Telegram-herald. ([Grand Rapids, Mich.) 18??-1892, 1891-04-01
The Democratic Judiciary Com
mittee Spring . Report
FAvORINC MINERS ELECTION BILL
Fer . Change In Selecting Electors for
President and yice-President-Aa In
dignAst Minority Files . Seath-
ing kebake 10 the Majority.

ot Iresluent ana VICE PRESIDENT Oh the
United States, who shall be known and
designated on the ballot, respectively.
as first elector of President and Vice
President of the United States, At large,
and second elector of President and
Vice President of the United States,
at large: there shall also be elected, by
general ticket, two alternate electors OF
President and Vice President, who shall
be known and Deslgnaled'on the ballot,
as first alternate elector of President
and Vice President and Vice President
of the United States, At large, and sec
ond alternate eiector of President and
Vice President of the United States, at
large; there shall also be elected, IN
each congressional district into which
the state is or shall be divided, one
elector of President and Vice President,
and one alternate elector OF President
and Vice President, who shall be known
and designated OH the ballot, respect
lively, as district elector and alternate
district elector of President and Vice
President of the United States"
The Purpose of Alternates.
The purpose of electing alternate
electors is disclosed IN the following
portion of the bill: "In case of death,
disability, refusal to act, or neglect TO
attend, by the hour of II O'CLOCK ut
noon of SAID day. OF either of said elec-
tors at large, the duties OF the office
shall be performed by the alternate
electors At large, and the second alter
nate elector 1t large shall supply the
place OF the second elector at large.
In like case, the alternate district eiec-
tor shall supply the place OF the district
electOr." No reasons Were gwen Tor
this new departure Iii choosing electors,
but the minority OF the committee gave
some strong reasons against 1t. The
following is their reports
The M,nority's Report.
To the Speaker and House of Representives OF
the State Of Michigan.
A minority of the Committee on Ju-
dietary, to whom was referred House
Bill No. 45l, to provide for the election
of electors of President and Nice-Presl-
dent of the United States, beg leave TO
report said bill back to the House with
the recommendation that it do not
pass for the following reasons:
First. The bill in its present form
mittee, in order that each member
might have copy thereof before him
during the discussion OF so important
and radical a measure IN committee,
but tho majority Of the committee have
seen fit to report the measure back to
the House without any consideration
whatever in committee, and not as n
result of calm deliberation, but of
partisan dictation.
Will Fritter Away Strength.
Second. The bill proposes to elect
but two of the Presidential electors
upon the general State ticket, and pro-
poses to elect the remainder in the
various Congressional districts. This
method makes it possible for an un-
scrupulous and partisan Legislature to
SO gerrymander the State in the forma-
ton of Congressional districts, rs to
elect majority of Presidential electors
in favor of 4 political party that is
largely in the minority In the State,
thus defeating the will of the majority
of the people of the State in National
affairs, and overthrowing one OF the
fundamental principles OF our Govern
ment.
Third. The bill, if enacted into a
law, would divide and fritter away
the strength and influence of the State
of Michigan as 4 unit of power in the
selection of the Nations Chief Execu-
tive.
: The Voice Of the State.
Fourth. The theory upon which our
government is based is that the Pres-
dent is President of the United States,
,,.l .<f 10 Nf he a
States, and in the selection of the Presi-
dent the voice of the State should speak
and not the voices of different portions
of the State. This idea IS very clear in
the twelfth article of the amendments
To the United States Constitution, where
provision is made for the election of the
President by the House of Representa-
tives. under certain contingencies. The
language we refer to reads as follows:
"But IN choosing President the votes
shall be taken by States, the represen-
tstion from each state having one
vote"
Fifth. IL at any time the poope OF
the United States become convinced
that . different theory is preferable,
the Congress of the United States, and
not the State Legislature, should take
the initiative step.
Unknown tn tho Consultation.
The bill provides for the election of
alternate electors and for their serving
under certain conditions. The Office Of
alternate elector - an Office unknown
TO the constitution OF the United States
and of questionable validity. The bill
provides for the holding of extra ses-
sions of the legislature TO select electors
IN all cases where two electors or alter
nate electors have an equal number Of
votes. The holding of q special session
of the legislature j. indeed A very ex-
pensve luxury and the payment of the
mileage alone. amounting to 5000
would be a sum 30 large that the tax
payers would not easily forgive the
members that voted for such q bill.
Again the Legislature thus convened
would be composed of members elected
two years previous, and perhaps not IN
harmony with the then prevailing poiit-
zeal views: or the Senate might repre-
sent one political party and the House
another. and thus make quorum IN
Joint convention impossible, and there
BY defeat the election of part OF the
electors of the state, and perhaps
change the National result.
Dangers en- tb- way
Under the new spportionnent the
state of Michigan vii have fourteen
electors. thus making i possible for
each party so have an egasi nane|r Of
votes N the esectori Al coilegs--ln ghlch
event a deadlock would. n al prob