The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1888-11-16
The Electoral College.

A New York dispatch quotes Gen.
Roger A. Pryor, Ex-Governor Hoadly of
Ohio, Calvin s. Brice. Chairman of the
Democratic National Executive Com
mietee, and Col. B. &. Chetwood of
New Jersey on the question of that
piece of antique constitutional bric-a-
brae, the Electoral College. All the
gentlemen named but Colonel Brice "a
yoTed its abolition.
The Electoral College is absolutely
useless, quite costly and involves some
danger of defeat of the popular will.
As originally contemplated by the
trainers of the constitution 1t was In
t. nded as a sort of advisory committee,
appointed in each State to be voted for
by the people thereof as individuals,
these individuals to vote for any candi-
date for President that they saw fit.
That at least was its intention, the
idea seeming to be that this unpreju-
diced. impartial body of men would
exercise greater care in selecting a cans
didate than would be observed it the
matter were left to the popular will.
The statesmen OF the early constitution
al period must have had a very imper-
feet idea of the American character,
however, II they supposed that any
such device would prevent the people
from indicating very directly and posi-
lively the intention of their ballots.
That the original purpose of tho Electo-
raj College has been eVaded, whilst the
constitutional form is still preserved.
shows how little any artificial scheme
OF legislation will stand when it is en-
.irely without popular approval.
A peculiar complication some times
accompanies the practical working ot
this altogether useless system. As Is
well known, no citizen of any State
votes direct for any Presidential candi-
date, casting his ballots instead for a
list OF State Electors, who in turn meet
at their respective State capitals snd
cast the Electoral vote for given nom
inees. Now, there is nothing in law,
morals or practice TO prevent any citi-
zen from voting for half of the Demo-
cratic and half the Republican Electors,
nor from voting the straight ticket OF
one party and scratching off one or two
particular Electors. This has indeed
been frequently done. but it Is very
often done fraudulently, and might in
a close contest defeat the will of the
people.
A case is in fand in the very last
election in New York State. BY the
terms of an alleged ''deal' between the
United Labor and Republican manage
menIs, the former gave out Electoral
tickets leading off with the names of
the first two Labor Electors, the other
thirty-four being copied from the Re-
publican Electoral ticket This OF
course resulted in a great loss to the
Labor people which ali went to swell
the vote of the thirty-four Republican
Electors, the first two names on that
ticket apparently running behind. 1t
is said to be not impossible that these
two Republican Electors have not
a majority of votes cast as the remain
der of the ticket has, and that in con-
sequence the vote o. the Empire State
may be given to both nominees, two to
Cleveland and thirty-four to HarIisoc.
Fortunately this W II result in no trOu-
BILE this time but its mischievous posi-
bilities can readily be imagined in the
case of close contest like that OF 1876.
All this chicanery and all the non
sense and expense of an electoral Col
lege that don't elect could be spared by
either voting States on their popular
vote direct for the nominees, or by ad-
ding together the popular vote OF all the
States for each nominee. The former
! of these plans IS decidedly the better
for two reasons; first it would still
preserve the individuality of the States
in the national contest, for each would
vote as unit /; and, second, the temp
tation to the fraudulent piling up o!
huge majorities in the States would be
largely removed when a majority of one
would serve as we'll as majority OF
| 100. 600 to give any candidate the vote
of State.
Let's have a popular vote for Presi-
| dent by States.-Phild. Herald.