Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1881-03-02

!, lure Caffleu-yeas o nays (Ibtd
! 83S)
. g. By Mr.. Wilson, of Pennsylvania
. (as n compromise >
, That the executive be chosen by electors to b
taken by lot from the national legislature Eli
OTIS Debates, 362.
TO- The plan finally adopted (sectiol
J., article 2, Of the Constitution) agree,
TO by vote of 10 to on Sherman
motion TO strike out "Senate shall i'm
mediately close and insert "the Hous,
of Representatives shall immediatel,
choose by ballot one of them for Presi
dent, the members from each Stat,
having one vote (lJid., 5l9520.)
. NoTE.-lt was the almost unani
nous opinion OF members of the Fed
oral Convention, that ii the executive
should be chosen by the national logis
lature he should be ineligible a second
time. (IJid., 337.)
As a compromise and to guard
against evils incident TO election by
Congress, Govverneus Morris moved
that choice be made "by electors oho
sen by the people OF the several States.
! (IJid., 473)
2. ARGUMENTS IN THE FEDERAL con.
YENTIoN.
Goyverneur Morris, OF Pennsylvania
opposed choice by Congress was
in favor OF election "by the people at
large, by the freeholders of the coun.
try" on the ground that there can be
no combination of populous States =
that the people at large will always be
well informed as to "the great and
illustrious characters who merit their
esteem and confidence" and that "if
chosen by the national legislature he
will not be independent of it" and
if not independent "usurpation and
tyranny will be the consequence" 4"
| @ Elliot's Debates, 1929, 1923, 334.)
Mr.. Wilson, Pennsylvania, favored
the district system and opposed cleo
ton by national Legislature, on the
ground that "the executive in that
case would be too dependent to stand
the mediator between the intrigues
and sinister views Of the representa-.
tives and the general liberties and in
terests of tho people" (Did., 323.)
Mr.. Madison, in iavoringa choice by
electors, said
II it be fundamental principle Of free govern
meut that the legislative, executive, and Judicial
~ powers should be sfparatc'y exercised, il Is
equally so that they be Independently exercised
There is the same, and perhaps greater, reason
why the executive should be Independent Of the
legislature than why the judiciary should. A
coalition Of the two former powers would be more
Immediately and certainly dangerous to public
liberty. He was disposed, for these
reasons, to refer the appointment to some other
source, The people ai large was, 10 bis opinion,
the titisst in itself The people generally could
only know and vote for some citizen whose ner.
its had rendered him an object Of general attcn.
tion and osteom. There was one difficulty, how.
ever, Of serious nature attending an immediate
choice by the people, The right Of suffrage was
much more dilusiye In the Northern than the
Southern states, and the latter could have no in-
fuence in the election, on the score Of negroes.
The substitution Of electors obviatel this diff.
Guilty, aud seemed, on tho whole, to be liable to
fewest objections 5 Elliots Debates, 337.
ARTICLE II, SECTION !, CLAUSE AND or coSsti.
HONOUR PRESENT ELECTORAL system.
The executive power shall be vested IN a Pres.
iient Of the Unitcd States OF America. He shall
hold his Office during the term Of four years, and
together with the Vice President, chosen for the
same term, be elected as followsi
Each Siate shall appoint, ~ such manner a. he
Legislature thereof mly direct, a number Of elee.
tors, equal to the whole number Of Senators and
Representatives to which the State may be onti-
tied 10 the Congress but no Senator or Repre-
sentative, or person holding an office Of trust or
profit under the United States, shall be appoint
ed al eeetor.
(See twelfth amendment which su.
persedes aud annuls clause 3 of article
., section l)
ARTICLE II, SECTION 1.-THE TWELFTH
AMENDMENT.
|. The old System. The difficulties
attending the election of Jefferson and
Burr were anticipated as early as 1897.
The mode of election provided IN sec.
tion ! of article was regarded as ia.
tally defective The election of a
Chief Magistrate had provoked more
discussion in the Federal Convention
than any other feature of the Consti-
tuition, and the ill.digested comp omisc
finally effected was the least satisiac.
tory to the members OF that body. As
the electoral system was regarded in
Congress with less favor than any other
part of the Constitution its reform was
the subject OF the first important
amendment proposed. The statesmen
Of that period foresaw the dangers that
would result from uncertainty in the
mode Of elocting n Chief Magistrate,
and accordingly William Smith, of
South Carolina, in the House, January
C, 1897, proposed an amendment to the
effect that "the electors Of President
and Vice President be directed to des
ignato whom they vote for as Presi.
dent, and for whom as Vice President"
{ Annals, Fourth Congress, page 1920
The same proposition was renewed
in the House by Mr.. Foster, of New
Hampshire, February l6, 1893. Can.
mails, Fifth Congress, page 29l9.)
And in the Senate, by Humphrey
Marshall, of Kentucky, January q,
1898, in Fifth Congress, requiring cleo
tors to write on their ballots the names
of persons voted for as President and
Vice President, (Ibid., page 493)
January q, 1900, n committee Of
five was appointed by the Senate to
consider "what provision ought to be
made by law for deciding disputed elec.
tions of President and Vice President,
and for determining the legality or lille.
gality of the votes given for those off.
GERS in the different Stltes." (IJid.,
Sixth Congress, page 29)
February 1, 1900, an amendment
was proposed in the House requiring
electors 10 designate persons voted for
as President and Vice President (IJd.,
5l0.)
The district System.-In the House,
March 4, 1900, John Nicholas, of Vir.
ginia, submitted the following amend.
ment:
That, after the third DAY Of March, 1901. the
choice Of electors Of President and Vice President
shall be made by dividing each State into a nun.
Der Of districts equal TO the number Of electors TO
be chosen 10 such States, and by the persons in
each Of those districts, who shall have the quali-
ioaiions requisite for electors Of the most nntncr-
Gus branch Of the Legislature Of fuch State, choos
ing one elector In the manner yhich the Legisla-
tnre thereof shall prescribe.
Then follows clause directing the
choice OF Representatives in the same
manner (Annals, Sixth Congress, page
629)
Referred TO committee offvo. tIJid,
1850
January 22, 1901, the committee of
five submitted an elaborate report to
the House, describing the Udricty oil
modes practiccd in different States un-
der article 9, section /, declaring that