Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1892-07-27
A POPULAR ERROR


dent and Nicc-Presidcnt may b,
chosen from the same state.
"it lisa ilme.hpnorcd popular lmpres.
sion that tho President and Nlco. Presi.
don't of the United satos can not cuns,l.
tuiionally bo elected from the Same state.
$50 party has over put two citizens ol
one state on rs Presidential ticket. pl
course thoro are obvious political ron.
sous Tor selecting tho candidate. from
different parts " the country liut many
havo assumed that there is consiitu-
tlonal veto upon tho scloctlon Of vicc-
President from tho same State from which
the President Ia taken.
"lioncc, when the election ot Mr..
Cleveland rs President, and tho choice Of
Mr.. Whitolaw Reid "a. Nico.Prc.idont bo-
gins to loom up as a political possibility,
1t Is not surprising that tho question
should DO widely asked whether such q
combination II not contrary to tho spiri,
/ ifnnt the leiior Of the Constitution.
"lf the effect OF tho third party move.
ment should be TO throw tho election into
Congress, n, tho leaders Of that party
boast It will be, says tho Sow York
Hera'd, the President would be- chosen
by the House and the Vice President by
tho Senate. The House. being Demo-
cratic, would Of course elect Mr.. Glove.
land. The Senate, being Republican.
would choose Mr.. Reid II constltutionally
eligible. IL such result contrary to tho
Constitution
at Will doubtless surprise mos, road.
ors to learn that tho popular impression
on this subject is entirely erroneous. aud
that there II nothing In tho cons iitutlon
TO prevent the election Of both President
and Prcsidcn, from tho same state
oiihcr by the House aud Senate or by tho
members oi tho electoral college. Tho
constitution ,aysi
"rho electors shall meet In their ros.
pociive States aud vote by ballot Tor
President and president, ono Of
whom al least shall not 30 an inhablian,
OF tho same state with thomselvcs.'
at will DO noticed I hat this docs not
prohibit tho electors In gouomi from
voting for tho President and Vico. presl.
dent rc,ldont1n tho samo 'x,s.
at simply declare. that oie ui tho cam
dldnioa voted for shall not be an inhablt.
ant Of tho same state with the voters.
That Is to say, tho ci,izons Of New York
may not vote for two citizens of Now
York for President and Nico-Pfcsldont.
But thorc is nothing In the language used
n prohibit the electors Of any other State
from voting Tor two residents Of New
York or Of any other STATE OK copi their
own.
at is obvious then. that President
and Nice-prOsidont may bO elected from
the State without violating tho letter Of
the Constitution. II is equally truo that
such result would not DO contrary To
tho spirit OF tho Constitution. Tho best
proof that tho trainers OF the Constitution
did not intend To omhody in II that
spri, IL that thoy used no language cap
able Of such construction.
"Liltle importance seems to have boon
given 10 tho clause under consideration
ia the constitutional convention. It did
not figure In the debates and continental.
ors on tho Consultation have paid NO at
tcntion to Il. Bancroft gives this account
OF It's origin:
"Wllliamson proposed that each man
should vote Tor three canddatns GOV.
ornor Morris accepted tho principle, but
do-ued To limit III, choice OF tho yoter.
to two, Of whom ut least ono should not
be Of his own State. This Madison an.
proved. believing that tho citizens wonid
riyo their second vote with sincerity to
tho next object " their choice.
"rhc convention WAS then discussing
the mode Of cle''ing tho president. No
mention had been made Of the. onico of
yico.prcsidoni. The plan was To allow
each clocIor to vote for tho two caudl.
date for president, aud it was thought
that tho smaller states would hays "a bet.
ter chance OF getting president ID the
electors In the larger states wero pro.
hibilod from voting Tor two Of their own
citizens. Without any stress being laid
upon 20 the principle was adopted la tho
original constitution, whom The vice.
prosidcni was not voted for separately
and was retained In the twelfth amend.
meut, which introduced tho pro- sys.
tcm OF separate aud distinct ballots for
ylce-pfcsiicnt,
"ltisnot likclythai the people will over
have chance TO vote tor two c,tlzeus of
the samo State AZ president aud vice.
president, though such contingency
may arise in congress, but there D. no
constitutional bar TO II In either casc.r