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

tending with Turks or Russians, This allenates
tbe states from each other, aud hlla them with .
hostile feelings and the pfesidrnt elected must
become the President Of the States which chose
him. and look With e0ldness aud resentment upon |
iho,e which opposed bim.-fbidY page iio'
Aiter quoting from the Constitution
tho words "each state shall appoint, in
such manner Us the Legislature there
Of may direct, hamber oi electors,
&C., Mr. Benton argued that State
and gIcgislature' are not synonymous
terms. The word State" embraces
people, tariioyaud Sovereignty when
the State is to do thing the people
are 10 do IT, A legislative body is not
competent to act, because 1t is not the
State, but department of IT," Other
wise "there would be no State whom
the Legislature was not in session
"The question now TO be decided
turns upon the appointing polper Of the
State and the dictdtorial popr Of The
Legislature" He argued further that
the word appoint in the clause above
quoted Is Synonymous with select, "
and insisted that the Constitution EN-
powered the Legislature to direct how
or in what manner--as to the mode OF
conducting tho election, taking the
votes, certifying returns, &c,-the peo
pie should elect. A legislative body
may direct the people how to go
through tho forms of an election but
legislative body cannot direct ITSELF.
Tho word direct "implies an address TO
a third party and not to ones self"
[ [bid, page l72
Mr. Madison says; "The people choose the
electors The Federalist says the same thing in
twenty places. It describes the electors as "men
chosen by the people for the special purpose of
choosing the President IL describes them as "a
small number o' Ierso-s selected by their fellow
citizens from the general mass. II says the Con-
stitution has referred the election Of the Presi-
dent, in the first instance, to the immediate act
Of the American people, TO be exertcd IN the
choso Of persons for the temporary and sole pur-
pose Of making the appointment "Au Of which
shows" said Mr. Benton, that legislative bodies
weTo not inteaded TO choose electors, much less
to erect themselves into electoral colleges Ibid
pages l32, 49,
Mr.. Benton then discussed the neccs.
sity of disseminating the use of an in.
termediate body OF electors !.
Every reason which induced the convention to
Institute electors has failed. They are no longer
ofsny use and may be dangerous to the liberties
Of the people. They are not useful because they
have no power over their own vote, aud because
the people can vote for President as easily as they
@ eau ~ ~ iitae,ie - a.. ,..,ta ~, nj,
Wy Su' n,a, 4. .s, L.ps,.o 49,
by ballot; detection ia impossibls, bscuu,e ho
doe, not sign his vote the restraint i' nothing
h1t hls own Si SIn,,enJ' s iOr an,'' % Vsa pun
clecior should dofraud AZ, 900 people out Of their
vote, there is no remedy but to abuse him in the
h'wssPpaPen' SspaI,n. ~. ,o,,,,, In, .,.o,. :, ..,.
which requires no agent and 90 prudent man
would or ought to employ an agent to take care
Of ms money nli PrVpoIty or DIS lioer,y Thea nl
self" 'N'"'
lie argued further that this system gives a
1se direction to The gratitude o. the Ptesiden'
ot. and pot 10 tbe peopIs who cav. tbeiS vote,
to tho electors. Ibid pages l7s-l79.
This joint resolution in proposing a
direct vote Of the people, Mr.. Benton
cOntended, embraced no new project :
! r,,.,, ,,..,,,,,.i ,,i d,,.,.,.t Il, ,h. V.1...,
W. ~ ~. ' 80. ", =" '1o ~ '',,
III .-no",,J hr ~ So ~ parrns,.rI 49,
pai.,e f.ei ali ,rS, dir,, ,y,on
20. s',l ,,, az, ~ ~" t,a.istb, ~
nis II an, spjeayariny IN carrv in,a ,,Tsct tbs
plan of Benjamin Franklin aud the eminent
statesmen whose 3amcs have Just been read ,c
!oc ar RobsSt Morli. Jote,.I~Ibid 1 psg, h
lie then arpued that while the cleo.
torol colleges may bo corrnnred Tho
noonlc at LARGO canno, he Tbe cor.
rrotinc influences of no,ronocc Win
aIi ia temn,a,ion. awonlI heeome in.
significant when scattered and disnors.
al on,on, tho r1illions az noonlo ,ghioh
an ,be Renublic " rUjd nagc 1sI1
Nr Rcnio, closod his ar,tment hv
insist,ng that the umnira5s of tbe
House of Renresentatiyes ougbt tc
he continpod In cases where t6cre !,
NO choice bv districts Uc held that
this was necessary to nreserre boil
tho G,dero,ive and renrosentotivc min
cinles
pn, -. u.,,,. .,.., De-,
|, dent Thew have no elective hculty, no 20 wei
Of choicoi they are limited to the humble occu-
patton Of one ol' lArsssaoh Of whom may e' oh
tor. y referred n to as mutual friend, to settIe ,
question Of mutual int'rest.-Ibii., page 1872.
After long discussion, covering al
the proposed amendments, the whole
subject was indefinitely postponed
March 22, lS24-yeas 80, nays 13
lGIbid., page All
December 5, 1923, select commit
ted of seven was raised in the House
to inquire into the expediency of rec
) ommending an amendment providing
for q uniform mode of eecting Presi
dent and Vice President; and, also
that the election shall, in no event, de
volve on the House of Representatives
lIIbid.. page gO1.1
December 22, the copmittec, thro
George McDnffie, of South Caolina
submitted an elaborate report in favo
of the district svstem. accompanied will
A proposed amendment to that effect
'lGIbid., pages $50 to s66.1
The McDnfie amendmen, propose,
to divide the States into districts equa
TO the number of Representatives il
, Congress. each district to elect on
elector, the electors when met l.
, choose two additional electors. Ii
, case the electors make no choice, th
senate and Uouse bv ioint ballo,
shall elect the members voting ind
, yidually and not by States
Edward Liyinpston of Louisiana /
the House, January "a, 1924, pre-
posed an amendment providing for th
choice of electors bv districts. In cas-
D hi. Lo a. ~ oIoo,ors a. a.