Los Angeles herald., 1891-12-10

air brakes would very soon and very
greatly reduce the present fearful death
rate among railroad employees.
PRESIDENTIAL ELECTORS.
The method of appointment by the
states of electors for president and vice.
president has recently attracted renewed
interest by reason of departure by the
state of Michigan from the methods
which had become uniform in all the
states. Prior to 1882 various methods
had been used by the different
states and even by the same state.
In some the choice was made by
the legislature; in others electors were
chosen by districts, but more generally
by the vote of the whole state upon a
general ticket. The movement toward
the adoption of the last named method
had an early beginning and went stead
lily forward among the states until in
1882 there remained but a single state,
South Carolina, that had not adopted it..
That state, until the civil war, con-
tinued to choose its electors by the legis-
lature, but, after the war, changed it's
| method and conformed to the practice
of the other states. For nearly sixty
years all the states, save one, have ap-
pointed their electors by popular vote
upon general ticket, and for nearly
thirty years this method was universal.
After full test of other meth
DDS without any purpose of party
advantage, as we must believe,
but solely upon the considerations
that uniformity was desirable, and that
general election in territorial divisions
not subject to change was most con-
sistent with the popular character Of our
institutions, best preserved the equality
| of the voters and effectually removed
the choice OF the president from the
baneful influences of the ''gerrymander,"
| the practice of all the states was brought
into harmony. That this concurrence
should now be broken is, think, an
unfortunate and even threatening
| episode and one that may we'll suggest
| whether the states that still give their
| approval to the old and prevailing
method ought not to secure, by consti
tutional amendment, practice which
has had the approval of all. The
recent Michigan legislation provides
for choosing what are popularly known
as the congressional electors for presi-
dent by congressional districts and the
two senatorial electors by districts cre-
ated for that purpose. The legislation
was, of course, accompanied by new
congressional apportionment and the
statutes bring the electoral vote of the
state under the influence of the "gerry-
mander." These 'gerrymanders' for
congressional purposes are in most cases
supported by "gerrymander" of the
legislative districts, thus making it i'm
possible for majority Of the legislative
voters OF the state to correct the appor-
comment and equalize the congressional
district. A minority rule is established
that only political convulsion can over
throw. have recently been advised
that in one county of certain state
three districts for the election of mem
bers of the legislature are constituted as
follows: One has Al, 900 population, one
15, 900 and one 10000, while in another
county detached and non-contiguous
sections have been united to make
legislative district. These methods
have already found effective application
to the choice of senator and represen-
tatives in congress, and now a start is
made in the direction of applying them
to the choice by the states of electors of
president and vice-president. If this is
accomplished we shall then have three
great departments of the government in
the grasp of the ''gerrymander,
the legislative and executive directly
and the judiciary indirectly, through
the power of appointment.
An election implies body of electors
having prescribed qualifications, each
one of which has an equal value and in
fuence in determining the result. So
when the constitution provides that
| "each state shall appoint (elect) in such
ha olof thavanf
direct, number of electors, etc." land
unrestricted power is not given to the
legislature in the selection of the meth
DDS to be used), republican form of
government is guaranteed by the con-
stitution to each state, and the power
given by the same instrument to the
| legislatures of the states to prescribe
methods for the choice by the state of
| electors, must be exerted under that
Limitation. 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 choice.
1t is not my purpose here to discuss
the question whether a choice by the
legislature or by the voters of equal sim
ole districts is choice by the state, but
only to recommend such regulation of
this matter by constitutional amend
ment, as will secure uniformity and pre-
vent that disgraceful partisan jugglery
to which such liberty of choice, if it
exists, offers a temptation. Nothing
lust now is more important than to pro-
vide every guarantee for the absolutely
fair and free choice by an equal suf-
frage with the respective states Of
all the officers of the national govern
ment, whether that suffrage is applied
directly as in the choice OF members Of
the house of representatives, or indi-
rectly, as in the choice of members oi
the senate and electors of the president.
Respect for public officers and obedi-
ence to the law will not cease to be char.
acteristics of our people until our elec
tions cease to declare the will OF MAORI
ties fairly ascertained without fraud
suppression or "gerrymander."
THE NATIONS GREATEST DANGER.
If I were called upon to declare
wherein our chief national danger lies
should say without hesitation in the
overthrow of the majority in control by
the suppression or perversion OF the
popular suffrage. That there is real
danger here all must agree, but the
energies OF those who see it have beer
chiefly expended in trying to fix the
responsibility upon the opposite party
rather than in efforts to make such
practices impossible by either party. Ii