The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1889-04-13
Figures Showing That the Majority
Of Voters of the United States
Do Not Choose the Chief Magistrate
and ioe-President.
A Seeming Anamoly In the Elec-
toral College System.
How Eleven Big States May be Ig-
nored by Thirty. One Smaller Ones
lis Ours Government OF
Checks and Balances2
From tho New York Herald.

From tho New York Herald.
The Inauguration echoes have already
died out. President Cleveland is Mr..
Cleveland. Mr.. Harrison is President
Harrison, and the Republican party's
work OF clearing out the last traces OF the
late incumbents and settling down to
steady housekeeping is progressing vigor-
ously.
And it is the general conviction that the
term Of the lease OF power is long one.
Before election it was said on both sides
that the fight between the two great par
ties was practically fight to the death.
Which ever side got into power would re-
main in for quarter of acentury. Nothing
short Of phenomenal laundering could
loosen the winners grip upon the machin-
cry OF government.
The Republicans won, and any Repub'
lican with whom you may talk will tell
you, and be firmly convinced he is telling
you the truth as he does so, that not for
twenty-five years at least will the White
House hold another Democratic President.
"Why, look at the electoral college as
affected by the admission Of tho four new
States" they say. ave have a clean lee
way sweep OF thirteen new Republican
electors TO count upon. There is an elector
in the college for every Representative and
Senator in State. North Dakota has one
Representative, South Dakota two, and
Montana and Washington one each. That
makes five Representatives. Then there
are eight new Senators-two from each OF
the four new Staies-altogether thirteen
Senators and Representatives, and thus al
together gain OF thirteen electors, and all
the thirteen to DO counted upon as safe
Republicans.
coNTISUoUs DEFEAT.
There il more truth than poetry In this
and Il Is also true that the Democratic
voters now have, and will probably con-
tinue 10 have heavy majority over the
Republican voters throughout the country,
and yet, by the curious construction OF the
Electoral College, tho Democrats have, as
above shown, pretty certain prospect OF
continuous defeat for some years TO come.
This matter OF the Electoral College and
the comparative relation OF its members 10
the populations OF the respective commu-
mites they represent, is subject which
the admission OF the new states is likely
TO bring into much more prominence than
| IL has had in the past The fact that the
wishes OF the majority OF the voters in the
country have nothing whatever 10 do with
who shall DO President, is brought out
and commented upon after every Presi-
/ DENTAL election, but the admission OF the
new States will give the discussion now
| vitality.
Aside from the fact that under the pres.
ent laws II Is possible for party with q
popular majority OF over 100000 10 be-
defeated at the polls In Presidential cleo
ton. there Is the still more glaring absurd
ity Of the comparative proportions Of pop
ulation In different States TO the electors
from those States in the Electoral College.
A mere glance at the election statistics Is
sufficient TO reveal this. IL will be seen,
for instance, that whereas in Montana d
Presidential elector rcprcsents-taking the
figures OF the last census rs basis Of cal.
culaiion-only l3, 0J3 votes, in the State oil
New York such an eleclor represents III ).
l0l yotcs. In other words, II takes over
| Afu NbAln III afNA hNih W bhHNN biN' NVN1
in Montana. The same disproportiou
runs all the way through and may be bcs
understood by glance at the actual liz
urcs. In this statement, rs above said, the
figures OF the census Of 1880 aro neccssa
rily the only available ones Which
are official and afford fair basil
for comparison. OF course In the nin'
years since that census was taken Their
has been n great increase IN the popula
tons OF tho four Territories which hav,
recently been promoted 10 Statehood, ant
d. Of u consequence the figures do not repro
sent the exact state Of adams at present
but while the populations Of these lat
Territories have increased 10 have tn
populations Of the older States, and II
most instances tho increase has been pro
portionate.
TELLrALE TABLE.
Tho following table gives the population
Of the States IA they were in 1880, with tn
number Of electors allowed TO each State
In the case Of North and South Dakota !
has been necessary TO take the population
in the aggregate, though, rs shown by IN
Congressional representation, the populu
ton OF South Dakota il considerably II
excess OF that OF North Dakota