Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-10-15

voted for as Vice President, and Of the
number Of votes for each, which lists they
shall sign and certify and transmit sealed
to the seat of the government of the
United States, directed to the President of
the Senate. The President of the Senate
shall, in presence Of the Senate and House
and the votes shall then be counted. The
person having the greatest number of votes
for President shall be the President. If such
number be a majority of the whole number
Of electors appointed; and II no person have
such majority, then from the persons hav-
Ing the highest numbers. not exceeding
three on the list of those voted for as
President, the House of Representatives
shall choose Immediately, by ballot. the
President. But in choosing the President,
the votes shall be taken by states, the
representation from each state having one
vote; quorum for this purpose shall con-
slst of member or members from two
thirds of the states, and majority of all
the states shall be necessary to a choice.
ana II the House of Representatives shall
not choose President whenever the right
or choice shall devolve upon them, before
the 4th day of March next following, then
the Vice President shall act as President
as in the case of the death of or other con-
stitutional disability of the President. The
person having the greatest number of votes
as Vice President, shall be the Vice Presi-
dent, II such number be a. majority Of the
whole number of electors appointed and
Il no person have majority, then from the
two highest numbers the list the Sci ate
shall choose the Vice President: a quorum
for the purpose shall consist of two-thirds
or the whole number of Senators anG a
majority of the whole number shall be
necessary to a choice But no person con-
additionally ineligible to the Office of Presi-
dent shall be eligible to that of Vice Presi-
dent of the United States
A Curious Blunder.
1t is interesting in this connection to note
that the original paragraph supplanted by
this amendment contained a curious
blunder. 1t provided that 1.-The person hay-
ing the greatest number of votes shall be
the President. if such number be a major
ty of the whole number of electors APP
pointed; and if there he more than one to
have such majority. and have equal
number of votes. then the House of Repre-
sentatives shall Immediately choose by bal
lot one of them for President, etc"
1t was partly to correct the paradox of
more than one person having a majority
in the same body and the same vote that
the twelfth amendment was proposed to
the legislatures of the states by the Eighth
Congress, December II, 1893. In the procla-
nation dated December -, 1904, it was de-
clared to have been ratified by the leg.sla-
lures of three-fourths of the states.
1t will thus be seen from the Constitu-
! ton that there was no idea of constituting
concrete body of electors who should act
as such, save in their individual capacities
In fact, the theory of tie trainers of the
Constitution was that these electors should
act independently for the purpose of pre-
venting them from being influenced by
waves of public sentiment, and the dev: ce
of interposing an electoral college between
the direct votes of the people and the presi-
| Gency was thought 70 be preca ion
against revolutionary actions by the people
| in their exercise of the right of suffra ge
| But with the ganiZation of great political
| parties and the development of practically
government by parties ne custom grew
| into an anwritten law of placing in nominal
ton before the people certain candidates
| on national tickets, and of nominating IN
| the states electors pledged by their party
ties and by the obligations of hon0r 70 cast
their votes in the electoral college. if
| chosen, for the nominees of the parry elect
| ing them. In other words, the electoral
collese hecame a mere form instead of a
safeguard against the unwise expression of
! choice that might result from the .tirect
| Vote of the people.
| 4 Mere Formally.
Thus today the electors now in nomina-
| ton in the various states by the different
| parties are little else than fgureheads, and
| TOR all practical purposes the people of the
states vote directly for the President and
| the Vice President. There is Of course 70
| legal restriction to prevent an eector
| chosen by the republican party for in
| stance, this fall from voting in the college
! for Candidate Bryan, or vice versa Yet the
| possibility OF Such a contingency
| mote as to be barely worth considering for
| rhe men nominated as electors are usually
| leaders of their parties in the states and
| men of the highest integrity. 1t is recalled
| IN this connection that it was charged in
| 1861 that an attempt was made to bride
enc OF the electors chosen in the state OF
| oregon 10 cast MS ballot IN the college for
| the candidate OF the party that opposed him
al the polls. Ihe eiector unquestionably
fad the constitutional right to vote fol
Whom ne pleased, but. OF course. the sug-
| sesuoh OF bribery caused a great sensation
Splits in the State Tickets.
! 1,ir.o ha ,o,o, .h. .h ,,.:...
| i'N .-iA' ny pr
| WOES 'hal eacn state snail appoint, In sucf
| manner as the legislature thereof may di.
rect a number of electors" etc. Thus tn.
| st,.os .ro o;,.,, .,,o1,,si,, o,,.hou;. . =.
-. y ~ ue
'ei hiiie no" me eiectofs snail oe chosen,ant
notable instance of departure from the
| ordinary rule occurred in 1892. when the
| democratic legisla ture of the state of Mich
! i$an passed a law providing for the cleo
| ton of the members of the electoral coiieg.
| by congressional districts. The Ordinar!
rule is for the people in all parts OF tn.
| state to vote for the electoral ticket as
| unit, and thus it is almost without prece
dent for the electoral vote of a state TO b.
| divided The Michigan law, however, Wen
my ~ anu' ai..'ouSh me ie,up.,caI