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

all its dangers of civil war, corruption
and anarchy. The preservation and
recognition of the equal and iudepend-
ent voice of each State and of the
minority as we'll as of the majority of
IFS people is to my mind the vital
thought, and although plurality
elects, my judgment is that we will as
frequently elect a majority president
under the district system az under the
system now in operation. There can
be no good reason, as | see it, why
n plurality of the American people
should not control when they have fair
| opportunities and free suffrage in the
selection of their rulers nor can |
conceive any reason why it is essen.
tial now TO preserve the old thought
that n majority of the States should
cast their electoral votes for any can.
didate before there is an election, in
| face Of the fact that he is often in It
minority OF the whole people. Under
the present system there are many in
| stances in which while the candidate
elected has Il majority of the electoral
colleges he has minority Of the peo.
Pile This was notably the case in
1876, as it was in 1860 aud Is in the
recent election TO a smaller extent. 1t
seems to me better to err in the other
direction if We must err at all. For
all purposes needed to effect federal
results, the thought that is embodied
in our every day practice in elecling
township, city, county and State Off.
| clals and congressman can now well
and proiitahIy bc embodied in the
| federal constitution. The lesson of the
election just completed in the count in
the house this week is full of inslruc-
! ton. There are 800 electoral votes.
Garfield received 2lI; Hancock, with.
out Georgia, IA. II New York bad
cast her 30 votes for Hancock The vote
OF Georgia would have been required
to decide the contest, or the house
would have been compelled to elect,
for with New York voting for Han
cock there would have been n tie at
l79 votes, and tie in the house vot-
ing by States would probably have
resulted and thus the peace Of the
country might have been broken by
the tremendous conyulsions consequent
ON such condition of affairs. The
plurality rule would obyiate all this.
By lhi, amendment the States are not
divided into districts upon the ratio on
which their representation in the lower
house of Congress would be fixed. but
there i- given to each State n such. in
addition TO i;- representation ia the
lower house, her equal representation
in the senate. 70 that while New
York has thiriy-thrce member, of the
lower house, she has - votes for prc~i.
dent; aud while Rhode Island has bat
two member. of the lower house, She
has four votes for president By this
X preserved state individuality and
state control, aud to my mind suiH.
cicut of the federal system, If wc stand
hy the plain reading of the cou-titu-
ton in other respects The correction
ut the vicious system of marked bal
lots j. provided for also by prescribing
a secret ballot. and although this eu.
tnr- the domain of State control, it,
wisdom n we'll a. IL necessity seem to
me to be apparent. The danger -
apparent to u, all in recent years of
anarchy and confusion from the doubt.
a. to the true methods Of counting the
votes for president and vice president.
and from disputes a. 10 wh0 shall CON
troll and declare them. is provided lar
by the return Of the State being made
conclusive proof aud By Congress be-
ing made the controlling power when
iu joint convention met These are
some Of the thoughts to which this
amendment gives force shall en-
deavor now to elaborate them further
and to meet some of the objections 70
thi. system toward which | have no
doubt tho mind. Of senators are tend
ing.
The present system Of choosing cleo.
tors is based upon the constitutional
provision that each State shall ap-
point. in such manner rs the legislature
thereof may direct" its electors for
president and vice president. The
power Of the State legislatures to ap-
point electors themselves, TO authorize
the people to choose them by ballot
upon general ticket. and also 10 choose
them in districts. is given by this pro.
vision. In practice aud as result of
popular opinion, they are now chosen
by the people in every State upon gen
eral ticket but our history has seen
all three of these modes of choice in
operation at one time Instability
and opportunity for chicaue and man.
agement, therefore, exists, which. in so
grave matter, are dangerous in the
extreme, and an uniform system of
universal application, and under what
ever control, is manifestly better un-