St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1884-10-18
THE GESIUs or OUR GOVERNMENT.

ranging shut down movement.
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THE GENIUS OF OUR GOVERNMENT.
Professor Marsh of Lafayette College re-
marks: ''Our government is a representa-
tive democracy. We call it government of
the people-it is really government of the
majority In our day, tyranny of the major
ity is worse than the tyranny of one man or
few men, because it has no restraint" In
theory in an elective government majorities
rule. Ours is an elective government. But
practically minorities rule. If majorities may
become more odiously tyranrical than a des-
potism or an Oligarchy, how much more hate
full is the rule of minority? When a min
ority dominates majority, the true genius
and interest of an elective government is
overslaughed The rule of minority practi-
cally establishes tyrany over the majority,
and is, therefore, at war with the benefits due
to the exercise of popular franchise, or
universal suffrage.
In the election of Republican candidate
for the Presidency, there is not when all the
ststes voted with the exception of Grants
second term a single instance in which the
incumbent, beginning with Lincoln, has re-
ceived a majority of the votes of the Ameri-
can people. By the cumbersome, convolu-
ted machinery of the electoral college, the
people are not permitted to vote directly for
aPresidential candidate, but they are com
PEELED to vote for electors, who choose the
President. This is the product of the old,
scheming, aristocratic, monarchical Federal
Nphif in NJ h.
national constitution gas framed. This ar
rangement makes it possible for the electoral
college to make choice of a man for the Pre-
sidency who has only received minority of
the popular vote.
Thus the minority tyranIzes over the just
rights of the people, and a manis installed
as President in defiance OF a majority of the
votes.
The spirit and genius ism de-
manded that the choice of President should be
removed as far as possible from the ''com-
mon" people, aud, as Ellis Excellency'' was
in the Federal eye sort of royal parsonage,
he must be chosen by a select oligarchical
body of electors. This scheme not only al
lows the placing of a minority candidate in
stance enabled the minority to steal the
Presidency itself.
This wretched old Federal machinery of
the electoral college, which assumes that a
Presidential candidate is Of too sublime q
character to come in direct contact with
the common people," by receiving their
| direct votes ought to be abolished, and in
stead of royal Senate, or college of Mobiles,
called electors, being permitted to chose q
a President, the people themselves, should
be allowed to choose their own National Ex-
ecutive.
The boosted Republican majority Of ten or
less thousand in the late Ohio election is
no majority at all. The state ticket is elect
ed by only plural vote, and not by major
fly. 1t may be safely stated that James G..
Blaine can never receive a majority of the
votes in Ohio, and if he carries the state at
all, 1t viii be through the plural machinery
of the electoral college.
If the ghosts Of the old Federalists could
arise to-day, they would not think lingo
Blaine too sacred character to be voted for
directly by the people, and would declare in
favor of abolishing their very digniied cleo
toral college, and favor giving the choice of
President directly to the people. ''Major''
Blaine can never receive majority of the
votes Of Ohio or the nation for President, so
badly is be stained with the tattoo embelish-
ments of dishonesty, Untruthfulness, and
general unworthiness.
Congress ought at once, and especially a
I Democratic congress, to submit amendments
to the constitution, abolishing the electoral
college, and giving the people the privilege
( land just and sacred one it is) of castin z
their ballots directly, and by name, for the
I candidate OF their choice for President.
Supplementary to the above is here ap-
pended the popular vote for presidential
I candidates, showing the working of the eiec-
toral college in placing minority candidates
/ in the presidential chair.
/ Prior to 1924 under the old Federal system,
/ which removed the august Presidential Of
fee far away from the people, there was nc
! popular vote cast, even for electors. the col
I lege of electors being chosen BY the legisla-
/ lures Of the several states.
! In 1874 the choice of presidential electors
was submitted to a popular vote for the first
time, and in the ''scrub race for the presi-
+ deney in that year, John Quincy Adams had
+ los. 32I; Jackson 155,s72; Clay 46, $50;
+ Crawford a, 2s2. Jackson had a majority
+ 80, SOL over Adams, and the combined vote
showed majority against him of 141, 800.
/ There being no choice by the popular vote
Adams was elected by the House of Repre-
sentatives, an alleged coalition having been
formed between him and Clay, by which
+ Claws friends were to give Adams the. Presi-
dency, which Of right belonged to Jackson,
i By reason Of his larger vote, and Adams in
turn was to make Clay secretary of state.
I The eompae: was fulfilled Adams became
I president and Clay secretary Of state.
/ In Is2s Jackson had 647, 231; Adams SOC,
+ 097. Jackson's majority f3s, 134.
In 1892, Jackson rad 6s7, 502. Clay $780,
1s9: and SO, los for Floyd and Writ combined
Jackson s majority over all I24, POS.
IN 1896. Van Buren, had 761 $40: the com.
I bined vote for Harrison. White. Webster and
Mcguire 136. CSC. Van Buren's majority over
am24. s93.
In 1s40 Harrison had !, pa, OH. Van Buren,
! lbs, 703- James &. Birney 1859, Har-i.
sons majority over al 139. ESQ.
! In 1874 Polk had |. 1881, 243: Clay 1,z99, 06: