The morning call., 1891-05-03
PRESIDENTIAL ELECTORS.

The action OF the Legislature of Michigan
in providing for the election Of Presidential
electors by Congress iOnal districts, instead of
at large, as at present, is strictly in accord
ance with the Federal Constitution. That
instrument provides that " each State shall
appoint, IN such manner as the Legislature
thereof shall direct, a number Of electors
equal to the whole number of Senators and
Representatives to which the State may be
entitled in the Congress-" 1t is thus COM
peteat for Michigan to choose her electors
by districts. while other States choose theirs
at large; how the electors who stand in the
place Of the Senators are to be elected the
text Of the act, which is not to hand, prob
ably provides.
The. proportion Of the popular vote
secured by each candidate would not be
necessarily altered by the proposed innova-
ton. But its redistribution by districts
might make a considerable difference in the
result. From Polk to Hayes, and from
Hayes TO Harrison, every successful eandi-
date for the Presidency secured a majority
or apluTaltY eff the popular vote. as well as
a majority in the ElectoTa College; but Til
denis popular vote was larger than that of
hayes and il is possible that il the electors
had .been chosen by districts, the result
might have been different. Again in 1884,
Cleveland was made President by the vote Of
one thousand citizens in New York City.
These thousand turned the scale in the
State of New York, and gave Cleveland
thirty-six electoral votes. a the same time,
= aSlate Legislature was chosen in which the
Republicans had a majority Of twenty-eight
on joint ballot. 1t appears to follow that if
the Presidential electors had been chosen by
districts, majority of them would have
voted for Blaine.
There is no burning interest in the Micbi-
. gan plan Of reform. and it is not quite clear
: thatit would prove practically beneficial
II might be a good thing. but until its
meTits are more plainly discernible than
they now are it is hardly likely that it will
receive much attention. Ii the people are
ever reused to recast the machinery by
which Presidents are elected, they viii be
apt to 60 to the root Of the matter and to
amend the Constitution by abolishiBg the
intermediate body of electors who now
stand between the voters and the President
1t is well to keep in mind that the idea of
body of Presidential electors grew out of
a distrust Of public intelligence which was
entertained by leading men when the Con-
stituton was framed. Therefore. they pro-
yided that the people should choose body
equal in numbers 20 the two Houses of Con-
gress and composed Of their wisest citizens /;
that these persons, meeting in their several
States, should discuss the merits of the
rival candidates for the Presidency and
choose the one who, in their judgment, was
the most fit; and that the one who was the
choice of the largest number OF States
should become President. The popular
choice was carefully eliminated from con-
sideration.
. Americans long ago got over the habit of
delegating their duty Of choosing Presi-
dentto body Of electors. The latter fulfill
a mere formaiity. And they have always
paid such respect to the trust reposed in
them that there never has been an instance
in our history where a Presidential eiector
has undertaken to disregard his mandate.
But there is nothing in the law which for
bids him from doing so if he were so
minded. On the contrary, by directing that
electors shall vote by ballot the Constitu-
: ton clearly i'm plies that they shall exercise
discretion in the matter. The spirit of that
instrument imposes on them the duty of
eanyassing the respective merits of the
candidates, and of casting their ballot for
. The candidate who in their opinion is most
ft,.withOut regard TO the wishes of their
Constituents.
SOme day, perhaps, this anomaly. which
. possesses no present Importance. may in
some fierce political struggle become a
serious matter. 1t is not likely, but it is
possible that some eccentric elector Or
group Of electors might insist on the right
of using their own judgment in selecting a
President. They would have the law on
their side, and il is not easy to see what
voters could do about it.