The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-11-16
Electoral Defects.

In the course Of an article in the
Forum pointing out what he conceives
to he serious defects in the present
system of electing a president and
vice president ex-Secretary Carlisle is
particularly severe in criticizing the
method in vogue of choosing presiden-
tial electors. Under the constitution
the manner of the choice OF electors is
matter exclusively for determination
by the legislatures Of the several states.
There is no check, therefore, upon the
widest divergence in the manner which
might be employed by the different
states in making this choice.
For example the Legislature of Ohio
is free at any time to make Ohio's
presidential electors appointive by the
governor. The Legislature of Pennsyl-
vania might with equal impunity place
the choosing Of the Pennsylvania elec-
tors in the power of the senior United
States senator from this state. And
the legislature of New York could at
the same time require the Empire state
electors to be chosen by congressional
districts save the two electors at-large,
who in such an event would have to be
elected as we now elect congressmen-
at-large, by popular vote of the en-
tire state. Carrying the point further,
the Indiana Legislature could meet in
special session to choose Inlianas elec-
tors by a majority vote on joint ballot.
and Illinois could adopt the method
pow in general vogue, Of q direct cleo
tiOn Of all the states electors by pOpu-
lar vote-in other words, in five adjoin
ing states there could be five ways, no
two alike, of choosing the men whose
votes in the electoral college would de-
tCrmine the succession to the presi-
dency and vice-prcsidency. And if in
Ohio the governor should be a Demo-
crat while the majority of the popular
vote was Republican; or if in Pennsyl-
vania the senior United States senator
should become a ProhibitiOnist; or if
the legislature Of Indiana on joint bal
lot thanks to Il gerrymander, should
differ widely in politics from the ma
jority of the popular vote, the possibili-
ty Of electing as president and vice.
president of the United States men un-
acceptable to a large majority of the
qualified voters would, under the con-
tingency we have imagined, become
even larger than now.
Of course these discrepancies have
never existed at one time, except in the
case of one or two states which have
at different times tried the experiment
Of clecting presidential electors by con-
grcssional districts. But there is no
fundamental law to prevent their exist
ence at any time, insuring inconceiv-
able confusion in the election of pres
ident We have uniformity now only
by common consent But is the pres
crt plan the best plan? Would it not
be better if all the states by simultan-
eous legislative enactment should sub
stitute for the present method of di-
rect vote on state ballots the choice of
presidential electors by congressional
districts? Then the party which car
ricd congress would also elect q pres-
dent of the same political faith and the
executive and legislative branches
would be certain to he in accord during
at least the first half of each adminis-
tratiOn. 1t is a proposition worthy at
! least Of academic consideration.