Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1888-11-22
The Electoral College System.

The following is one of many COM
munications leceived at this office on
our cumbrous and illogical Electoral
College system:
To the Editor of the Times:
Please enlighten me as to the origin Of the
Electoral College. What are Its advantages
to the popie? and what is its basis? Whv is
not the popular vote taken for President!
A READER.
Pottstown, Pa, November IL, 1888.
The electoral College system was
conceived and put into operation by the
founders of the Republic on the theory
that the people should select number
of Electors, equal 10 the representation
of each State in the Senate and House,
who would exercise a sound and indie
pendent judgment in the choice ofPres-
ident and Vice President. 1t was in
tended to remove the election of those
two highest offices from the passions of
party strife; but even befre the end of
Washington's service as President, the
Electoral tickets were nominated and
supported IA partisans, and the whole
theory of Electors exercising any dis
erection i'm voting for President and
Vice President was utterly exploded
in the contest Of 1876 between Adams
ana Jefferson, and has continued so
ever since.
Voters do not vote for Electors, al
though they vote all electoral ticket.
They vote directly fer President, but
they must circumlocute around and
vote an Electoral ticket to do so. In
the late eIt ction in this city, men were
voted for-,as candidates for Electors,
who could not have commanded half
81 - . L. for off nf
honor or responsibility, but Electors
are mere party automatons when cleo
ted, and the only way to vote for
Cleveland was 10 vote the Democratic
Electoral ticket, and the only way to
vote for Harrison was to vote for the
Republican Electors. 1t is simply an
awkward roundabout way to enable
the people to vote for president. and
twice since the organization of the
government the people have been de-
frauded out of their choice for Chief
Magistrate. Adams won over Jack
son in 1928, by the Electoral College
system. although Jackson had nearly
two votes for Adams one, and Hayes
won over Tilden in 1879, when the
people gave Tilden popular majority
of $50 900.
The Electoral College system could
not have been adopted VIII u the Con-
stitutlon was framed but for the deep
seated distrust of popular government
that prevailed among many of the
founders of the Republic. 1t was a
concession to States Rights as against
popular rules, as it gave Rhode Island
and Delaware each two Senatorial
votes in the Electoral College and
made them equal with New York and
Pennsylvania to that extent. The
M III
Hamilton and Adams as leaders, were
not confident of the success of popular
government. Jefferson and Madison as
Republican leaders of that day, were
the champions of the States Rights,
and they taught the doctrine that
finally, in its growth and expansion,
practically subordiated the sOver-
eighty of the nation to the sovereignty
of the State. 1t is not surprising,
therefore, that Constitutional Con-
veniion over which Washington pre-
sided and in which Madison was the
master leader, accepted the cumbrous
Electoral College system as a sup
posed check upon the ebullitions OF
popular elections.
All the reasons which dictated the
Electoral College system when our
government was created have long
since persisted. When the doctrine OF
States Rights was defined a subordi-
nate to the nationaI sovereignty by
the irrevocable arbitrament of the
sword, the last vestige of argument fol-
the Electoral College was overthrown
and the debauchery that the system
has lately thrown into our President
ial contest in doubtful States, clearly
admnoshes every intelligent and dis.
passionate citizen that the choice oil
President and Vice President should
be made by direct vote of the people
The President is the immediate repre-
sentative of the whole people, and ev.
cry citizen, alike in State and Terri
tory, should be allowed to vote di
rectiy for his individual choice for the
highest trusts of the Republic, and tn,
candidates TOR President aud Vic,
President receiving the highest votes
should be declared elected.-Philodet
a3hia Times.
Go to Payton Martins Livery Stable TO
for