New-York tribune., 1896-12-28
THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE,.
HOW THE PRESIDENT AND VICE-PRESl
DENT ARE CHOSEN.
ppov,sIoXc or THE CONSTITUTION GRADUAL
CHANGE IN TIE FUNCTIONS OF ELECT
oRs-rIiE AProRTIoNMENTS.
From The WASHINGTON Star

CHANGE IN TIE FUNCTIONS OF ELECT
oRs-riE ArroKTIoNMENTs.
From The Washington Star.
All classes and both sexes have been taking
direct ard intense interest in political matters inis m
year ard The star is often in receipt of queries
tive the Presidential election machinery OF inc ,nc
country The writer ecncay de;cs TO nmGw noT
rehy i depends upon dne H"pgs,i'n and or
ssS aseG prary mas y upon the ,nrd paragraph Of
tion Of Article OF the ccrsti'ution or the nl,ea
Thus amended. 1t provides that ''ReprefntatiNcs
lin Congrcss) shall be alportioned among tne Sr.
counting the who.c number CT persons in each
State. excluding Indians not taxed me actua
after the first meeting Of the Congress OF the
United States and within every subsequent term
direct. The number OF Representative shall not
exceed one for every 3oGn, but each state shall
at least one Representative
This minimum number was, Of course never re-
auced because the population steadily increased II
is interesting in this connection - STA" mat Under
the original apporiionm"nt there were siNty-h'e
members OF the House though 'lS wa basgd % on a
somewhat hrhiifary f"ckolahs ni N"'uH'lion con
tanned In the Constitution Tho iirsi census showed
such population that the bass nf appor iionmeni
was 5000 and his gave lo' menocrs The second
census made no chdngc in the rdii). 1ni the numbrT
based on the thiId census ON membcr 10 s'eoo
pccplc. and At hs rate there were lSl Representa-
tvcs.
CHANGES N THE RATIO.
Tnc fourth census showed sIcl gam IN popula-
,on that in order to prevent thc undue crosdng =,
the House the ratio was raised 10 one 10 1901 ana
years later the ratio went 10 i1". and the member
ship 10 ai0 Under the returns OF the sixth census
time in the history OF me country the membership OF
the House was decreased falling 10 223 Another IN
taking Of the seventh census and Il was placed AT
% 2S. and the membership was Increased 10 ~ inc
eighth census fixed the ratio AZ l2aSl ana the House
contained 2is members IN consequence. and under
the ninth counting OF the peopic me Ia'io s'oon AZ
Of 1sso The ,enih gave such returns tho basis
Of representation was fixed nj i1i.Hl ana IN" uonse
holi 3o5 members The last census fixed the rato ~
one 20 1s 9 and the present House l. entitled to 90
members; l. t.. ,,o o,oo,,o, NJ tho
Presiden;e Simply This The Electoral College con-
ss, Of ono person for sSrs mS'r q, ,nr oss ,s
numbsr of electors depends almost directly unon
,bn s,1o Of Tho Nation though no, quite Were
alone the ratio that exists by law between N"
wo,,'d be always preserved. and this relationship
would bc transmitted directly 20 IN" college IN"
Ss, S1In 81 ,be one ratio Dnsmnch as in certain states
the total population does not equal the large basis
Of REPRESENTATION For instanoe. In 1871 Deawar"
ratio. Idaho The same wear had A$H rcon'" or
district: Montana had 49,. it9 people: Nevada. g.
1ti and Wyoming eo 7o5 yet Zach of tho" St"'"~
has three Representatives IN the Electoral College
= total Of Gfiean electors for total az itsl poo
rc whereas II each bad ~" oar" imii oi l'S''i
those fifteen electors would represent 81, '"' n"o-
nc Therein lies the dner"nc" between the ih'o-
,.fical a~d ihe rcal relationship Of ih" population
and the Electoral College
This latter body. who's name ~ "colloge'' T. the
growth Of usage. and has no s,rcily lcgnl mean, A.
first section Of Article II of tho Constitution.
which reads ~ follows.
the Legislature thereof may direct. a nunh"r -
oEG een IL ,h to MRh m State may be
entitled In Congress: hu, no Senator or Repre-
sentative or person holding an Office Of trust or
profit under the United States, shall be appointed
an elector.'
PRESENT SIZE or THE COLLEGE
Therefore The present Electoral College consists
Of "a members based on 30 h.pf"S"nimii'c. ana
each with TWO Senators To secure the Frcsi-
Ths inc slr nf ,he noere IL xcd by law 'nd IS
not matter depending upon the success or failure
The correspondent asks "Who decides this I'M
portant thing Tho Congress has the power
cacn State and for the whole country. the houses
set to work each tenth year 10 pass an "appoTuon.
year Of the decade This often brings about
conflict between the partes each side struggling
for the advantage that might accrue from the
effect OF the new enumeration upon local political
conditions. TIE ratio being once established. the
proportion to the counties and cities. 50 to pre-
serve ihH balance ana to mnia'air the equnii,y
cult task and herein lies the possibility Of trick
cry. which. however. can hardly afreci the Presi
dental election. Few States have in tho extreme
sections Of the country at present even political con-
ditions throughout their border. Here will be q
Republican stronghold there Democratic. and
occasionally county will tend strongly toward
third-pariy views. Sometimes Industrial condi-
tons produce this result: sometimes It's the work
OF an unfathomablc chance, TO take advantage
OF these discrepancies partisan Legislatures are
prone to outline Congress districts TO make
some OF them certain for their party that before
were lost. perhaps. under the general preponder-
of the other. This Is called "gerrymander-
ing"
mandcr'' may affect The Electoral College and 10
Twelfth Consiir,.,ionnr Imondment which taxing
the place o. the original third paragraph OF Sec
manner in which the President ana Vice President
shall be elected. as follows:
MEETINGS IN THE VARIOUS STATES
"rhe electors shall meet In their respective States
and vote by ballot for President and Vice President.
one Of whom. at least shall not be an inhabiiant OF
the Same States with themselves. and they shall
name in their ballots the person voted for as Prcs
dent and in distinct ballots Tor me person voted for
VcaP President. and they shall make distinct lists
sons voted for ViccPrcsident. and of the number
OF votes for each. which lists they shal sign and
certify. and transmit, sealed. TO the goat Of the
Government of The United States. directed 10 the
President OF the Senate. The President Of the Sen
Of Representatives open all the certificates and the
votes shall oe counted. The person having the
greatest numoer OF votes for President shall be the
President. II such number De majority OF the
whole number Of electors appointed: and II no per-
son have such majority. then from the persons
having the highest numbers. not exceeding three
the lis: Of those voted for as President, the House
Of Represcniatives shall choose Immediately. by
ballot. the President But In choosing the Presi-
dent the votes shall be taken by States the repre-
sentat!on from each State having vote: n
quorum for this purpose shall consist Of member
members from two-ihirds OF the States. and n
majority of all the States shall be necessary TO
choice. And II the House OF Representatives shall
not choose President whenever the right OF choice
shall devolvc upon them before the ith day Of
March next following. then the Vice President shall
rs President. as in the case OF the death Of or
other constitutional disability Of the President The
person having the greatest number OF votes Vice
President shall be the Vicepresidcnt. II such num-
ber be majority OF the whole number OF electors
appointed aud II no person have majority. then
from the two highest numbers on the list the Senate
hal NJ tuyn- htvls