Fairhaven herald. [volume] (Fairhaven, Wash.) 1890-????, 1891-05-22
BY POPULA K VOTE

Semi-occasionally one comes across
propositions in the newspapers for
changing the mode Of electing the
president Of the United States, but
all the plans so far evolved for elect
inr the president by direct vote and
majority, no matter how small though
possibly better than the very bad plan
by which we now elect, is still liable
to serious objections. 1t would result,
for one thing, in creating in every
state during the canvass the tremen-
dOus excitements that now prevail in
what are called the pivotal states
The plan favored by Jefferson seems
the wisest. He wished to have the
people vote by congressional districts
for their electors. The fearful, con-
centrated interest and passion we now
see would then be dissipated and
equally shared in each district. The
people of each district would then vote
for their electOr with even more calm
ness than they manifest at congress
sional elections. That this would be
so is proven by those occasional in
stances when by some third party
combination the people of a county
vote for their own elector and succeed
in splitting the electoral vote. In this
way the minority get representation,
and this is more in accord with true
Republican principles. When one
seriously thinks over IL, is there any
thing more absurd, unfair and anti
Republican than this thing of per
Uniting majority of one or more
votes to carry all before it, strike
dumb and paralyze a minority Of
myriads as though these myriads had
no existence? What is such a plan
but a giving to the one or more votes
a power and Importance infinitely
greater than that possessed by the big
minority? Here, for instance, are two
million votes; one million for one
measure or man, the other against;
under our system, in the light OF com
mon sense, each million is powerful,
respectable and weigh exactly alike.
But one more vote cast with either
one Of the two has the effect to ami
hilate the other million as though it
were utterly destroyed, one vote
counts more than millionl
The thing is so utterly false, is such
a violation of all equity, that it can
not succeed well in practice and 1T
never has. Instead of being the rule
of the people it is the rule of that one
or more votes which turns the scale
between two equal bodies. And it re-
suits so In practice, worse than that
it becomes the rule OF those who own
those few voters and use them like
cattle at the polls.
Our fOrefathers saw the evil and alb
surdity of this and sought to mitigate
it by kind of state and peoples rule
mixed. But they made some great
mistakes. However, our lower house
IN congress is the nearest TO giving
the minority voice in the govern
ment. There the minority of the
people OF this nation is directly repre-
sented. Suppose our congressman
were to be chosen In the wild way de-
manded by those who want the presi-
dent TO be elected, namely by popular
vote, the majority to rule? Then all
the representatives would be OF one
party, the majority party. THAT
would not do all, you will say. Then
why desire to have the president so
chosen? Our noble lower house is the
closest TO representation OF all our
people of anything we have. There