Asheville daily citizen. [volume] (Asheville, N.C.) 1890-1900, 1891-12-10
AN AMENDMENT PROPOSED
THE CONSTITUTION AND THE
VOTE FOR ELECTORS.

THE CONSTITUTIONS AND THE
VOTE FOR ELECTORS.
President Harrison Gives COnsid.
erabie Attention 10 Very In-
pOrtani Matter OF National Inter.
est-The Michigan plan COnsid
ered-A Reference to the Force
Bill.
From President Harrisou's Message.
The method ot appointment by states
of electors Of the prrsid mt aud vicc-presi'
lent has recently attracted renewed inter
est by reason OF a departure hv the stated
Michigan from the method which has
become uniform in all the states, Prior
to 1882 various methods had been used
bv the different states and even by the
tine state. In some the choice was
made by tn, legislature, in Others elec-
tors were chosen b. districts. but more
generally bv the voters OF the whole
state upon general ticket. The move
meht towards the adoption OF the last
named method mad an carly beginning
and went steadily forward among the
states until in 1882, there rcmain'd d but
a sInglc state. South Carolina. that had
not adopted it. That state, until ticciv,
war, continued to choose its electors hy
! al, Ia, ,.lp h,,t In,
war changed its method an conIormtd
to the practice of the other states. For
nearly s,xtv years all the states save one
have appointed their electors bv u DOpu-
lar vote upon general ticket aud Tor
nearly thirty years this met nod was uul-
versll.
After full test of other methods with
out important divis on or dissent III any
state aud without any purpose ut party
advantage, as wemust believe, but St ely
upon consideration that uniformity was
desired, perfectly rcmovln. the choce oi
prcsi Icnt from the ban,tul influence OF
he "gcrrymnnder. The practice "l all
the states was brought into harmony,
That his concurrence should now Ut
broken is, think. an unfortunate and
even threatening episode and one that
may well suggest whether the states
that still give approval to the old pre-.
viling method ought not to secure by
a constitutional amendment practise
which has had the approval OF all.
"Michiganized."
The recent Michigan legislation pro-
vidcs for choosing what are popularity
known as the congressional electors Tor
president by congressional districts and
the two senatorial electors by districts
created for that purpose. This leSl>la-
ton was, of course, accompanied by u
new congressional apportionmcnt and
the two statutes bring the electoral VOC
OF the ST ate under the influence ui the ger
rvmander.' these gcrrymanders Tor th'
congressional purpose are III most case
buttressed by gcrrymandrr OF the lc..-
,slative districts. thus making it imp"s
siblc for q majority at the legal voters OF
the state to correct the apportionmenl
and equalize the congressional districts
4 minority rule is established that only
a poll ical convulsiOn can overthrow.
have recently been advised that in
an, county of n certain state three dis
trlcts tor the election of members OF the
legislature are constituted as follows;
One has 65 900 population, one $4,000
ana one 10000, while in another county
detached non-contiguous sections have
been united to make a legislative district.
These methods have already found ct
iectivc application to the choice oi scna'
tors and repre- Sentativcs in congress and
now an evil start has been made IN the
direction of applying them to the choicl
by the states ol electors of president and
vice president II this is accomplished
We shall then have the three great de
partmcnts of the government IN the
grasp OF the "getrymaudcr," the lcgls
lalive and executive directly and the III
dietary indirectly, through appointments
The state Is 10 Choose.
An election ;nul,cs a body OF elector,
,.. ....,I., .,:,,aa.;. ,,,,
"a''"H p'>'>'''>" 4''"'''>''
one OF wh'ch mas an equa' Va'uc 10 nm"
encc in detcrmng the result. So whci
III, constitution uroyidcs that each sta,
- ,
The legislature thereof may direct an un
restricted power was not given to tn
legislatures IN the selection OF the meth
ods to he used. "A republican torn q
. government" is guaranteed BY the con
s,itutiou t. each state, and the puwe
given by the same instrument to the leg
,slaturrs of the states to prescribe tn
method Tor the choice by the state G
electors must he exercised under tha
limitation. lheessent'al features "t su
soi.' ""''"' a'' ~. ''ha; W. '"o pt"p'
nearest nract,rnl equality q, v,lur in III
suffr tges given in determining tina
choice. 1t VIII not be slammed That III
pow'r gwen w ,"e ,s'S''Lu,' ,,, m"q,,' s"l
/ port Jaw p'Us",'E '"'. ."s p',H", +,
.e''n,s .s ',ao .ne s' ,nm. ,,a, % aI 'h ~. 1,on
] tue e',''"'s, VI Ia" 'n"' ~ ''n 'N ''IS
ois s''ouu n, :" .no mn " 49,, Az, U'>'' " =,
s'nHV eo"s,'Ssn'n'' i 'Si'N., ,
~ s'a'e " "T" u''I' ,t. IT, ~
r S'e"se VI ''S"'n'"'s "N'"o'e' '"' "'