Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1881-01-22


Judge Black is conceded to be one of
the ablest lawyers Of the age. Besides
this, he ranks among the most gifted
statesmen of America, and as diplo-
matist it may well be doubted if he has
his equal
There was recently convention of
Democratic editors at Indianapolis and
Judge Black, in q letter addressed to
them, discusses in his usually clear and
forciblY style the present Presidential
electoral system and suggests some strik-
ing changes. His plan is that the person
receiving the highest electoral vote should
be President and the second highest the
Vice President. This was the constitutions
al requirement from 1889 to 1904, but the
experience of the Presidential election
of 1900 resulted in a change of the Con-
stitution in this respect to its existing
form. At the election of 1900, Jefferson
and Burr were the Democratic candi-
dates for President and Vice President
and each received seventy three electoral
votes. There was no choice. and after
a struggle in the House of Representa-
tives, lasting six days, Mr.. Jefferson was
elected by majority OF the States, and
ice IIESiQcuN.
But Judge Black in the change he pro
poses. would arm the Vice President with
novel powers, which can best be explain
ed in his own language;
Arm the Vice President with power. not to
control the administration or TO influence its
patronage, but simply to protect the absolute
rights Of the minority by veto on unconstitu-
tional, corr upt and partial legislation. Conflne
the exercise Of this power to proper cases by
providing that when q bill is passed by the two
houses. against which one-third OF the mem
beers protest in writing as being In conflict with
the Constitution unjust and unequal in the
burdens it imposes on the people, tending to
sbridge the freedom Of elections. then the bill
together with the protest, shall be submitted to
the Vice President as well as the President
and shall not become law without approval
OF both This, or something equiv aleDt, would
secure US against the worst damage to which
our institutions are now exposed; would pre-
serve the General Government in its whole con-
stitutional vigor, save the States from extinc-
life -''- - : '''--'' MO- " -" 'o'''e y
This is not the idea of a dual execu-
tive favored by Calhoun, and others, for
it does not propose the Vice President
shall share with the President any exc
cutive function. The suggestion is not
likely 10 strike the public favorably.
The tendency of opinion seems to be
toward single head for the government,
elected by the popular vote, under a sys-
TEN which will preserve to the States
their existing power in determining the
result.
In commenting upon Judge Blacks
letter, the Pittsburg Post remarks:
Judge BLACK, in advocating a constitutional
amendment for the election of United States
Senators by the people Of the various States
instead Of by the Legislatures las he does in
this letter to the Indiana editors), makes a
practical suggestion which will undoubtedly
meet with much favor. He justly says such a
change in the mode OF selection would without
doubt give US better men, and at the same time
be Q more reputable. a more dignifed. and less
eorrupting way OF choosing Senators. There
can hardly be doubt OF this. The experience
Pennsylvania, New York and Tennessee are
now going through in the choice of United
States Senators proves it"
We have referred to this letter of one
Of the ablest iurists and most eminent
men of the day as indicating, among the
many other signs of the times, dissatis-
faction with the present order of things
"a widespread and restless conscious
ness that there is something wrong in
our governmental system, and that a
change of some sort is imminent. What
is to come of it :? is a question that
thoughtful minds contemplate with in
creasing interest.
Two things are apparent-so apparent
that it does not require the keen acumen
of Judge Black to discern them. They
have become so braZen and bare-faced
that the simpleton in his waYfaring can
not fail to observe them. The first is the
broad and still broadening tendency of
the dominant party to belittle the States,
to obscure and override State authority,
and to push on, over all obstacles, to cen
tralization and 10 empire. The second is
the wide spread corruption that stalks
abroad in the land and sits in lofty seats,
and which demands and receives an hom-
age that honesty alone should command.
Not the changes proposed by Judge
Black, nor any other change in the mere
machinery of government, can cure the
evils that threaten the peace and perma-
nency of the government of the fathers.
The evils lie back of the machinery of
government; the fault is with those that
select the men who operate the ma
chinery. The fault is with the people;
they have become, in several States of
the North, so demoralized and debauched
that they not only tolerate, but exalt
into office men of the most abandoned
principles; they even make merchandise
of their suffrage, and count it good
business TO barter for gold the ballots of
freemenl No Legislature would suffer
itself to be bought and sold by reckless
traders in public morals, if the people
back of the Legislature were pure and
honest and brave, as their fathers before
them were. The machinery is good
enough, if only it were honestly operated,
and no change can cure the evils that en-
viron US, if the machinery be not honestly
operated. The people themselves must
first become honest and true before any
change, however patriotic or prophetic
of good, can avail. Not many weeks
ago even so proper paper as the Phila-
delphia Times, edited by so accomplished
a gentleman as Colonel Mcclure, was
constrained to advocate the pardon from
the penitentiary of Kemble and his asso-
ciate bribers upon this one humiliating
plea: That the crime of which they had
been convicted, TO wit, the crime of
bribing legislators to rob the State, was
one that had become so common that it
would be hardship to single out, at this
late day, three prominent men who had
been caught and convicted, and send
them to the penitentiary and their fami-
lies to disgrace; it was enough that they
had been convicted
1t is all well enough to point defects
in government machinery; it is wise to
find the way to remedy the defects.
But no remedies will avail-ne mechan-
ism will succeed until the power back of
it all has become true and steady to prin-
ciple, as the needle to the pole. A peo-
pie who worship Grant, who bow down
to Beecher, who uphold Conkling, who
shout after lngersoll, who sustain KEEL
logg, and who indorse John Sherman,
the patron of old Mad Wells, Lie Pink
ston, Agnes jerks, and ell that long line
of infamous characters that disgraced the
present administrations people who
made such a situation, as the present,
possible and an actual reality, can not be
benefited by changes in government
machinery. The first great remedy
the one without which all else is unavail-
ing-is the overthrow of the Republican
party. All other devices and endeavors
will prove futile. So long as the Radical
party remains, the same corruption
the same alarming evils-the same throb-
bing restlessness for change-will con-
tinue to disturb public opinion and to
spread its poison over the surface of
society. Doth q fountain send forth
at the same place both sweet water and
bitter"