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

power ID an the Republicans and give them
majority of the delegation. and Indiana.
added 81 tho States tho Republicans now
hnvr, would elect their nominee. On tho
hpr hand II he voted otherwise than for the
Republican nUelecton could he had ~, parties
In tho House now stand The Senate. how
ever. bling Democratic. would choose the
nom lneo Ut hat part y for Vtcs President. and
tho duties Of the presidential fIioe would do
vulys upon him rnss occurred In 1895 IN
| which tho solitary Representatives from Mls-
| souri, decided he great issue Of the Presidency
bot w,en John Quincy Adams nnd John 9. Gal
| houn AZ H. well known. tho election Of 1924
| Tor President devolvpd upon the Ilnnae, An
drew Jackson q Adams and VIM. II. Craw-
| ford being the only pfrsons eligible. There
| were twput} four States then In the Union
| thirteen being u mai lrity; and tho vote OF
| the Missouri X pres, utattve turned the scale
| In favor " Mr. Adau,e who had twelve votes
Without M issnur Had tho gentleman from
| Missouri persisted In voting against Mr.,
Adams no election Ivy tho House would have
been had. and Mr. Calhoun. who had been
| elected Virp President by tho electoral col
| legrs. would havo been ~ oncio President,
| ,ut III View pf tho election II President by
| tho House. tho action Of that body upon two
contested Cases now pending ppespssfs un-
usual interest NJ present, The sent Of ~ Il )
publican from Indiana Is o1nt"stsd by II
Democrat. and Il H,publIcan holds n scat IA
IL representatives, IRON Minnesota which Is
claimed hy Democrat. Shouli these CON
tests ba decided In favor Of the Democratic
conteatsntE, IL would add two States to tho
Democrats aud enable then, to tlect their
NOMINEES should tho election davolvo upon tho
House
N no or tho complications and dangers
which the electoral system admits of apply
| 1T al to tho true method. ana am convinced,
after devotng much tiiuo and labor IT, the In
veatlgaton " the hiec', that any such DIFF
neulty ~ threatenpd tho peace uf tho COIN
try IN 1877 Ia impossible under the am nd
msnt to the constitution which tho House
committee have Ind barge since the SEES
sion or DeCstnber. j. The true method
provides Tor m election ny u direct vote Of the
people md gives due weight to every vote cast.
while under tho electoral system Ia more han
half the States voting for presidential eIecto q
Ia only n nntter of form. Unier the true
method the States retain tho wight they now
possess Of declaring tho qualifications OF
vot0ra the result In each State Is to be final
~ decided w lts own tribunals, and only
votes certified to by the Governor. with the
atate seal attached, arc to be counted tho
two houses ~ Congress- unstead u acting In
dppendrRtly Of eHch other aud passing upon
the validity OF the VOTES OF StAicl arc to
meet In lint convent Ion to witheBs the count.
1t admits OF 70 deadlock such as that which
presented no threatening nm aepect In 1877. 1t
recognizss every right to which any State
may justly lay claim. and maintains the
greater relative powers III the small States
over the large States In electng tho Presi-
dent. In order that combinations OF the most
popuious States nhy not exert an undue and
perniclpus i, Il ieuce IN choosing tho Presi-
dent Under tho electoral system n fraud
perpatratcd In single State may change Its
vote, ana by such fraudul.nt action the entire
result may be changed. As Is generally
believed the wrongful throwing out
Ut votes In Florida made Hayes
President; but with the identical popular
votes M which the electoral commission
acte Tiidrn would have been elected, and
any attempt to carry the last presidential
election by fraud would have involved the
wrongful change OF over 100000 votes from
the Democratic t. the Republican column.
and Instead of being eonnsd To u few locali-
tes, corruIting agencies would have been
necessary III nearly every State
The subj. ct under confederation Ia one OF
the greatest possible interest To the whole
American people, and ehopld engage the
earnest attention 81 the press. OF statesmen.
and Uf tho people generally.
AUGUSTUS ID. JONES.