Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1891-12-19

III Tue grasp VI Tue e5SfT man Ter, tuS leg
islative AMI Executive directly AMI the
judiciary indirectly through the power of
appointment.
An election implies a DO iy of electors hav-
ing prescribsi Qualifications, each ons of
whom has an equal value an1 influence in
( determining the result So when the Con-
/ stitutjon provides chat leach State shall
/ appoint elect, 'in such manner as the
/ Legislature thereof may direcs. a number of
I electors, etc, an unrestricted power was
not given to the Legislatures in the selection
of the methods to be usei "A Repu 1lican
form of Government" is guaranteed by thu
/ Constitution to eacl State, AMI the
power given by the same instrument to
the Legislatures of the State TO prescribe
methods for the choice, by the State of
electors must be exercised under that limi-
tation. The essential features of such
Government are the right of the people TO
choose their own officers and the nearest
practicable equality OF value in the suffrages
given in determining that clolce.
1t will not be c.aime that the power given
to the Legislature would support a law pro-
viding that tue persons receiving the small
est vote should be the electors or a law that
all the electors should be chosen by the
voters of a single Congressional district.
The State is to choose, and, unler the pre-
tense of regulating metho Is, the Legislature
can neither vest the riglt OF choice
elsewhere nor Adopt meth Us not con-
formabe to Republican institutions 1t is
! not my purpose here to discuss the question
whether choice by th lie yisaturs or ny the
voters of equal sin gle districts is choice by
the State, but only to recon nenl sIcl reg
ulation of this mlttet by constitutional
amen i'm ant as will seclre uniformity and
prevent that disgraceful partisan ju gglery
to which such iberty OF choice, if it exists,
offers temptation.
Nothing just now is more important than
to provide every guaranty for the a osolutely
fair and free choice by an equal suffrage,
within the respective States, OF all the Off
GERS of the National Government, whether
that suffrage is applet directly, as i'll the
choice of Members of the House OF Represen-
tatives, or indirectly, as i'll the choice OF
Senators ami electors of President. Re-
spsct for pnblIc officers and obedience
TO law will not cease to be the char
acterstics of our people until our elections
cease to declare the Will of majoritieS fairly
ascertained, without fraud suppression or
gerrymander. Ii / were called uooa to de-
clare wherein our CHIEF National danger lies
l should say, without hesitation, in thsover-
throw OF majority control by the suppression
OF perverSion of the popular su frIgs. That
there is a real dagger nere all must agree
but the energies of those who sea it have
been chiefly ex9entel in trying to ii re-
sponsibihty upon tue opposite party, rather
than in efforts to make such practices I'M
possible by either party.
Is it not possible how to adjourn that in
terminable and inc0uclusiYe debate while we
take, by consent one step i'll the direction
of reform by eliminatns the gerrymander,
which has been denounc II by all parties. as
an influence in tle selection OF electors of
President an members OF Congress- All the
States have, acting tree Y AMI Separately de
terminei that tae choics OF electors by gem
eral TICKET is The wis9st an stfest method,
an it would seem there could be no ohisc-
ton to a constitution Il amen meat making
that method perminent lie a legislature
chosen in one year upon plrely local ques-
tions should, pending tle Presidential con-
test, meet, rescni tha law for choice upon
general ticket aud prov e for tue caoice
of electors by the lie gislat9re, AMI this trick
should determine the result, it il not too
much to say that ths public peace might be
seriously and widely en- ianyered.
Ihave alluded TO the "gerrymspder" as at
fecting the method OF selecting electors Of
President by Congressional districts, but the
primary intent aud effect of this form OF politi-
cal robbery have relation to the selection OF
members of the House OF Representatives. The
power of Congress is ample to deal with this
threatening and iutolerable abuse. The I'M
failing test of sincerity in election reform will
be found in willingness 10 confer as TO rem
Mi hbgt ere@e5tuayH p 1as Silh ne 81 lis
people to free and equal representation.
An attempt was N tie in the last Congress
] 10 DIlug w pedt th5 tNuSAlbutIOidt ppNtlS "
the General Government for the correction OF
frauds against th3 sudCdga IL is important
to know whether the opposition TO suct
measures is really restel in particular fea-
lures supposed to be objectionable or includes
any nropoSition TO give TO the election laws
of the United States adequacy to the correc-
tion of grave and acknowledged evils
must vet entartain the hone that il is possi-
bic 10 secure a calm patriotic consideration
of such constitutional or statutory changes
AS NAV he necessary TO secure the choice of
! the officers of the Government to the people
I bv fair apnortion naents and free elections
I believe il would b. possible to constitute
/ commission uou-n1rrisan in lis member
! shin and com 30 sed of patriotic wise and in
partial men to whom a consideration Of the
question Of the evils connected with Our
/ election system and p,ethods might be COM
mitted with a COOL prospect of securing unan-
! unity in some plan for removing or mitigat-
/ ing those evils, The Constitution would per-
nit the selection OF the Commission to be
/ vested in the Supreme Court, if that method
would be the best guaranty of impartiality.
This commission should be charged with the
] duty of inquiring into the whole subject of the
law of elections as related to the choice OF Off
Z TO securing to every eectOr free and unm0-
J Tested exercise of the suffrage and as near an
/ approach to an equality OF value in each ballot
{ cast as is attainahle.
While the politics or the General Govern
( meut upon the tariff upon the restoration OF
/ our merchant marine upon river and harbor
/ improvements and other such matters of
grave and general concern are liable to be
turned this way or that by the results OF Con-
gressional elections an9 administrative poll
cics. sometimes involving issues that tend 10