Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1892-04-19
How Electors Should Be Chosen.

A Washington telegram which we hnd
ouotsd In the Chicago Tribune. leading
paper or the leading paper OF the NORTH
west, contains the following
"Tne leading New York Democrats In Con.
Sress hsve In contemplation plan WHICH,
put into execution, win make II unnecessary ior
the citizens OF tina. State 10 vote next ian io'
President. Tho scheme Is to have the pres-
Dental electors chosen BY tho Legislature eucn
a n,an vould insure the election Of Democratic
electors. They have consulted high legal au'nor-
i,Ies. ali Of whom assured them that the plan
:. undoub,edly constitutional. South Carolina
before the war chose It's sin 'na' "a'' IN"
the plan was not questioned
Public opinion is stronger than the law;
and public opinion would not now tolerate
the election of presidential electors by the
State Legislatures. nor by even one state
Legislature. If thereby candidate were
chosen who would have been defeated had
that States electors been chosen by the
people. It ia true that the Legislature OF
South Carolina chose the presidential
electors of that State up to the year 1850
II is also true that under the Federal Con-
stitution each State has the power to
provide for choosing its own electors
in any manner which to 1t may seem
fit. vet il is none the less true that 1t
would not be safe for New York or Ohio
or Illinois or Pennsylvania to empower
its State Legislature to choose its presi-
Dental electors. The United States Con-
stitution gives TO Congress the power to
fix the day of the presidential election,
and provides that the elections for electors
shall oil take place on the same day all
over the United States. So 1t would be
known beforehand if any State intended
TO empower its Legislature to choose Its
presidential electors; and, being known,
would cause the other States to cast their
votes against the candidate thus seeking to
thwsrt the popular will. The constitu-
sional provisions bearing upon this subject
are as follows:
Article H.. section I. paragraph e." Esch State
shall appoint In such manner as the Legislature
thereof may direct q number OF electors equal
10 the whole number OF senators and represen-
natives to which the State may be entitled In the
Congress; but no senator or representative or
person holding an ONCE OF trust or profit under
the United States shall be appointed an cleo
tor."
Article H., section 8, paragraph s.-"The Con-
eress may determine the time Of choosing the
electors, and the day on which they shall give
their votes which day shall be the same
throughout the United States"
The Legislature of South Carolina up to
1850 met on the day the other States held
their popular elec.ionsfor electors, and that
body chose electors to suit itself. So there
Is no doubt that each State has the clear
right TO choose its own electors in its own
way. As we have said. however. the peo-
ole OF the other States would know before
hand the intention Of any given State in
this matter, and would so vote as to neu-
tralize the action of the State refusing to
allow the people to vote in the presiden-
tial election.
Michigan has been districted for the
election of presidential electors, but the
elections there will be popular elections.
Even this districting, however, was looked
upon with q jealous eye by the other
States.
In 1860 Mr.. DOUGLAS and Mr.. BELL to-
Rether received q popular vote much
larger than that which MIR. LINCOLN re-
ceiyed; but the last-named received ma
1ority of the votes cast in the electoral col
leres. and so became President of the
United States.
The constitutional provision above quo
ted shows that none Of our congressman,
whether senator's or representatives, can
be chosen presidential electors. Anybody,
however, may be sent to the Chicago con-
vention.