The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-01-11
Today's Meeting
OF the Electors


semble at the capitol the thirty-two Clti-
zens who were chosen in November last
to name the men who in their judgment,
theoretically, will represent the wishes of
the people of Pennsylvania. There is
nothing in the constitution or the laws
which prevents in the slightest degree
Joseph Wharton and his colleagues from
casting their votes for anybody whom
they may see fit to designate. They may
vote together as a whole for president
and vice-president, or each of the thirty
two may vote as 1t pleases him for his
own set of candidates. Nothing will obli-
gate them to cast their votes for Mcl<in-
ley and Hobart other than the tacit or
implied understanding into which they
entered when they We're nominated for
electors by the Republican state conven-
ton of last summer. If news were to
come from Canton today that Mr.. Nc
Kiney is dead, they would be at entire
liberty to vote for any other citizen.
Il II Il
1t is remarkable that there has never
been an instance in the history of the
country when any elector cast his vote in
direct or deliberate opposition to the
wishes of those who elected him since the
time when the original theory of the Elec-
toral college became radically changed.
In 1867, when a transfer of an electo-
raj vote from Hayes to Tilden would have
Immediately settled the great controversy
over the presidential succession and
would have ended the possibility that then
existed of an outbreak of "a civil war. and
when every attempt was made by the
Democrats to reach some elector who
might be timid or corrupt, there was not
a single break in the entire line. At one
time some efforts We're made to persuade
James Russell Lowell and Henry l..
Pearce-who We're Hayes electors in Mas
sachusetts, and who Were suspected of
being what in after years came to be
known as Mugwumps-to cast their votes
for Tiden. 1t was argued that this would
be high patriotic duty, would be in ac-
cord with the popular vote of the country
and would nullify the schemes for throw
ing out the Tilden voters in Florida and
Louisiana. But Lowell replied that he
had been chosen in good faith to vote for
Hayes, that he represented the people of
Massachusetts and that it would be an
act of perfidy to cast his ballot for any
body else. 1t is not unlikely, indeed, that
in the fierce partisan excitement in which
the country rocked that winter, assassi-
nation would have been the fate of any
man who would have been guilty of that
betrayal of his party.
There have been instances, however.
when electors have voted for candidates
other than those whom they were chosen
to support; but in no case where the result
has been thus materially affected. When
Monroe was elected in the EZRA of good
feeling" there was no opposition to him ::
but one elector in New England who did
not wish that any other American should
enjoy the same honor as Washington of
a unanimous election to the presidency,
cast his vote for John Quincy Adams, sim
ply to break the unanimity for Monroe.
Again, under the old system of choosing
the president and Vice-president from the
la n hn
footngs, and in order that John Adams
should not have precisely the same vote as
Washington when the count came to be
made in Congress hall, at Sixth and
| Chestnut streets, Hamilton as the leader
| of the Federalists, sent instructions to the
party managers in some of the states to
see that there should be some votes cast
against Adams. In 1872, when Greeley died
| in the interval between the popular cleo
| tion in November and the assembling of
| the electors, the votes of those who We're
| chosen in his interest We're scattered
| among Thomas A. Hendricks, David Da-
| Wis and other Democrats.
The Electoral college, while it has been
| entirely diverted from its original basis as
a body of citizens who should exercise
their best judgment as to the choice of a
president and has been brought in direct
| relations to the people IN a manner not
| contemplated by the trainers of the con-
stitution, is the model on which Mexico
and all the other American republics have
| established their system of electing the
chief executive. The French president Il
| chosen by the senators and deputies, sit
| ting as national assembly. and in no
| other country Is there a direct vote of the
| people. Indeed. it was not until the time
| of the Jacksonian era, with its popular OF
| democratic tendencies in all directions fol-
| ba 4 in NJ ba 1I1
| congressional caucus system of nomi-
| mating presidential candidates, that the
| Electoral college was brought close tC
| the people of the United States. Then
and for some time afterward, there Were
| at least three distinct methods of choosing
| the electors-by the popular vote, by state
| legislatures and by congressional dis
| tricts. Pennsylvania electoral vote, fOl
example, was divided between Adams and
| jefferson, when the senate and the house
| declined to meet in joint convention, anC
each choose half of the electors, accord,
ing to it's partisan majority; and New
| York, in 1924, voting by congressional dis.
tricts, cast twenty for Jackson and siXteer
| for Crawford The only departure We
have had in recent years from the uni
| formity of the electoral system in the
| states was when the Democrats OF
Michigan passed the law, since repealed
by which the state voted for its elector:
|
Simple as are the proceedings of th'
| Electoral college, they are usually 81
planned, at least in Pennsylvania, as tC
give every eleCtor an opportunity t,
say or do something or to so on the Of
fetal record. The official presence of tn,
secretary of state in charge of the meet
ing enables a variety of motions to b'
made; secretaries, sergeants-at-arms
| lnn nplga at "a ed In
perntend the august little conclaYe
which is usually in session for only al
hour or two, and no reasonable eNcus
by which the small appropriation of th
state for the payment of expenses ma.
be drawn upon, is neglected. The elec
tors themselves receive 50 a day for tn
time actually given up to the work o
the college and their mileage; they III
any vacancies caused py the absence
| through death or sickness, of associates
they write the name of their choice 70
president and Yice-president on card
and their chief subject Of anxiety is tn
selection from among themselves of tn
messenger charged with the function o
| carrying in person to the seat of govern
ment at Washington, the package contain
ing the lists of the votes. Any heartburn
lngs on this score are partly relieved
| however, by the choice of another electo
who carries to the United States judg
of the eastern district of Pennsylvani
| a duplicate of the list. and by still another
| whose duty is to proceed TO the postoi
| fee at Harrisburg and deposit in IN
| mails a package which may reach the sea
of government at Washington in the even
of any failure on the part of the messer
ger to perform his errand. Then, afte
every one has had a chance to offer res
olution of thanks or compliments to some
body, the conclaVe dissolves, and III
presidential election in Pennsylvania
at an end