The weekly tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1891-1894, 1891-12-19
H WEEKLY TRIBUNE.
SATURDAY. DECEMBER 10. 1891.
MICHIGlN'S ELECTORAL Law,

I1dTiiSou SUGGESTS tHdt d coIotitu'ioiio
amendment providing that all the states
in the union shall choose presidential
electors by a popular vote upon the gen
eral ticket would be the proper thing.
He refers to the Michigan electoral law
AS a 'gerrymandcr" by which . minority
rule IS established that can be overthrown
only by Il political CONFUSION. He then
inticts upon congress a long-winded
stump speech to fortify his position in
which. among other things, he says: IF
| were called upon to declare wherein
say. without hesitation. in the overthrow
of the majority control by the suppress
sion or pcrvcrsion of the popular suf-
rage"
And yet MIR. Harrison himself was not
elected by Il majority vote. In fact
Cleveland received Il full 100000 more Of
the popular vote than Mr.. Harrison re
ceived. and still under the prevailing
system of choosing presidential electors
10y states Mr. Harrison obtainedu major
ity Of the electoral college and was de
clarcd elected president Of those United
States; whereas if the popular vote of all
the states could have determined the
contest Mr.. Cleveland would have been
elected. Probably this fact did not oc-
eur TO MIR. Harrison when he was pcnning
this portion of his message. Mr.. Har-
rison is mistaken. There is nothing TO
be condemned in the Michigan electoral
law. On the contrary II is in line with
the tendency. growing stronger every
year.. to the more direct choice of presi-
dents by the people, and to give to
minurities in states Il representation in
presidential elections which they arc
now denied.
The Michigan plan gives each con-
gressional district a presidential %elector
and divides the state in two grand dis
tricts. each having an ~elector at large.
AS each state in the union is entitled to
as many presidential electors as it has
congressman and United States senators.
Michigan, by its plan, secures its full
quota. and the minority of the whole
state will have ii representation in the
electoral college through congressional
district elections. In other words Mich
lgan will not send an absolutely united
vote to the electoral college at Washing
ton. Democratic districts will choose
democrats and republican districts will
choose republicans. At the appointed
time the democratic and republican
electors will meet at the state capital and
all will vote for their respective candi-
dates for the presidency. \. democratic
~clcctor will bear the democratic electoral
vote to Washington. a republican elcctor
will perform the same service for bis
party.
There is nothing wrong IN this. In
justice is not done TO any one. 1t is in
the direction Of a popular vote on presi-
candidates. Under this plan the
vote of Michigan will not go as "A unit to
any candidate. The minority will have
tyo or three or more votes in the e~lector-
al college, and that is what hurts Mr..
lie nor no other republican
candidate for the presidency can read
his title clear to the solid electoral vote
of Michigan. If this plan had generally
prevailed during the sixteen years
between 1874 and 1890, the recent
history of the republic would
have been very different. In 1874
democrats for the first time since
1896 had a majority of the national
of representatives. Only twice
in 1882 and 1888 has the repub-
lican party succeeded in gaining control
Ut the house and then by very slender
majOrities. In 1876 the democrats car
ried the house and Tilden. the demo-
ratio candidate for president was elect
I'd by 10000 votes over Hayes but his
hair in the White house was stolen
him and given to his competitor.
The democrats gained both the house
and the presidency in 1854 and lost both
n 1888, though as has been stated Cleve-
and had a full 100000 more of the popu-
ar vote than Harrison had.
II the Michigan plan had prevailed in
all the states since 1874 Tilden and ,
Hancock would have been presidents !!
and Cleveland would have been re-
Democratic success in electing
the national house Of representatives the
years they ran show this. The nearer
a presidential election is brought
to the popular vote the greater the
probability Of democratic success. No
reasonable mar will deny that a presi-
..iential election should be as popular as
election for congressman. 1t becomes
% under the Michigan electoral law. The
general adoption Of the Michigan plan
eliminate pivotal states from
horoscopes, and moreover it
would prevent the election Of men to the
presidency for whom only a minority OF