor
and n love- Of spols can evoke Will he conferred
Iii Nav York and Indiana, and III n ct those
two States will elect the next President as
they hold the balance OF power.
Again; Under this provision Of tho consti-
tuition empowering the Legislature Of each
State to point out the manner OF choosing
electors, 1t IL gravely proposed In Nov York
State that the Legislature pass m act pro
vldng for the election OF two presidential
electors for the State at large and one for
each OF the thirty-threa districts. There
being at present nine Democratic and
twenty. four Republican districts, the Re-
publicans rely upon carrying at least
twenty Of the districts, even though the
Democrats may succeed In carrying the
State. But the Republican Legislature OF
New York may even 20 so far as to proyi le
by law for the appointment OF the electors by
the Legislature, In which case 1t would only
be necessary for the sitting members OF that
body to convene on the first Tuesday after
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