Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1890-03-20

The Ohio legislature has under consid-
GRAFTON bill changing the mode OF
choosing presidential electors in that
state 30 that they shall be elected by
Congressional districts instead Of by
general ticket, as heretofore. We find
statement in an exchange that sit was
quietly given out that the bill was to be
used - club, and only passed in case
the MoComas bill should go through"
Congress. However this may be, the
proposed method lie so incomparably an
improvement on the existing one that it
certainly should be adopted. Under
fair system OF distributing the State no
reasonable man could object to selecting
presidential electors in this way. It is
vain, perhaps, to hope for such system
Of distributing, since the temptation Of the
party in power to gerrymsnder is always
so strong; and Ohio has besn notably the
victim of injustice in this direction, each
party alternately laying itself out to 50
readjust district lines as to promote its
own ascendanoy. But, from the com
paratiyely few objections that haya bsen
made by Republican journals to the
Democratic rsdistricting bill Just passed,
it appears undeniably much fGires than
the Republican gerrymander which it il
TO supersede, and, in Just tbs same de-
gree, an approximation to the ideal fair
ness which would make the district sys-
tenn Of choosing presidential electors, as
well as congressman, Just the thing to be
desired.
Senator Sherman is quoted as declaring
that there can be no constitutional war.
rant for such a radical change in the
mode of choosing presidential electors"
and that while the legislature itself might
with perfect prop.;ety decide to choose
electors by concurrent vote OF both
houses, yet it cannot delegate that pow5t
to the people by localities. But the Ian.
guage Of the constitution OF the United
Estates is that leach state may appoint, in
such manner as the Legislature thereof
rhall direct, a number OF electors equal
10 the whole number Of senators and
representatives to which the sta.e may be-
untitled in Congress" and there ID, be-
Tide, precedent for the district system. It
was used in the early history of Mlssa-
chusetts. In 1888, 1882 and 1886 the
presidential electors from that state were
chosen by districts, tha legislature filling
vacancies whore such occurred through
failure Of any candidate TO secure ma
jorlty Of all the votes cast in his disttict
besides which, in 1896, the legislature
chose two delegates-at-ls In 1900,
in furthesance of schem me to secure the
solid electoral vote OF the State 70. John
Adams, the Legislature assumed the
power to choose all the electors, one from
each Congressional district and two at
large. In 1904 again for political ree-
sons, the electors were chosen on gen
erRI ticket. In 1908 the legislature again
appointed the electors. In 1912 Massa.
chusetts returned to the district system,
the State bling divided into six districts,
returning from one to six eleators accord
ing to the voting popUlstion Of the dis.
trict. In 1916 the legislature again se-
lected the electors. In 1920 the district
system wac revived, each Congressional
district choosing one elector, and the
people of the whole State choosing two
electors atlsree. la 1924 the electors
were chosen on general ticket and tais
method has obtained ever siace. So that
the example Of Massachusetts may 80
cited for almost every conceivable method
Of choosing presidential electors.