The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-11-19
Presidential Election by Direct Vote
of the People.

The philadelphia Ledger" thinks that
amended, so to provide for the election
Of President and Vice President by direct
vote of the people, it should also be
amended as to give the Vice President
executive duties to perform, and make
him a member of the Presidents Cabi-
net
The Ledger" seems to take 1t for
amended in the direction it suggests. but
we are unable TO find any ground or rea-
son for such an assumption. 1t is not
only difficult thing to secure an amend
ment to the Constitution, but in this case
the country would almost certainly refuse
to act affirmatively.
Conceding all that may be urged against
our present system of electing the Presi-
dent and Vice President through an in
termediary electoral college that method
is not nearly as productive of inconveni-
ence or public harm as popular election
would be under conditions which have
twice obtained in comparatively recent
years and are liable to recur at any time.
We are hardly done counting the .allots
cast on the sixth of November. This year
that is negligible matter. because Mr..
McKinley's majority was large and IN
questionable. But suppose the case of
1876 under the popular election plan! 1t
might be five or six weeks before the
country could certainly know who had
been elected. In 1880 James A. Garfield
only had about twenty thousand more votes
than General Hancock. and these were
widely scattered among the States. IL the
nation had to wait for an official cont
before learning who had won and who
lost. the situation would dangerously tend
to revolution.
Citizens old enough to remember the
Tilden- Hayes election troubles. and the
uncertainty, suspense, and bad blood that
marked the period between the election of
Mr.. Tilden and the theft OF the Presi-
dency by his opponents, have no desire
so-see ANYTHING anything of the Kind again. and
the scheme favored by the philadelphia
Ledger would render just such state
of affairs possible at every quadrennial
struggle between tie great parties. The
Ledger. proposition is not on all fours
with that to elect Senator'S by direct
vote of the people That is feasible, and,
hence acceptable.
The plea which our Quaker City con-
temporary offers for something to be done
to give the Vice President occupation and
influence in the Administration of his day
is considerably a matter Of sentiment. 1t
is useless trying to make water run up
hill. In every country under the sun
the heir apparent is a skeleton at the
feast OF him who wears the purple. He
is nowhere politically influential with the
more or less in opposition to it. In the
United States it is the same. Mr.. Nc
kinley might entertain the highest re- |
spect for Mr.. Roosevelt as man, and
yet be unable to look at him without re- |
membering that the accidents of life pos
sible during the next four years may have |
had great deal to do with the New York |
not want. and which is totally unsuited |
to a man of his tastes and habits. We |
do not believe that anything can be |
changed to make the Vice Presidential |
Office greater or pleasanter than it now |
is. II the incumbent Is gentleman of |
means and cultivation, it will lack neither |
dignity nor social prestige. Governor |
Morton and Mr.. Hobart have illustrated |
this truth. The latter really had voice |
in the councils of the Administration, be- !
ing quite unique in that respect, at least |
in modern times. So, it can be seen that |
a Vice President can make much or little
of the position. according to his brains.
polish. and resources. For the rest, he |
will 60 on waiting for his chief to die,
and wondering why Willard Fillmore,
Chester A. Arthur. and some other people
have had such undeserved good luck-ex-
actly as his official forebears have done
from remotest ages