Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1881-02-03
The Election of President.

vi 1IalS lhtIC HuS DStu BiONitS
belief in the minds of many persons
who have given mature thought to the
subject, that the present method of
electing the President and Vice Presi-
dent of the United States through the
indirect machinery of the electoral
college should in some manner be
changed. The cumbersome and round
about method of electing these officers
by electors chosen in each State is not
in accord with the Democratic spirit
of the age. The system was probably
proper enough when adopted under a
belief that the voter would submit the
choice of n President entirely to the
discretion and judgment of the elector.
But under our present system of poll
tics the voter is not supposed to yield
his own will to another. In effect he
might rs well vote directly for the
candidate of his choice. Candidates
are placed in nomination by the vari-
Gus political parties and the elector is
bound in honor to vote for the men of
the party he represents. The system
therefore no longer serves the purpose
in view at the time of its adoption,
which was to place the responsibility
Of n choice entirely upon the electoral
college. Since this purpose is no long
er possible we should have a change
and bring the election nearer to the
people. As steps in this direction, a
number of propositions for an amend
ment to the Constitution have been
suggested by statesmen and others
interested in the question, which are
beginning to attract attention, an nod
doubt in due time some just aud prac-
ticable measure to effect the desired
change will be formulated aud adopt
ed.
Among these propositions Is one
which was offered in the Senate last
week by Senator Wallace, and which
will command attention and elicit dis
cussion. The Harrisburg Patriot has
long favored q direct vote of the peo-
pie for President and Vice President,
and in late issue gives favorable
opinion upon the proposition of our
distinguished Senator 1t remarks that
Senator Wallace's proposition divides
the several States into convenient dis
tricts, each State to contain as many
districts rs it has senators and repre-.
sentativcs in congress and each district
to cast one vote for president and vice
president, plurality vote to elect.
The votes of the several districts are
to be certified to the federal house of
representatives by Il State board of
canvassers. The idea of direct vote
for president and vice president has
long been favored by this journal. 1t
was suggested by Andrew Jackson
when president in one of his messages
to congress and advocated by Thomas
II. Benton in the United States senate
who introduced a bill to carry it into
effect. Senator Wallace's plan, how
ever, is an improvement on former
suggestions of direct popular vote
for president. The district plan pre-
serves the present power of the smaller
States and at the same time Dissection
allies the canvass for the presidency.
Under it many northern districts
would cast their votes for the Demo
cratic candidates and many southern
districts for the Republican candidates.
The frauds committed in the great
cities, too, would be rendered less cf-
fectual as they could affect only a few
districts instead of controlling as now
the voice of an entire State. The
amendment should speedily become a
part of the federal constitution. "
Certainly here is food for thought aud
argument, and we hope the subject
will not be permitted to rest until a
new method of electing our highest
executive officers more in harmony
with Democratic ideas is made the SUI
preme law of the land.
THAT veracious individual known