The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-11-05
ABOLISH THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE.


The result of Tuesdays election empha-
sizes the need OF changing the method Of
e~lecting President and Vice President so
that they may be chosen by direct popular
vote. The Electoral College should be abol-
ished. 1t is an anomaly in our political
system, and not in harmony with present.
day ideas of republican government. These
ideas. as well as the political and social
condition Of the country. have undergone
a great change since the Constitution was
adopted. None OF the reasons that existed,
or were supposed to exist, for the creation
OF the Electoral College when the Consti-
tuition was framed exist now. The trainers
Of the Constitution thought IL was desir-
able to remove the election from the direct
action of the people by con1ding the ulti-
mate selection OF President and Vice Presi-
dent to a body of mon chosen for the ex-
press purpose of exercising a real choice
among the eminent persons who might be
thought fit for the station. 1t was thought
that a chosen body Of that kind could be
more safely intrusted with the choice of
President and Vice President than could
the people at large. We know better now.
Besides, the Electoral College no longer
exercises any choice. Originally 1T did, but
now it elects candidates nominated by the
people. Thus the main reason for its Gre
alton no longer exists. AS the people name
the candidates whom the Electoral College
elects they might as well vote directly for
the candidates as for electors. Another
argument used in favor of the creation of
the Electoral College was that giving each
State the same number of electoral votes
as it had Representatives and Senators i'm
Congress-. and allowing each State TO ZAP
point its electors I'm such manner as the
Legislature thereof may elect" would be
a quasi recognition of the sovereignty of the
State. At present that would be regarded
as a reason for abolishing the Electoral
College. The existence of slavery fur
nished another reason for the creation of
the Electoral College. OF course the slaves
could not vote, and If the President and
Vice President were to be voted for d.
rectly by the people the question would
arise whether the Sta:es were to possess
an influence in the matter In proportion
TO the number Of their inhabitants, or only
in proportion to their qualified voters or
their free inhabitants. The abolition of
slavery has done away with al consider
atoms of this kind.
But the strongest reason for letting the
people vote directly for President and Vice
President is that the present system does
not give full effect to the popular will. 1t
STILES majorities. Our whole political sys-
tenn is based on the idea of majority rule,
but the Electoral College ignores majori-
ties. No matter how large a popular ma
jority a candidate for President may re-
ceive in a particular State. he only gets
the electoral vote of the State. The popu-
lar majority does not count. In 1884 Grover
Cleveland carried New York by a plurality
of 1.047, while this year Major Mckinley
carries it by nearly 800, 600. and in each case
the successful candidate receives the cleo
toral vote of the State. McKinley's i'm
mense popular majority does not count. So
far as political results are concerned. $500 0
persons who voted for him in New York
might have refrained from voting and he
would still have received the electoral vote
chusetts. Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan.
Illinois and Iowa, which he carried by un-
precedented popular majorities. He gets
the electoral votes of the States, but he
does not get the benefit of his enormous
majorities. They are sifted through the
Electoral College and shorn of their sig
n~iicance. The people should vote direct
for President and Vice President, so that
every vote may count, and popular ma
~jorities have the effect that properly be-
1OppS to them