The record-union., 1899-03-19
THE MERCURYS PLAN.

THE MERCURY'S PLAN.
The San Jose Mercury proposes a
plan which will be the equivalent Of
electing Senators by the people. It
calls attention to the fact that under
the theory of the Constitution the peo-
pie were not to vote directly for Presi-
dent of the United States, but indirectly
for members of an electoral college,
which college was to have choice, after
parliamentary denberation, of Presi-
dent and Vice President, who should
Among the checks and balances pro-
vided by the Constitution were those
which related to the indirect action of
the popular vote upon the choice of
governmental officials. Congressman
were to be elected by the direct vote of
the people, and to bring the Congress-
1llen as close as possible to the constit-
uelcy which chose them, the States
were given Congressman in proportion
to the number of inhabitants in each
State, and the States themselves were
divided into Congressional districts,
from which a member Of Congress
would be chosen.
In this way local self-government,
SO far as one branch of the national
legislature was concerned, was brought
as close to the people by means as ef-
fective as could possibly have been de-
vised- The next step was the choice
OF Senators by a Legislature chosen
by the people, and this was the first de-
parture from a direct choice Of high
official by the indirection of choosing
persons who in turn would exercise the
prerogative of making choice. But still
was made independent of popular pas
sion or the fluctuations of popular opin-
ion by making his choice still more re-
mote from the direct action of the peo-
plished by the creation of an electoral
college. Each State was given electors
in proportion to its inhabitants, and
the manner of their election was left
to State regulation In some Of the
States. notably South Carolina, the
electors were chosen by the Legislature
and this method could have been
adopted in all the States of the Union.
The Constitution put up no safeguard
against it. Thus the representatives
OF the people could choose their own
representatives to make a choice of
President making the choice of Presi-
dent two removes from the direct infiu-
ence OF the ballot box.
In a government where the people
are sovereign all delegated power
sooner -or later returns to them. With
out any change of the Constitution the
people vote for President and Vice
President In manner as direct as if
the electoral college had never been in
existence.
The elector has long ceased to exer-
else any other function than that of re-
cording the will of the people as ex-
pressed at the ballot-box. Its members
have no volition in the choice of a
President. They exercise no more in
fiuence upon such choice than the Sec
retary of State exercises upon the cleo
tion of Governor when he receives tine
returns. canvasses and declares the re-
suit of the election. In brief, the elec-
toral college has long ceased to be any
thing but a rudiment. This was accom-
plished by a plan completely analogous
to that now proposed by the San Jose
Mercury" to wit, by party nomina-
tons The representatives Of political
party met in national convention and
: nominated a President and Vice Presi-
dent. The State conventions Of the
same parties nominated electors to rep
resent the State in the electoral col
lege These electors had no choice as
to who they would select. Their owr
election was made dependent upon theil
selection Of the candidates of the party
BY this means the Constitution of tht
United States has been amended ant
the original intention Of its trainers ha:
been overthrown.
The election Of a President OF tht
United States Is relegated to the direcl
votes of the people more nearly thar