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


our system would be a temptation not to be re.
sisted; and The host Of choice spirits bc whom be
would be surrounded would certainly succeed Ia
peisuading him TO bear the weight Of gny,rnmeht
for another period and another aud smother to the
end Of his lie. suppasc this PRECEDENT to have a
sou Of talents ani ambition like his own aud OF
suitable age 10 become his successor The trans
mission OF power from father 10 sou would excite
no unusual apprehension. HE election would be
mere matter Of form, aud our Government
would quietly sinS into an hereditary MONARCHY
after which q 1iberus, Caligula, or Claudius
might reign ubeontfOlloi in America Tbese are
not mere illusions, mere phanioms of the eraln'
lie then pictured the dangers which
might have resulted il the House, in
1901, had chosen Burr instead of jeff.
erson. "He would eagerly have seized
upon the reins of government. with
his great military talent, with the
Treasury and Army at his back, land
his talents for intrigue, which have
never been ovorrated and rarely equal
cd in any country, would he not have
been able to secure q reelection, and
another, and another, to the end of his
life?' "And would he have
dared TO relinquish power which he
had held by force and fraud in spite of
the will OF great majority of the peo'
plc2" Ibid, pages 3l7, 34S.l
Mr. Dickerson then took prophetic
view of the future. Said he;
Sir, the time may come when our country will
be filled with An army Of pensioners, always the
friends Of arbitrary power. The time will come
When We shall have numerous host OF officers,
civil and military, in every department Of the
Government spread over our immense territory,
looking up to the President as the source OF power
and emoluments. The time will como when lux
ury and extrayagance will banish from our coun-
try every species Of republican virtue and the
time will come, fear, when this Senate will be no
more than the shadow of what 1t was intended
to be by those who framed our Constitution ;
when Il will be no check upon the Executive !
when 1t shall be rs Insignificant as tho boasted
Senate Of Rome 10 the time Of Iiberius. The
whole patronage OF Government will ccatrs 10 the
President, and that patronage, under our present.
system Of choosing electors will become ndchiHe
Of irresistible power. The Management OF this
power will become a matter Of science. lie will
be deemed the greatest politician aud the abest
minister who caD, with given portion patronage,
produce the greatest effect. The force Of this
power will be spplied to effect the purposes of
ambition, With as much economy and skill as
water Is applied 10 the wheel, or that Of steam to
the engine. Il would be diGicult TO devise plan
better calculated 10 accelerate the approach Of
those deplorable events, or to promote the views
OF an ambitious President, than the present sys-
TEN Of choosing electors.-Annals, Fifteenth Con-
gross, second session, page lis.
James Barbour, of Virginia, opposed
the amendment on the ground, as he
expressed it, OF "the gross inequality
af its effects against the large and in
favor of the smaller States" and its
tendency to nationaIism, "by abridging
the power Of the States" | Ibid, page
l5l.1
Vote on engrossment and third read
ing-yeas %, nays II. Ibid, page
1897
February 4, 1919, the proposed
amendment passed the Senate by the
necessary two.thirds-yeas 2S nays 10
! Ibid, page 2O7.l
Reported TO the House February 8
| Ibid., page 1893.
Laid on the table, February 26, by
a vote OF 10 yeas, 73 nays. [IJid.
page 1920
Senator DickcrsOn submitted bis
amendment again at the next session
December IA, 1919. ANNALS, Six
tcenth Congress, first session, page %,
Referred to committee Of five. [ Ibid.
page 2i,]
Reported back without amendment
! Ibid, page 4O
Vote on engrossmont and third read
ing--yeas q, nays ID, [Ibid., pagt
233.
Passed by the necessary two.thirdi
majority January p, ls2O-yeas 30
nays 10, [ lJid., page 2iS.l
Reported to the House January 2s
| [B,d., page 90l.1
Agreed to in Committee of tn,
Whole, reported to the House, ant
ordered to lie on the table, March 2s
!. Ibid, page 1891
James S. Smith, OF North Carolina
moved that the House proceed to con
slider the resolution and argued a
length in support of it, He insisted
that under the district plan "the State
would not be deprived Of any jus
power. The federative principle il
still preserved. By this plan you will
bring the election near TO the people
and, consequently, you will make then
place more value on the elective fran
chisc, which is all important in re
publican form of government"
Mr., Smiths motion was rejected
Ibid page 1927
Mr.. Dickerson again submitted hi
proposed amendment at the next ses
SION, November 22, 1920. Annals
Sixteenth Congress, second session
page 22.l
Referred to committee offive. [ bid
e page 20,
Mr.. Smith, Of North Carolina, in th
. House, November 20, 1920, submitte
b an amendment exactly in the word
I Of the Dickerson resolution. Referre
/ to the Committee ofthe Whole. [ bid
5 page 44i.l
. The vote In Committee of the Who'll,
3 December 5, 1920, on the engrossmer
; and third reading was-yeas l03, nay
I SO. Ibid, page 504
r January 25, 1921, the resoulutio
J., being before the House on its fini
: passage, Ezra c. Gross, Of New Yorl
J spoke at length in its favor. ii
E argued that the permanent interests {
the Union demanded the adoption {
, the proposed amendment
Other gentlemen thought they foresaw gre
n evils. All their Arguments against the resolution
= were directed to the same point and were Of thr
} kinds those drawn from the sacred character
d the instrument and the danger Of rash amen
ments those addressed 10 the pride and jealou
Of States aud, lastly, those which result frol
:, inquiry into the present practices Of diaere
States 10 choosing electors.-tIbd page 95O.)
c Noticing the objection that tho pr,
=, posed amendment would change Il
relative power Of the largo and sma
J. States, Mr.. Gross remarked that /
d came from a great State, and col
G timed
: to hcr should jealousies be excited aud disco
4 prevaill II Is proposition that will not
u sontroyerted on this floor that the greatness
every State depends on the preservation and ha
, mony Of the Union. Why should we, under 4
protense Of preserving State rights, seek an u
natural advantage, the exercise Of which can on
=, serve 10 cherish faction, ioment discotd With
a excite jealousy without, and jeopardils the b,
a interests Of the country II is enough that 4
~ Constitution guarantees to US the advantage
the superiority Of numbers by giving US propo
l. tionate superiority Of votes. Il Is miser al
/. ambition that seeks the temporary disfrane hii
"A nent Of great minority Of our fellow clirens
N the purpose Of showing our power 10 small
a member Of the Confederacy.
IL Uniformity and permanency Ia the mode
4, appointing electors Is more consequence than /
4. mode itself-lbid., page 962.
'e Touching executive influence on ele
NsAVsa La