Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1882-02-09
How 10 Elect a President.

from The flita -e hta 4liaEs.
a number OF our ab.est statesmen have
devoted much Of their time to the pro.
duction Of essays and the preparation
OF measures intended 10 simplify the
election of Presidents and Vice Presi-
dents of the United States: but all of
them have grappled With the subject s.
II II was 20 ab.trUse that only some com.
plicated machinery could reduce il 10
practical and Just resulis. This has
been the common error of all our states.
men who have attempted TO provide
against the defeat Of the popular will in
the choice Of a President, either by the
legitimate use or by the peryersIon Of
the Electoral College system. The
boldest aud haldest fraud used The Flee
toral College 10 defeat popular msiofi.
~ of over a quarter Of a million in 1916.
and that has taught all parties the su.
preme necessity Of providing some
method Of choosing Presidents that will
make elections certainly and honestly
elect.
The Electoral College system is cum
brous machine that Is liable 30 defeat
the expression of the people even with
honest direction. and opens the way for
the successful employment Of chicAnery
or fraud. The jefferson Barr contest
OF 1901, the Jackson Adams Crawford
contest of 1925 and and the Tilden.
Hayes contest Of 1877 All stand as finger
boards TO admonish the American peo.
pie OF the absolute failure Of the Elec.
tori College sysiem and the possibility
Of perveTting u 10 the meanest aims OF
mean ambition. IL j. not pretended
that any of the purposes which were
intended by the fathers OF the Republic
IN creating the Electoral College, have
been fulfilled Instead of Presidential
/ Electors exercising sound and patrio.
tic discretion in the choice Of Presi
dent and Vice President, our Presiden.
tlal Electors are the mere puppets of
party, and it would now cost any one
has life II he were to exercise his own
discretion, however Just and patriotic,
and thereby elect = President against
the wishes Of his party. The Electoral
[ College system l., therefore. a useless
and dangerous circumlocution, and il IL
I the duty Of the best statesmanship Of all
parties to unite for its overthrow.
There Is a simple and just method by
which the people could elect Presidents
without more than a tithe of the de
bsuchery aud decentralization which are
now common in such contests. aud that
is for the people of the whole Union 10
vote directly for President and Vice
President, with judieious safeguards for
the determination OF the legal vote OF
each State. and declare the men elected
who receive the largest number Of votes.
There is no reason why government
OF the people, by the people and for the
people should have cnmhrous electoral
machinery that can accomplish nothing
beyond the possibility of defeating the
popular choice and there cah be rea
sou. outside Of the exploded dogma Of
States Rights TO forbid direct vote for
our highest offices or the commission Of
those wbo receive the largest popular
support from the people OF the entire an
'ion. Such system OF eleeting Presi.
dents and Vice Presidents would end
the corruption and Decentralization
which run riot in Ohio. Indiana and 9th.
er pivotal States in Presidential contests.
and Il would make 3 Democratic vote
in Vermont or a Republican vote in Mis-.
sissippi rs important as any vote in any
other State. The very best system OF
eleciinf Presidents Is the simplest. and
the simplest system Is direct vote Tor
The candidates and the highest popular
vote To elect.