The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-12-04

other state here the electors, having
oeen notified by the proper state officers
OF their election. and having received GER
tincates for the same. are required to meet
In the state capitol in the afternoon of the
DAY preceding the day upon which they
are to vote. Upon organization the first
step Is to see whether every eIector is
present who has been chosen. If there
are any vacancies caused either by death,
refusal to serve, or even neglect to attend,
these are Immediately filled by a plurality
vote OF those who are present. Having
thus filled the electoral college, a presi-
dent is chosen and secretary, who must
be electors.
Upon the next day the electors meet at
the capitol, and there vote first by ballot
Tor candidates for president, and then
tnev vote Tor the candidates for vice presI-
dent, and there is but one restriction
upon this vote, that one, at least. of the
men tor whom they vote must not be q
resident OF the same state with them
selves.
This is an operation which usually takes
not more than from ten to fifteen minutes
and 1t requires, usually. much more time
to make out the formal lists than it does
to vote for the candidates. The secretary
prepares list OF all persons voted for for
presiden: and the number of votes cast
1t very seldom happens :hat in an cleo
toral college there are votes cast for more
thing is done with the vote for vice presi-
dent. The electors sign and certify the
two lists, and they add 20 them their own
certificates of election as electors, certified
by the secretary of state. There are three
OF these lists made, one of them is for
warded, under seal. to the president of the
senate of the United States; another is de-
lived to the United States Judge of the
district in which the staae capital is stu-
ated; third is comm4tted TO n speciai
messenger. who is elected by the electoral
college and commissioned to carry to
Washington City and deliver to the secre-
tary OF state of the United States this
certified list, and to receive receipt
For this service the electors receive such
m ileage and pay for attendance as is al
lowed by law to members Of the legislature
for their attendance and travel.
This Is the very simple method which
prevails in every state in the union, and
1t will readily be seen thai in effect Il is a
mere formal declaration of the result of
the popular election of November, al
though at the beginning of the govern
ment it was expected to be the important
function Of presidential election.
There has never been a case when a
presidential elector has been tempted to
betray his party. 1t was said in 1876 that
attempts were made. or the suggestion was
made, that some one or two electors be
offered large sums of money to vote either
blank ballot in the electoral COLLEGE or
to vote for the candidate of the opposition.
1t is doubtful whether such a suggestion
would have ever been attempted, for no
elector would dare at that time, however
great the temptation, to sell his vote. 1t
would have made an outcast of him, and
his name would have gone into tradition
alongside of that of Benedict Arnold.
There was in 1876, however, another
proposition made in good faith, and one
which many believed might be accepted.
1t was suggested that as many Republic
ans believed that Mr.. Tilden had received
a majority OF the popular vote, some Re-
publican elector would ward off this by
voting for him, and great excitement was
occasioned by the announcement that Mr..
James Russell Lowell, of Massachusetts,
or any other Republican eiector had voted
for Mr.. Tilden in the electoral college, it
would have given him an undisputed
majority OF one vote. Mr.. Lowell, how
ever, while inclined to believe that Mr..
Tilden was elected, declared that the ques-
ton was one with which he as an eIector
had nothing to do. 1t was mis- duty
simply to vote in accordance with the
wishes OF that party which had chosen
him as an elector, and he did go.
In looking back over the tables of the
electoral votes it is noticed that sometimes
the vote of a state has been divided al
though this is comparatively rare occur
renee in recent years. Once the vote of
New Jersey was divided. In 1880 a re-
markable return was made by the Califor-
MIA electoral college. In the campaign q
forged letter had been circulated which
gave the impression that Gen. Garfield was
friendly to Chinese immigration. The
forgery was discovered and its i'll effects
negatived in the East, but the damage had
IN bat or
was attributed the fact that Gen.
Garfield lost the electoral vote of
that state. He received, however, one
vote. One of the Democratic electors was
Judge Terry, who WAS a few years ago
shot by United States marshal, and who
had himself killed United States Senator
Broderick in a duel. Terry was so I'M
popular That sufficient number OF men
refused to vote for him TO elect one Gar
field elector, and that accounts for that
singular and single electoral vote from
California in 1850. In the electoral col
lege which meets to declare the result of
the November election there will be a
division of the electoral votes in some of
the states; in Michigan, because the cleo
tors are there chosen by congress districts.
and in some other states because by agree
ment there was fusion resulting in the
election Of some Democratic and some
Weaver electors.
thing which to many of the present gener-
alton seems very remarkable, and that is
that although Mr.. Greeley was the candi-
date of one party in 1872 yet he received
no electoral votes. This was due to the
fact that Mr.. Greeley died within two
weeks after election. Had his party won
81 the November election, very serious
question would have arisen. The electoral
college would have had the power, IN fact
the duty, 10 select from some liberal Demo-
crat the man who should take the dead
candidates place. and il has often been a
matter OF speculative comment what the
electoral colleges would do III case this
duty was upon them. The electoral col
ieges have only one perquisite, or piece of
patronage; they are able 20 appoint the
messengers who take the lists TO the Sec
rotary OF state, and this is al eagerly
sought honor. II is usually given to a
man who cares for no other office He is
paid mileage and allowed a sum su.h-
cient To pay his expenses. 1t is looked
upon as furnishing the occasion for free
and officially important trip TO Washing
ton City. Those messengers who come
from the Pacific slope make little some
thing besides. since the mileage is s good
deal more than the railroad fare.
One day III his old age, ard when he was
reminiscent, Thurlow Weed was asked
why il was that he had invariably de-
clined public office. He could have been
minister 10 France, governor OF New York.
United States senator. and member OF
President Iayier's cabinet. but he never
could he persuaded 10 accept any offer.
He said:
II was discharged cured very early in