, 1881-02-10

Mir. JAMES =. l'oor's plan for electing Il
President undoubtedly POSSESSES consider
nblc merit, but 1t Is not practicable for sev-
crnl reasD'ts. The first and main objection tn
1t Ii that 1t requires u constitutional a,ncnl-
ncnt. Tho agreement of two-t,irsls of both
Houses Of Corgress artl t1,ree-fourtl,s Of MI
tic States would be necessary 10 put It into
operation. Mr.. 1toUt proposes that two Elect
urs slHll l,e cllnscli by each Congressional
district, and tllat tho Electoral CollcEs 50
constituted, without reference to State lines,
shall be tho solo 1udge Of tho qualifications
and elections nf It's own members. Ii it coll
criyable TINT thu largu States would consent
to deprive themselves by constitutional
amendment If thu Influence which they NOW
posscss? Would Pennsylvania, or Naw York,
or Ohio, Or Illinois, whicl, now cnst solid
Electoral votes, bo willing to ,icrtraize tlleir
power tn tho extent of the Democratic dis
trlcts t,l each? Or would any Of tho Soutli-
ern Stntes surrender tho attribute of "soy-
crcig,tyo wllfcit they NOW hare III tho prt,-
vision of tllo Constitution that "ench State
silAEt appoint, III sucll 1nnnner rs the I.egls-
lntnrc tlsercnf 'nay direct, n number Ut Elect
orscuual to tho whole Number Of Senators and
~ "lIlEN SNEtl t9llA&G may D9
entitled III tho Congrrss"os Another objcc-
tlon 10 Mr.. Roots plan Is. that 1t would not
operatc e1ually III NIL purts Of Tho country.
II ELECTORS wuro chosen by districts thcra
would not he n Republican district In tlle
SOUTH. Frautl ani y1nlencu would count In
2l3 Electors from that section, two being
chosen from each district, whilo tho Demo
Gratis ut tho North would l,nye tho advantage
Of minority representation, whic9. they do not
now enjoy. Thirdly, tho proposed system
would furnish 4 direct Incentive to gerry
Numbering, and would cause the most scanda-
l0ns pervcrslnn Of power BY State I.egisa-
t,srcs with I'll aulo view to the consequences
1T the election Of President. Finally, tl,o
cslolco 0f Electors by districts would Mt!ord
ll9 certain protection against contested
count. 1t often happens Tint partlrs aro SO
evenly balanced in Congress TINT tho choice
Of II Speaker Is Il ll,atter of Erent difficulty.
Tho contests which resulted III tho clectun
uf Banks In lsa3 ,,ttl Pennington In 1850 were
severe md protracte,l. il tho cliUtce of {,
President had been Involved IN either OF
these cases the country would l,avo been 0n
tho verge ut revolution. Such n sttna-
tlou Is likely to occur agaln ut uly time.
LII tho new Congress, for Instance, tho
Republican party has II bare majority,
With nut a single vote tn spare, aud two Of
tho Republican tleInbers-elnct have been pro-
,notett to the Senate, 10 that Ii there should
be nli extra session 1t Is very doubtful
whether Republican Speaker could te
elected. rho lNDple ara accustomed tn the
present ELECTORAL System, and 1t Is The best
that chi he expected. though perhaps far
frnm being. as Mr.. 1soot las pointed nut, tho
bust tllat co'tl t,u devised. hut what Is spe-
clully needed Ii some regulation of tho count
thnt shall bo permanent asut satisfactorily ali
around, 50 that there need be no periodical
agitation OF the subject.