Daily Republican. [volume] ([Wilmington, Del.]) 1874-1890, 1890-03-18

The Ohio PLsn.
II the Ohio Legislature perslsts In n,
effort to pass the bill providing tor the
election OF Presidential electors Nv
Congressional districts, it will end in
revolutionhng the whole electoral
system. That the State Legislature
has the right to pass such bill cannot
be denied, but that 1t is the best sys.
tenn for the election of electors can
hardly be claimed in the face OF the
TACT that all the Stsies. even Msssachu
sets, South Carolina and other States.
which at one time had other systems.
have abandoned them, and have, with
wonderful unsnimity, accepted the
present system of electlng electors by
the people OF the State on q general
State ticket. Under the present con
dition Of politics II would be very din.
cult 10 return 10 the Masssc husetts
system. II Ohio makes such a radical
change other States will follow to Offset
Ohio. Pennsylvania could 30 redis-
trict her Congressional districts AZ to
shut out nearly II not quite ali the
Democratic districts in the State,
The legislature of New York could
shut out several but the bill would be
vetoed BY the Governor. New jersey
from having Republican Senate but
= Democratic House and Democratic
governor could be prevented from
making any change. So in Indianai
where little could be gained by the
Ohio plan a Republican Governor
stands in the WY. Illinois could shut
out several Democrats, and Michigan
and all the other Northwestern States
could be made and kept practically
solid for the Republicans. On the
other hand the lew Republicans from
the Southern States could be shut out,
II Ohio passes the bill Republican
States, to maintain their politica stand.
ing will be compelled To retaliste In |
Kind and before the next presidential |
election comes of the new system
may be In vogue In all the States
where either party could gain parii.
san advantage. Taking In the South
ern States, the Democrats would most
undoubtedly be the gamers by the
operation and in the present close con
oition OF politics in partisan sense
they would elect the next President,
But there IL another face to tho
question that must be taken into con.
alteration. Congress has under con.
eideration general election law an
plying to the election OF Congressman
and Presidential electors in all the
States, but under the constitution II
cannot take from the States the power
70 elect electors as they please. This.
under the present circumstances,
would result most assuredly in an in
crease OF Republican Congressman
and Republican electors from the
6outhern States where the Republi.
cans have not since 1876 had the cleo
tors. No State gerrymandering in the
eiates OF South Carolina, Georgia,
Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana
could prevent the election OF q large
number OF Republican Congressman
and electors OF the same party from
those Suites upon lair election aud
full vote as the administration bill
lontemplstes, This would be more
than an Offset 10 the gain to the Demo
Gratis by the Ohio plan.
But there is stll another plan by
which the States under Democratic
control, and the same may be said OF
States under Republican control. by
which the States Can avoid the results |
Of the operations Of general election |
law for Presidential electors. The
language OF the Constitution is that
zach State may appoint in such man
ner IA the Legislature thereof shall
direct, number OF electors equal to
the whole number of Senators and
Representatives to which the State
may be entitled in Congress" There
are many still living who recollect
when come OF the Southern States,
notably South Carolina, elected their
Presidential electors by their Legis
lures. There is nothing In the word
ing OF the Constitution to prohibit this
right still from being exercised by the
Legislatures of the several States. 1t
is not likely, however, that the Demo-
Gratis will resort TO this mode OF elect
ing electors, as they would be the
losers by the operation.
Thlse various plans of electing cleo
tors go TO show that q stable plan is
very much needed, which can alone
be projected and adopted by Congress
rs q constitutional amendment Under
the present system any State, when
either party has both HOUSES and the
executive, can adopt whatever plan it
pleases and thereby throw the whole
country into confusion II the pro.
posed Ohio system is to be used as
club over the head OF Congress to pre-.
vent it from passing general election
law for Congressman and electors no
attention should be paid TO it. The
people of this eountry-Norlh, South,
East and West-should be protected
In the exercise OF their franchise rights,
no matter what the Ohio Legislature
haav do