Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1892-10-27
rng ELECTORAL COLLEGE.

| 10 Know how the Electoral COLLEGE
proceeds, ~ what II 10 composed, hO~
II counts the votes aud fome'hing Of
its general procedure. a little book
entitled "rhe Practical Politician"
recently issued Ia this city, gives the
desired information; We copy the
portion OF It regarding the Electoral
College, as II seems 10 bo about what
our correspondent desires!
Every fourth year-ihli IL one Of
them-the people In the different
states go through tho solemn and ma.
jcstic performance Of choosing electors,
who In turn choose the President and
Vice President. We often hear Of 80
and.so having carried euch n state for
the former office, and while this II
practically correct II Is theoretically
wrong. The intention Of the trainers
OF the Constitution was clearly to take
the choice out OF the hands Of the PEG.
pie and vest II ~ body Of men
chosen by the people, those 30 chosen
TO he dellbera,ive and executive body,
styled In their aggregate capacity the
Electoral College. This was, as rero.
alter ret out, Il conccssion TO the Ham.
iltonian system " government, the
supposition being Of course that only
men OF station, ability and influence
would be made electors and that they
would naturally select two Of their own
Mind orlhe Highest offices. This qucs.
ton soon resolved itself into a more
representative shape through the OF
ganization and growth OF practical pol.
ltlcs; that IL, the form was preserved,
but II became an unwritten law that
electors should vote for the men nom.
iunied by their respective parties, and
they have done go with ons or two OK
ceptions ever since. or course tho CON
'ventions which placs these electors IN
nomination make selection Of men
we'll known nrst OF all as staUnoh par
tisans, who will vote, II elected, for the
candidates Of that particular party, al
| A'hHy h'AAhhN'hf anu NhNH hhNt Ant
sovereign citizens measurably reduced
the chances for sovereign Of another
character. TO botray the trust repoped
In one IA an elector would not subject
the person so betraying to a criminal
or any other prosecution, for there II
no law against II; but he would likely
| raeaiya tr.atmaut p,uah ,nnr. rl.,..,.
aud long.continusd, In that he would
/ be looked upon and treated 40 a second
Benedict Arnold, and not only politi-
ieal but most probably social oslracisrn
would be his portion for lie. Ia not
this n Atriking exemplifcation Of tn,
rule OF the common people la spite Of
the actual restraints designed for them
by the founders?
Each state Ia entitled TO IN many
electors M II has senators and repre-
bentatives combined, In Congress
Each has the same number Of senator
-two-while the number OF repreuen
tatiye' varies In accordance with ia,
population, but state 10 entitled Il
tnu In any event. Tho electors NJ,
nominated by the different party con
yenliOns in the same manner tina
other officers are nominated, but III,
manner OF their election rests exclus
lively with the legislature, la som,
states the nominations are made b,
congressional districts, each one nam
Ing it's own, ana the two at large
representa- the senators, are put up b!
state convention; In others, the latte
gathering names the entire list but II
every case Except in Michigan unde
recent enactment) they are al
voted for Ia bulk by tn
people Of the state, 80 that
voter in the First congressional di.
trict, for instance, votes for the eleclo
representing the Twentieth district a
well and for all others. la this way
the candidate OF the party which cat
rles the state lie apt 10 AMI nearly al
ways does &c; the full vote OF ia
state, though this IL not an IN
variable sequence by any means, sine
in nearly ali elections where NOR,
, than one man Ia to DO chosen, som
. receive more votes than others Nm
! | some are elected while others are de
fcated on the same ticket. In the cleo
A.. ton oflsSO, the vote OF California wa
. | divided between. Hancock and Ga
field, the former receiving live, 10
, latter one. This Is the most recuu
, case,
D The electors having been dull!
r chosen on Tuesday alter the III.
{ Monday In November, receive each
. certificate OF election from the gov
. ernor. Their official meeting take
. place on the second Monday In Janu
. AIRY next following, at such place us III
i legislature may appoint, usually IN
capital OF the state. After the custom
q AIRY formula, each eleetor deposits
s ballot containing the name OF h
. ohoice-or rather his pnrty's choice
,. for President, and Immediately Their,
Il after votes Ia like manner for Vic
h President. A certificate In trlpllcat
!. Of each vote Ia then made out, and on
d OF these under seal Is entrusted to
e special messenger, chosen by the cleo
4 ors, TO be delivered out Of hand TO n
y president OF tho United States Sena
z, In pemon; another set Ia forwarded