Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1892-04-17
DISTRICT ELECTORS.
c,v-estions go to q New Plan
for Choosing President.
LETTER FR0NRANTUcKRa Y0FITzLER
.s Amendment co the Federal Con-
,titation witch win Remedy
Many Existing Evils.

cesral Ftrhuga Les'
n,., General, -Some time ago saw the
..o,a,ce of some views by you on the
.,,;on of the mode of electing the
s-n.idents of the United States.
81 Of the Constitution has realized
..,,l.s 80 contrary to the purpose OF its
,..~,srs ss the method OF presidential
.,'.,,on. The Constitution has been
''x'.-ed radically without amendment by
oschipery Of party action. The
,1.nre is ultra-constitutional.
Tie Federal convention was confronted
1,be sntaronism OF the large and small
80 In the organism of Congress 1t
80. disruption of the convention |;
LII was only whom the sagacity OF the
..-..ctieut elegstes-Ellsworth. Sher-
-, and Johnson--proposed a change
a., the Uni Csmeral Congress of the
,,..,lss Of Confederation to tho Bi-Came-
fCongress OF the Constitution that the
20 wAs suggested by which one cham
S,,shouid represent tho popular weight
's.bo states and the other the equality
t1s states. thus securing harmony of
o,.r,sais and reconciling antagonisms by
80 uredominance 10 the large States in
e. House and equality to the small States
in the Senate. A..
30 p- We Department with one President.
I'm II was impossible to divide. the
,r.,ion arose, How can the large aud
NST states be so combined as not 10
- ,-eponderance 10 either in the one
t..'ss ~ election Of one President Had
~. convention decided to have two Presi-
y.,ts-as there were two consuls in Rome
hen the solution would have been easy,
az fIa election Of one, as OF the Senate, by
eosousl states, and Of the other as OF the
f,Yse bv tho States according 10 their
numerical weight. -.
..1rble.ome question OF electing one Ex-
.-t.ve by large and small States without
cTnr predominanee TO either. Did 1t
,gcoeedf
THR DUPLEX METHOD.
rsball speak only of the method adopt
IL lv the amendment OF 1904. AS the
Dental Office was not divided the du-
r., method of election was adopted.
E,-b 0f the States was separately to pre-
s-rre the mode of appointment OF an
,,ts-nediate body of electors. VINO were
,orsme on its behalf some one for Presi-
t.r, Each body OF electors was to make
tt.Veap the different bodies of electors
v.. s9nrht 20 be precluded 10y requiring
.rs sera~ate bodies 10 vote In their re-
.-eet.ye States. and on the same day, and
b. ne country then was, inter-commuDi-
-...p hy telegraph was unknown and by
,-a,.l was too slow for binations.
Tins independence in State action was
designed TO weaken the power of the large
SITE. Tor If the electors from all the
49, IN, In1T once
imposed IN convention but was rejected,
't.rumercai weight Of the large States
s-rd have been most sensibly felt. Be
.s. tbs. the States were not, ratably
,opoul.etion, potential IN their electoral
,.i.r.s for each State, having as many
l-.t5rs AS il had Senator's and Representa-
-ge. the numerical force OF each was
modified by the co-equality OF all IN
maxim. mp the number OF electors To
which each was entitled.
rr this scheme IL was hoped that this
ird-p,udence Of action would prevent a
animation of States 10 effect the cleo
r.aof any one man. and that thus the d.
vision of sentiment would, on many occa-
sons defeat the election of any one by
ta electoral colleges, as majority OF Gil
vls r84msite for election.
Inc founders of the Constitution, In the
r.. .murobable event OF no eiectlon-as
l.v cooked at the choice by the electoral
e.es az a century agO-provided tor
-.e selection from the three candidates
having the highest votes IN the colleges, OF
ns President by the House of Repre-
.r'qtigss, where the States were repre-
.rte1 according to numbers, but must
vote AS c0-eaual States. Thus the numeri-
"a. weight Of the States was counter
vailed bc their eQui- pollency. The senti-
n.ut III each was to be gathered from their
rlmters. bat the weight Of that sentiment
.l the election, by their coequality.
Its clear from this statement that the
scheme 0f the Constitution was two-foid.
90 single. IL did not Intend to give the
election absolutely TO the colleges, but 20
tsma independent factors in the matter
" o.cIla. which, If u did not result IN
scsar majority of all for some one man,
should be ultimately referred TO the States
ISIS url in the House, when their equality
would DO away with the preponderant IN
ilrce 0i the large States.
it seems 90 me- therefore, when the re.
fg., has come about by the machinery OF
lItr conventions, that the contingent
iaw-rof the small States as factors in the
election B. prevented entirely, by securing
Through these conventions an almost GER
tam election by the colleges, that the
Drrra. design OF the Constitution has
l.sa frustrated by an ultra-consti:utional
lavre. subvefsiye Of the purpose of It's
founders ana destructive OF the Legitimate
share 10 this great Office OF the small
sl'e, of the union.
lat th. may be made more clear let me
.ll attention 20 tie organism OF one oil
these party conventions.
A EEMEDY FOR The EVIL.
Zach State votes IN proportion TO its
electors But tue State does not act indie.
i.llcnfiyo OF the others. as the Constitution
lt- Fuel out IN one body with all the
oilers New York. with twelve times the
to.e browns the voice OF Delaware. The
large States combined may dictate the
domination. The nominee OF one or the
cher party, thus being secure of election
Gee section OF the President becomes the
result "a reality of the supremacy OF the
large States-iu q convention where then
Numbers arc 0mnipOtent. The convention
ss'eln prevents tho secondary mode OF
selection IN which States are coequal, and
10 the organism Of the convention, the
power q large States over the small 10 thai
% giants over pigmies.
DO not see how this effect can be over.
cone " has been proposed TO be over
come 90 the organization Of our party
ciytluous except in two ways
ll our Democratic conventions--and
rsg 20 bee unalterable-we check the
lHNer 40 numbers by requiring two third:
iol1uluate. This gives some limit to the
DOMINATION Of numbers 10 favor of the
tl4liaI States.
10 has been often proposed that the
delegates % the national convention
should be elected by districts and vote PEI
l sud not IN Solid0. This used TO bs
ie mode On some States, but has been al
l.t entirely superseded
These principles, II adopted by botf
PARTIES Tor the organization OF their con
lelaona would 90 very far TO remedy the
tu+ but unless change be made III the
Institutional method of election il would
%, OILY partial remedy.
Lei US look the real trouble in the face
pr That parties looking 10 success, viii
,'uptte ~ their nominations for the sottG
'f OF the doubtful larger States, whose
'o,ea would be decisive IN close election
4I-eA q state is pivotal of the election,
VAL thus dominates nomination.
aus citizenship In a large State is priv
st ~ makes caste from which selec.
~. must be made. Citizenship in small
S'1te lsWaciical inehgibility. IL is a caste
''A winch nomination must not be made
SEw YORK.
Need say that to-day New York die
SAWS lLe Nomination largely in tho Demo