The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1892-10-20

! a,,c,ors In the several States by Con-
e,css,onal districts was clearly right. and
| :, was easy to see that the opposition
| thereto could have no standing In court
! The Constitution says In the piainest OF
| r,s,,sh that presidential electors shall be
chosen IN each State In the manner that
| a.. Legislatures of such State shall
aeeu best. and, therefore. II the Legisla-
ture OF Michigan saw ut to decide tnat
| ,be electors Of that State should be
chosen In the came way that members OF
| Congress are chosen. 1t had perfect
| right to do so, and 1t was only to be ex-
nected that the United States Supreme
| Court would have promptly sustained the
State law TO that effect.
good many Of our Democratic con-
| temporaries think that while the law Is
| constitutional. 1t shoul1 never have been
enacted. For instance, that staunch Dem
ocratic paper, the Brooklyn Eagle, argues
IL is an impolitic move. because since the
DAYS Of Buchanan the States have voted
ir the electoral college as units The
plrrality Of all the voters in each State
has decided for what presidential candi-
date its electors should cast their ballots.
Whether the plurality has been large or
small has not mattered-it expressed the
voice Of the Commonwealth as sepa.
rate ami distinct political entity. This, our
Brooklyn contemporary reasons, was the
intent Of the makers Of the Government,
as the second method provided foG the
choice Of a President would Indicate.
When the college of electors falls to
agree and the naming Of the President
becomes the duty of Congress, the MEM
bers are not allowed 10 vote as indi-
vlduals or as representatives OF districts.
Each State has but one vote, and the
character OF that vote Is decided by the
character of majority Of its representa-
tives. The candidates Of course must be
taken from those voted for by the cleo
tors.
From this the Eagle contends that
nothing could more clearly show the view
Of the statesmen who devised the Consti-
tuition. In the electoral college a compro-
mise is made by which the equality OF
the States is sacrificed for the sake OF
getting a more accurate expression OF
popular will, so the 100000 people Of
New York have thirty-sx votes ard the
900 people OF Delaware only three
votes When Il becomes impossible to
elect President. notwithstanding this
compromise, the differences in the popu-
lation, wealth and consequent Influence Of
the separate States are disregarded en-
tirely and they approach the bar Of the
nation as individual States; as every man,
whether he be rich or poor, learned or
ignorant, enters the polling booth as a
free man and nothing more The State
then rises supreme Then emphasis Is
laid upon the truth that this is a Union
Of States. The equality Of the States Is
as much a fact as the indissolubility of
the Union. The Chief Magistrate is Pres
ident of the United States. He is not
President of the people of the United
States"
This reasoning is perfectly correct, and
is based upon the necessity Of maintain
ing the autonomy OF the States. This Of
course is, as 1t should be, the supreme OBJ
Jet OF all Legislatures and all Con-
crosses, and anything which tends. In
the remotest degree, to destroy that
autonomy should be deprecated. Still we
cannot altogether agree with the reason
ing Of our able contemporary, because
we cannot see why the true sentiment Of
the people OF each State is not better Sc
cured by the choice Of electors in each
congressional district than by their cleo
ton by plurality OF the voters at large.
Under a law like that Of Michigan a
small minority Of the people are given
chance to express their views, while I'M
der the general plurality system that
| minority, no matter how large 1t may be,
is slenced
This, however, is a very delicate mat
ter to discuss, and we are inclined to
think that the best way to treat 1t is to
! leave it entirely to the States themselves
| These who want the District plan Of
| choosing electors should have II, while
| those who favor the plurality or majority
| plan should be permitted to adopt that
without any outside interference. That
| is true States Rights.