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


HIS PROPOSED AMENDMENT TO
THE CONSTITUTION or THE
UNITED STATES.
Mr. President, on the 2Sth of Jan
uary last | had the honor to submit
for the consideration of the senate
joint resolution No. l4S, proposing an
amendment to the constitution of the
United States, which is in these words :
That hereafter the president and vice
president oil the United States shall be
chosen by the people of the respective
States in the manner following:
Each State shall be divided by the
legislature thereof into districts, equal
in number to the whole number of sen
ators and representatives TO which such
State may be entitled in the Congress OF
the United States. the said districts to
be composed of continuous territory,
and to contain, as nearly as may be, an
equal number of persons entitled to be
represented under the Constitution, and
to be laid off for the first term immed.
ately after the ratification of this isamend
ment, and afterward at the session of
the legislature next ensuing the appor.
tionment OF representatives by the Con.
gress of the United States but no al
teratlon after the first or after each
decennial formation of districts shall
take effect at the next ensuing election
after such alteration is made. That on
the first Tuesday in the month of No.
vember in the year 1884 and on the
same days in every fourth year there
after, the citizens of each State who
possess the qualifications requisite for
electors of the most numerous branch
of the State legislature shall meet at
the places provided by State law within
their respective districts and vote by
secret ballot for president and vice
president of the United States, one Of
whom at least shall not be an inhAhi.
tant OF the same State with the voter !;
and the person receiving the greatest
number OF votes for president and the
one receiving the greatest number Of
votes for vice president in each district
shall each be holden to have received
one vote, which fact shall be immedi.
ately 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 Senate. The votes
shall be canvassed and the result in
each district ascertaiued from the re.
turns by the governor, the chief justice
OF the highest court of Law, and the
secretary of State of the proper state,
who shall constitute the board of State
canvassers, and they shall certify the
result in said State to the speaker of
fhn hnnan nF IL
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 i'm
February, in the year 1855. and on the
same day in every fourth year thereafter:
and the speaker of the house of repre-.
sentatives, in the presence OF the senate
and house of representatives shall open
all the certificates, and the votes shall
then be counted by the two houses in
joint convention met. The person hav.
ing the greatest number OF votes for
president shall be president, and the
person having the greatest number OF
votes for vice president shall be vice
president OF the United States.
This amendment contemplates a
change in that provision Of the consti.
tuition of the United States which reg.
ulates 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. It was
thought at the time of the formation
of the constitution that the substitu.
ton 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 de.
pend 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
recognized will Of party control com
pei the electors to vote for the candi.
dates named in their party caucus. It
Is the purpose of this resolution to
substitute the will of the people direct.
ly expressed for this system. | sub.
NIT it now with no hope Of its imme.
diate adoption, but a contribution
to the agitation from which alone a
change can come.
The features of the system are
First-The division of the legisla.
ture of each State into districts, equal
in number to the whole number of
senator's and representatives to which
such State is entitled in Congress.
Delaware, for instance, would be en-.
titled TO three votes, and would be
divided by its own legislature into
three districts.
Second-The people are to vote in
these districts, at an uniform time,
directly for their candidate for presi-
dent and vice president, one of whom,
as at present, shall not be q citizen Of
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