Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1891-12-31

seamen; every Steam vessel is rikidly To-
spected, and required to adopt the most
apDIoveo satcsy appliances. All this 10
Eoou, out noe snail we excuse the lack of
interest aneeffort in behalf of this army
VI brave ySing men, who in our land com.
.helce are being sacrificed every year by
the continued use Of antiauated and dan.
gerous appliances.
Concerning Presidential Electors.
The method of appointment by the states
OF eAcctors for president and vice presi. /
dese has recently attracted renewed in.
teeest by reason OF q departure by the state |
o. Michigan from the methods which had |
vecome uniform In all the states. Prior 10 |
d AZ: various methods had been used by the
diuerent states, and even by the same
states, In some the choice was |
made by the Legislature, In others electors |
were chosen Oy districts. but more gener-
ally. ny the vote of the whole state upon
general ticket. The movement toward the
adoption Of the last named method had an
early begianing cad went steadily forward
among the states until. In 1882, there re-
manned but single state, South
carolina that had not adopted it.
That state. until the civil war,
cootir0cd 20 choose its electors 10y
vote OF the Legislature. but after the war
changed its method and conformed to the
practice Of the other states. For nearly
sixty yenrs all the states save one have
appos@t0i their electors by = popular vote
upon q general ticket. and Tor nearly
thirty years this method was universal.
After a full test OF other methods, with
out important division or dissent in any
state and without any purpose OF party
advantage, as we must believe, but solely
upon the considerations that ani.
forMity was desirable, and that
general election In territorial
divisions not subject to change was most
consistent with the popular character OF
our institutions, best preserved the equality
Of the voters and effectuaily removed the
choice OF president from the baneful iu-
fuence OF the gerry mander, the practice Of
All the states was brought into harmony.
That this concurrence should now be
broken, IL. think. an unfortunate and
even threatening episode aud one that
may well suggest whether the states that
still give their approval to the old and pre-
vailing method ought not to secure, by
constitutional amendment. practice
which has had the approval OF all. Tho
recent Michigan legislature provides Tor
choosing what are popularity known ~ the
| congressional electors feg president by con-
gressiOnal districts aud the tWo sen atorial
electors by districts created for that puT-
pose. This legislation vac, OF e0urse, 40
| cOmpanied BY new congressional AppOr-
electoral vote OF The stats under tie in-
| fluence of the '-gerrymander."
These gerrymauders Tor congressional
purposes are. in most cases, buttyessed by
u gerrymander OF the legislative districts,
thus making 1t tneossieie for a
state to correct tho apportionment and
eQuaIixe the congressional districts. A
minority rule 10 established that only a
political con rnasi0n can overthrow. have
recently beea advised that in one county of
certain state three disfricts for the elec-
ton Ut nemhers of the Legislature are con.
stituted as follows:
One has 5,00e population: one lh.00o
and one 10000. while in another county
detached. uOn-oOntguOus sections have
These methods have already found
effective application to the choice
OF senators and representatives
In congress- and now an .eNll star
has been made in the direction of applying
them to the choice by the states Of electOr.
of president and vice president II this !.
accomplished we shall then have three
great departments of the government II
the gasp Of the Eerrymander, the legis
lative and executive directly and the ia
dietary indirectly. through the power o
appointment.
An electian imnies q hedy of electors
having prescribed qualifications, each %
whom has an equal value and influence IL
determining the result. So when the con
stitltion provides that ':each state shall
a. the Legislature Ehersof may direct,
J number OF electors, ETC., an unrestricted
power was not giveH TO the Legislatures II
! the selection Af the methods to be used.
a republican, form of government '.is guar
AEteed by the constitution to each state
, ! and the bower given by the same inStrn
| meat to the Legislatures Of the stateE Il
prescribe methods Tor the choice, by tn
state, OF 1lootera, nuat heeexo1cised uGde
thai Limitation The essential features o
tkA In nf ~
people 70 choose their own Otiicers and th
nearest practicable ,eNG aiity .Of value In th'
SURFACES given III determining that ch0ic
OF senators aud electors of president. Re
speci for public ,Otfioors and obedience j.
law will mot 0ease to he ahe characteristic
vi our people until our elections cease t
| declare the will VI .ma,0Iities fairly ascel
t.ineu without fraud. suppression or gerry
iaander. II l weEe called upon to ,declar
wherein our chief national danger lies,
, should say without hesitation, In Ike over
! thrOw OF majority control by the Suppress
ion or perveFsion IT the ,pGpular outrage
That there II . real danger here all mus
agree. But the energy OF those who see l
have been chiefly expended in trying to II!
responsibility upon the opposite party
rather than IN efforts to make such prAc
tees impossible by either party.
1t Is not possible NOW 10 adj0urn that In
terminaDle and iac0nelusiYe debate whil
we take. by consent. 0ne sfep IL the diEec
ton OF feIOEW. w 0liIuluAttnk Tue gerry
mander which has beep denounced ny 81
parties As IN influence in the election o
electors OF president and Ansmhees OF cor
gress.
! All the states have been acting freely
and separately. determined that the choice
OF electors by II general ticket u the wises
and safeat method. and IL would seen
1t will not be claimed that The p0we
given to the legislature would support ,
law, providing that the persons reeSiyinl
the anal lest vote should bc the electors 0
"a Law that all electors should I've chosen b.
the voters Of single congressional dis
trict. The voters tO choose, and under tn
pretense Of regulating methods. the legis
! lature can neither vest the right OF chOie
elsewhere. nor adopt methods not col,
formASie to republican institutions. 1t i
not my purpose here 10 discuss tn
question whether . choice by the Iegis
lature or by the voters OF equa
single districts is choice BY tn
state. but only to recommend such feguia
ton Ut this matter by constitutional amend
inent, ~ will secure uniformity and pre-
vent that disgraceful partisan juggiery t.
which such y liberty OF choice. II 1t exists
offers teRaRtstion. Nothing just now j
more important than TO provide every guar
| l. T.; oh<.;~