Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1881-03-02
VOL. 55--WH0LE NO. 2,7ll.
ELECTION OF PRESIDENT AND
VICE PRESIDENT.
SPEECH
Hon. William A. Wallace.
SENATOR FROM PENN'A,
In The Senate Of the United States,
February nth, 1881.

February nth, 1881.
-s--
Mr. President, On the 2Sth of Jan
uary last | had the honor TO submi
for the consideration OF the Scnat
joint resolution No. l4s, proposing al
amendment TO the Constitution Of th
United States, which is in these words
That hereafter the President and Vice Presi
dent Of the United States shall be chosen By th
people Of the respective States 10 tbe manner fol
lowing:
Each State shan be divided by the Lssisatur
thereof into districts, equal 10 number to tn
whole number Of Senators and Representatives t.
which such State may be entitled in the Coneros
Of the United States, the said districts to be CON
posed Of contiguous territory, and 70 contain, a
nearly as may be, an equal number Of persoH
entitled to be represented under the Constitution
and to bo laid OF for the first time immediatel,
after the ratification Of this amendment ant
aiterNaTd at the session Of the Legislature mex
ensuing the apportiOnment Of Represen tatives by
the Congress OF the United States but ne altera.
tion after the fret or alter each decennial forma
ton Of districts shall take effect at the next en-
suing election after such alteration ia made Tha
on the first Tuesday in the month Of November in
The ytar 1888 aud on the same dayt in every
fourth year thereafter the citizens Of each Stat,
who pOagess the qualifications requisite for electou
Of the most numerous branch OF the State Lesis.
rlature shall meet at tho places provided by State
law within their respective districts aud vote by
secret ballot for President and Vice President
Of the United States, one OF whom at least shall
not be 40 inhabitant OF the same State with the
voter and the person receiving the greatest
number OF votes for President and the one re.
ceiving the creates, number Of votes for Vice
President in each district shall each be holden to
have received one vote, which fact shall be i'm.
mediately certified to the Board Of Canvassers Of
the State, to each Of the Senators In Congress
from such State, and to the President Of the Sen.
ate. The votes shall be eanvassed and the result
in each district asceriained from the returns by
the Goysrnor, tho Chief Justice Of the highest
Court Of Law, and the Secretary Of State OF the
proper State, who shall constitute the Board Of
and they shall certify tho result 10
said State to the Speaker Of tho House Of Repre-
Fentatiyes Of the United States within sixty days
after the election, and their certificate shall be
! conclusive proof Of such result The Congress Of
the United states shall be IN session on the second
| Monday Ia February, Ia the year 1855 and on
the same day in every fourth year thereafter
and the Speaker Of the House OF Representa-
tivcs, 10 the presence Of the Senate and House Of
Representatives, shall open all the certificates,
! hNN lNv votes shNl ihtn hc counted by the Two
| Houses in joint convention met. The person
having the greatest number Of votes for President
shall be President, and tho person having the
greatest number Of voles for Vice President shall
be Vice President OF the United States.
This amendment contemplates a
change in that provision Of the Con.
stituJion OF the United States which
regulates the election OF President and
Vice. President by substituting for the
electoral colleges direct vote of the
people for the candidates themselves.
The electoral college has failed to an.
swer the purposes for which those who
originated it intended it. 1t was
thought at the time of the formation
Of the Constitution that the substitu-
tion Of body Of intelligent and lead
ing citizens between the people and
the candidates would enable the coun.
try, in the event of difficulty, to depend
upon their judgment, integrity, and
high position for the solution of those
difficulties. The reverse OF this has
proved to be the fact in practice Party
discipline, party caucus, and the recog.
nized will Of party control, compel the
electors to vote for the candidates
named in their party caucus. 1t the
purpose of this resolution to substitute
the will of thepeople directly expressed
for this system, lsubmit it now with
no hope of its immediate adoption, but
as contribution TO the agitation from
which alone change can come.
The features OF the system are
First. The disvision by the Legisla
ture OF each State into districts, equal
in number to the whole number Of
Senators and Representatives to which
s1ch State Is entitled in Congress,
Delaware, for instance. would be en-.
titled to 3 votes, and would be divided
by its own Legislature into three dis.
tricts
Second. The people are to vote in
these districts, at an uniform time,
directly for their candidate for Presi.
dent aud Vice President, one Of whom,
as at present shall not be a citizen of
the State in which the voter resides.
Third The person having the high.
est number of votes in each district "a
plurality being sufficiently to be entitled
to one vote out Of the whole number
to which the State is entitled. Penn.
sylvania having 20 votes would have
probably cast 10 democratic and 10
republican votes at the recent election.
Fourth. The returns of these votes
to be made to the governor, chief jus.
tice, and secretary of state, who shall
canvass and return the same, which
shall be conclusive proof of how the
State voted.
Fifth. The votes thus returned to be
counted by the two Houses in Joint
convention met
Sixth. The person having the high.
est number of votes from all of the
districts voting "a plurality being suf-
ficient) 10 be elected.
Seventh Thequalifcations ofvotcrs,
the division OF the State into districts,
and the canvass of individual votes to
be under control Of the State and the
mode Of voting to be the secret ballot.
The districts are to be formed after
each census Of the United States has
been taken, and are first to be formed
Immediately after the adoption of the
amendment. No change in the districts
can take effect at the first election
after such change.
The qualifications of electors, as now
prescribed by the Constitution OF the
United States formembers Of Congress,
are preserved, and the universally OF
q secret ballot is enforced. The votes
cast in each district by the electors,
when computed by the election officers,
are TO be returned to the State can.
vassing board, and whoever shall have
received the highest number Of votes
in such district shall be held to have
received one vote. The whole number
of votes cast for each candidate 10 all
the districts in any State are to be
ascertained by canvassing board,
composed of the governor chief justice,
and secretary Of state, and they are
within sixty days after the election to
certify thenumber of votes by districts
received by each candidate in each
State to the Speaker Of the House OF
Rep resentatives. This return is to be
the only and conclusive proof Of the
result in that State. The returns thus
made to the Speakorol the House are
to be laid before the two Houses in
in joint convention met at the usual
time, aud they are Authorized and en-.
powered there to count the vote and
determine the result The candidate
for preaidcnt and Nicc prcsident ro.