Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1881-03-02
CLEARFIELD, PA, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 2, 1881.

! 1t was desirable that the sense Of the peopl
should operate In the choice Of the person to whot
20 important trust was to be con6ded. This on
viii be answered by committing the right Of max
+ ing IT. not to any pre- established body, bu
4 TO men chosen by the people for the speca
purpose and at the particular conjunetute. /
was equally desirable that the immediate election
should be made by men most capable Of anaiyaia
he qualities adopted 10 The station, and acting IN
der circumstances favorable to deliberation and Il
Judicious combination Of all the reasons and In
ducements that were proper to govern their choice
a small number Of persons selected by their fellow
citizens from the general mass will be most likely
10 possess the information aud diseoTnment re
quisite to so complicated an investigation.
Distrust of the popular will cannot
be more clearly expressed than in the
language just quoted. The advocates
of strong government had no faith in
the ability of the people to govern
themselves Their constant aim was
to concentrate the powers of govern.
ment in the hands OF a select few.
Among other instrumentalties employ.
/ cd by them to carry out their purposes
was the electoral college. They de-
sired that the power to select the Pres.
ident should be vested in 20 small
number OF citizens" They believed
the popular mass incapable of making
aH intelligent choice, and therefore
they devised plan by which, to quote
the language OF Hamilton, the immc.
date election would be "made by men
capable of analyzing the qualities adap.
ted to the station" But the design of
the Federalsts was frustrated by the
democratic influences, which have
finally made the electors mere agents
for the registry Of the popular will.
Instead Of exercising their own choice,
as they are empowered to do by the
Constitution, they simply cast their
votes as they are directed by that por.
ton of the people who choose them at
the ballot box Nevertheless the elec.
toral machinery itself is the same old
aristocratic contrivance which now
BY common consent has become use.
less for any purpose save to thwart the
people in expressing their choice, and,
as we all know, is dangerous in its ex.
ecution.
In the convention OF 1887 Pennsyl.
vania was tho only State voting for
the election OF President by popular
vote, and her sons, Wilson and Morris,
advocated with power aud eloquence
the system of election in districts by
the popularvote This proposition 10.
ceived but the votes of Pennsylvania
and Maryland. Her sons believe now,
as Franklin, Morris, Wilson, jackson,
and Benton taught, "the State is the
people, and the expression OF their
voice by their direct vote under the
Federatiye and not the national sys.
TEN is, | believe their wish now. In
the debate in the Virginia convention
on the adoption of the Constitution,
James Monroe, aiterward President of
the United States, said, referring to the
mode of electing the President contain.
ed in the Constitution
The President might be elected by the people.
dependent upon them and responsible for NAL
si'npprors gI of,b,. H .,, Ia' not .ne C'se must
IT, p,o.;don, Too,.~.-,r C.,
ossoco Loonnnos,i' O%In9On ,,as-I 9, @ au~ua S
gress the Importance OF so amending
the Constitution as to dispense with all
intermediate agencies in the election of
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES ~ s.',to,''' oD'1 Nv
Chief Magi.t,ats Ss, rsya, Sa,O' ds. s,Jv 'Ie
their choice should in any case be defeated either
by .se Intervention Of the electoral colleges, or
to tho % House Of yIu ~ JS.a'n ''n'ng'n'e
l would therefore recommend such an amend.
me5at. acencv in IS .ao;on y ,'woy' s ll,Sr
and Vice President. The mode NAV be so reru'
lated as to preserve to each State its present re.
sT. , Sys1' 10 SnS e',csSn ana failure "a the
the second to a choice between the two hishesi
candidates.
lie recommended also q limitation
OF the Presidential service TO single
term of four or six years.
General jackson renewed the above
recommendation IN each oil his seven
annual messages following and be was
esnociallv eornost In bis dos;ro 20 n,,
vent any election for Presidcnt dyer
beiny determined bv ,bo Uonso ~ Ron
reseSta,iyes
The arguments in bebolrof,be NON
nIar vo,o he d;str;a,s ,nLiaL - TT
made bv statesmen Of ,bo mast are 90
'AaN'@N fNhNNffAlNAi VI AAAN llNNN NAN 81
iuH "uu convincing lhaI u " only
necessary to read them TO be convinced
jackson Van Rnren Rnnton rolhopr
T,;oi.... = ~
D'OhV'SOi, ~ No" JcrseN' McDulnei
Plckens, johnson, Morton, and scores
of others arc on rncord in lie adyocac,,
ord ,,,. or.,,,,.', =, =" - ~ VN'V'
a"u my a,gumont u compete wheh
prlhg 10 Tue houce oi tue senate ana
tnS SiS country thelr reasons ior Their be-
hel through an abstract OF the history
80 '''0"'"''s i"' ''S "0ooulP"sh'
heht'
ELECTION or pRFstpyNT Ann VICE pars.
IpEYr-pLANs PROPOSED IN Tur
FEDERAL CONVENTION
prPa,,adp.nd.i.L.rv..,
,,, 'la1' ~ ''1"'C l'n u ' " s'"'''
chosen by the National L.si,,a1sms N 'p'G f N S'
Debates, 1873.
Adopted--eight States against two.
(I6id, ll4)
Adopted unanimously. (bid., 32l } |
2. BY James Wilson, of Pennsyl.
vania;
That the State be divided into -- districts.
s sIa 'sa' ga 1so person, gaa,'d 70 vote IN each DIS
al S er,,"Te op oss, " ' smbs us oansn 81 sn' nation
i've districts to be electors Of The executive mag.
,slrney ,hn, the said electors Of the executive
them 50 met han proceed 10 sss Ts In So hO,
not out oftboir own body, - person - in whom
the, .ao executive Ecu, aa!h9r'y of tho national govern