St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-12-17
MOULD REGULATE IT.

The president would have provision
made for compelling each state to
choose its presidential electors by gen
eral ticket. Chairman GARRISON, of
the Republican committee, is under
stood to urge a constitutional amend
ment making the mode uniform in all
the states. The action of the Michigan
legislature is. of course, the Indictment
to the consideration of the subject.
That body saw fit last winter to adopt
the district system, which is conceded
to have merits, but is far from the ideal.
1t seews to the Republicans specially
obnoxious III that state because they eX-
pect to carry the general vote next year
as they always have done. but will be
forced to allow the Democrats as
many of the congressional districts
as they can carry, and probably one OF
the electOrS-at-large. Then there is
fearful forebOding that DAVID HILL,
that dreadful man in New York, is
serving out the few weeks of his term,
in place of taking his seat in the senate,
in order to work out some pOrtentous
scheme. In their excited imaginations
Legislature and its election of the presi-
dent makers, who are to be all HILL
men. The people of the state are to
have no part in the election of the pres
ident. but legislature elected year in
advance, with no intimatiOn of such
action. is TO control the thirty-SiX votes
of the state. This is seriously given form
in their perturbed minds, and a
Shudder passes through their mental
anatomy as the name of HILL comes be-
fore them. He is dreadful man. un-
QuestiOnably, yet he has never thrown a
bomb or exploded mine. except polit-
ically. 1t is, however, quite in the legal
province Of the New York legislature to
choose these electors, and it is not the
first time such a scheme has been
preached. 1t was the early practice in
some states, and was kept UP in one of
them to thirty years ago. 1t would be a
bold man or party in any state that
would seriously advocate a return to the
plan. But if Republicans choose to
alarm themselves over such possibil-
ity in New York, it is their privilege.
There is nothing but Public senti-
ment in the way of almost any
device that may be chosen in a
state to promote the interest of the
dominant party in this matter. But the
public sentiment counts in this country.
and is not long in making itself felt.
The McKinleyites had an IntimatiOn of
this about year ago. If the Michigan
case and the scare over New York shall
lead to some more popular and equitable
system of getting the president elected,
they will SubserYe a useful purpose.
The method in vogue has defects. 1t
does not always secure the election de-
sired by the majority. In 1876 the Dem
Ocratic candidate had about 500, 900 more
votes than the Republican, yet he
did not serve in the presiden-
tial chair. Even Mr.. HARRISON
was nearly 100000 behind Mr.. CLEvE-
LAND IN the vote, but he became presi-
dent. Mr.. CLARKSoN could secure
equality of voting power, which is
limited at by the president, perhaps by
an amendment electing by popular vote
If that is objected to as affording too
little recognition of the states. the pro-
pOrtiOnai method that has been dis
cuSsed at various times would substan-
TALLY meet the desired end. Each party
i'll every state would have as many of
the electors as its votes entit!e it to in
the division Of the total. Some revision
of the present system will be had sooner
or later.