The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1884-06-04

VI intriBue huu corrupblOn. LII was De-
lieved that few representative men from
each state could more safely be entrusted
with the power to choose the official head
Of the nation than could the whole peo-
pie. Why few should be less likely to
yield to corrupting influences does not
seem 30 clear. Such is not the usual be-
lief But while, previous to It's adoption,
many parts of the proposed Constitution
were vigorously assailed, the method of
choosing the president and vice-president
seemed to commend itself to the leaders
OF public opinion as being surrounded
with so many safeguards as to dis
arm all opposition. These views are
we'll set forth by Alexander Hamilton,
who did so much to bring about the
adoption of the Constitution. He said /:
"The mode of appointment of the
chief magistrate of the United States is
almost the only part of the system, of
any consequence, which has escaped with
out severe censure, or which has received
the slightest mark of appreciation from
its opponents. The most plausible of
these who has appeared in print has even
deigned to admit that the election of the
president is pretty we'll guarded. ven
ture somewhat further, and hesitate not
to affirm that if the manner of it be not
perfect, it is at least excellent. 1t unites
in an eminent degree all the advantages,
the union of which was to be wished for.
1t was desirable that the sense of the
people should operate in the choice of the
person to whom SO important trust was
to be confided. This end will be an.
swered by committing the right of max
ing it, not to any pre-established body,
but to men chosen by the people for the
special purpose, and at the particular
conjuncture. 1t was equally desirable
that the immediate election should be
made by men most capable of analysing
the qualities adapted to the station, and
acting under circumstances favorable to
deliberation and to judicious combina-
ton Of all the reasons and inducements
which were proper to govern their choice.
A small number of persons, selected by
their fellow-citizens from the general
mass, will be most likely to possess the
information and discernment requisite to
such complicated Investigations. 1t was
also peculiarly desirable to afford as little
opportunity as possible to tumult and dis
order. This evil was not least to be
dreaded in the election of magistrate
who was to have so important an agency
in the administration of the government
as the president of the United States.
But the precautions which have been so
happily concerted in the system under
consideration promise an effectual Sc
curity against this mischief. The choice
of several, to form an intermediate body
of electors, will be much less apt to con-
vulse the community with any extraordi-
nary or violent movements than the
choice of one who was himself to be the
final object of the public wishes. And
as the electors, chosen in each state, are
to assemble and vote in the state in which
they are chosen, this detached and divided
situation will expose them much less to
heats and ferments, which might be COM
municated from them to the people, than
if they were all to be convened at one
time, in one place. n Thus, with
out corrupting the body of the people, the
immediate agents in the election will at
least enter upon the task free from any
sinister bias. Their transient existence
and their detached situation, already
taken notice of, afford satisfactory pros
pect of their continuing so to the conclu-
sion of it, The business of corruption,
when it is to embrace so considerable a
number of men, requires time as we'll as
means. Nor would it be found easy sud-
denly to embark them, dispersed as they
would be over thirteen states, in any COM
binations founded upon motives which,
though they could not properly be de-
nominated corrupt, might yet be of a
nature to mislead them from their duty"
How strangely this sounds Who would
have believed at that time, that under
essentially the same provisions as were
thus advocated, there could have sprung
up method so totally different from the
one contemplated Then such thing
as nominating convention was unheard
of, and the chief interest conferred in the
choice of electors. Now the electoral
college has been reduced to mere ma
chine, mere conduit through which
may flow the stream of popular suffrage,
while the position of delegate to a
party convention is regarded as much
less empty honor than that of an elector.
After the presidential candidates have
been named, but before the electors have
even been nominated, close figurers will
give with great confidence the exact num-
Der of electoral votes which each one will
receive, and will, with equal confidence,
predict his election or his defeat. But is
this change an improvement ? Or have
we advanced backward 1t seems clear