Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1881-02-24

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tiles in New York, Pennsylvania and
Ohio for the other.
The preservation Of the federative
system utterly forbids the universal
direct vote. 1t would not aid in the
destruction of sectional feeling. but
the very reverse, for the tendency Of
najorities is always to grow, and when
based upon passion or interest, section
al maiorities invariably increase. Such
a rule would perpetuate bitterness, for
the result would demonstrate that
there was "A nearly equal division of
The people OF one section and decided
| preponderancc of those OF the other
which would overcome the former.
| IN universal direct vote can never be
had, except under new compact
III which the smaller States will agree
to surrender their equality and ndc.
! pendencc, aud this is neither desired
| nor desirable.
Under the system Of direct vote
by districts each State has precisely
the same relative weight a. now. Penn.
| sylvaula would cast twcnty-ninc votes ::
she has now twcnty-uinc electors aud
| twentv-uinc members Of Congress.
Rhode Island would cast four votes :;
she has now four electors and four
members Of Congress. 1t is true that
IN the election by the people in district.
part of the districts would vote for
one person and part for another, 80
that the result would be to some cx-
tent national more than State but
this is the case with members Of the
| house of representatives now, and the
small States have due and full weight
and power in the fact that the large
States are nearly all closely divided in
politics, and the votes Of the district.
will follow in nearly the same proper
ton. \ gerrymandcr i the only ar
gument against this, but even the
worst OF gerrymanders j. preferable
to the dangers and evils of the present
system.
II has been well said that,
Under the present system. the State
voting soliilY. there is great temptation
to fraud, Where the condition of par.
ties Is nearly balanced in "a State. sue.
c"--ful fraud may determine the vote
Of the ~hole State. This puts the whole
vote Of States IN the hands Of the large
cities. The material aith which to per
petrate frauds yrrdomiuatcs especially
IN large cities such as New York, Phil
siolphia, Boston. Baltimore, Cincinnati.
81. Louis and Ncw Orleans Under the
district system the fraud. IN the large
cities would only affect the vote ia the
district IN which they occurred. aud
could not. in their consequences, extend
10 the vote OF the whole State. Bui
under the present system the successful
city fraud may determine the vote ol
the whole state.
Where the fraud will only affect the
vote oi a 45ugl. district, the temptation
90 commit are greatly diminished. Men
wiIi not take the risk. and incur the
expense OF committing great fraud to
carry the vote ol a single district. which
theY would do II the result of the fraud
wa- to determine the vote ot the whole
state, and perhap- secure the election
Of president.
The electoral .y,tem is an election
by States aud not hy the people, aud
in effect prevents the voter from ez.
pressing his choice for president un-
lr-- be follows party caucus or couvcu-
iion, and even then be cannot vote
directly for the man of his choice
Thi. rule work, results which are
more aritorratic than republican.
Sectional lines will be broken up by
the district system. and "a promiscuouS
division Of sentiment extending over
the whole nation and not capable Of
being dclincatcd hy State lines or the
course Of rivers will take the place
of n solid south. Geographical local.
iiy will not so completely identify the
political character OF the voter a. now.
for each candidate will find votes in
every section.
Mr. Pickens said in the house in
1914:
By any mode Of giving N ratjvc vote
to each State the will Of ttEmaiority Of
the people Of the Union Is not certain
to prevail / State however divided
will give the same united vote with a
State however unanimous.
reason against auy mode of giving
the undivided vote Of the States. Of all
others the most important, and most
affecting the vital interests of the
Union, ~ its tendency toward a qee7r5Uh
toat Severance Qf parties. By the principle
oi self defense all the States must adopt
such a mode. unless uniform plan is
established indeed. they have nearly
all 50 acted at the late election IS to
give unanimous votes and bv this
means whole section of the UniJn,
with a small exception, voted for one
individual while the opposite section
supported his opponent, and these sec.
tions are divided by regular STATE hacs.
Now does a chief magistrate so elected
appear TO represent the whole Union
and will not small number Of repeti.
tions of such events naturally draw the
opposite parties in looking toward their