New-York tribune., 1891-12-16
EEnEPAT. EJECTTONS.


No mart of the Presidents Message is better
entitled to impartial and earnest consideration
than that in which he describes some of the
evils of our election system and suggests the
appointment of commission TO devise way
of removing or mitigating them. This subject
ought to be soberly discussed in Congress and
among the people IL the elements OF danger
are not removed while the times are tranquil we
may suddenly find ourselves confronted by an
emergency of the most serious character IL IS
not reasonable to trust that the future will re-
peat the fortunate escapes of the past. The pup
lie has been sngularly indifferent to the prob
ability that perplexties and perils would arise
at some day to vex if not to embroll the coun-
try. 1t is only within half dozen years that
the great question of the Presidential succession
has been settled. Numerous points relating to
the life and powers of the Electoral Colleges still
remain undetermined. Ii is conceivable, for IN
stance, that it might be a matter of the utmost
Importance that the electors OF State should
be able to reconvene and act. But it is very
doubtful if any power to reassemble and take
valid action remains to them after the College
has been once dissolved.
The general subject of Federal elections was
impressed upon the Presidents mind by the
soecific enactment of the last Michigan Legis-
iature providing for the choice OF electors by
districts. 1t is not pretended by any one IN
Michigan or elsewhere that this law was passed
in obedience to a general and deliberate con-
ylction that the prevailing system was in
tr1nscally bad. 1t was passed simply because
the Democrats who were in power in that State
saw a chance to make sure OF electoral votes
which would otherwise be lost to their party.
The Constitution of the United States provides
that each State shall appoint electors I" in such
manner as the Legislature thereof may direct"
and, relying upon this, the Legislature OF Michi-
gan directed that they should be appointed in
a manner which will insure the accomplishment
of a partisan purpose. The Democrats of Michi-
gan claim that this is right which the Conshtu-
ton gives them. Assuming that they are legally
iustifed-a point upon which Constitutional law
yers are not neutrality-suspicious. and fair-mnded
men must acknowledge that piece of sharp
practice like this, reversing the custom which
has prevailed in all the States since the War
and in all the States but one for sixty years,
based on no consideration of permanent public
welfare or convenience, but adopted merely for
the temporary advantage of party, is danger
GUS in tendency and may become disastrous IN
effect. Ii suggests imitation and invites Ie-
prisaas threatens to plunge our Presidential cleo
tons in confusion, and even involves the pos
sibility of passionate and bloody conflicts.
The probable consequences of such partisan
innovation are illustrated by the belief now en-
tertaiped by many political observers that Gov
elnor Hill's prime motive for the course he has
recently pursued was the expectation that
Democratic Legislature in this State would APP
point thirty-six Democratic electors in his in
terest. 1t is certain that nothing but distrlst of
the ultimate net value to himself OF such
revolutionary procedure would deter him from
attempting it. The conditions which the act of
the Michigan Legislature tends to impose upon
the country are not such patriotic citizens like
to contemplate. Whatever tricks the Constitu-
ton NAV be stretched to authorize, the purpose
o. that instrument was to secure fair and
peaceful and undsputed choice of President;
and its spirit is violated by the adoption OF de-
vices calculated to promote fraud, contention and
uncertainty. The President is right when he
declares that uniformity in the method OF choos-
ing electors is most desirable. That is not mere
" the conviction of an individual or OF party.
II is fair to say that it is the conviction OF the
whole American people. Different methods
we're abandoned one after another by the States.
as experience proved their defects, until the
principle of uniformity became embodied in uni
yersal practice. To revert now to the old di-
versty is to surrender an important element of
National security. Upon this and other con-
sderatons suggested by the Presidents signif-
cant warning and recommendation we shall COM
ment further at another time. And we hope that
the whole subject will be taken up and discussed
dispacsionatey by the pras and by Congress.