The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-12-31
the organic law. They are presumed. af-

ter due consideration. TO select from
among the public men of the country the
person whom they believe TO be most pre-
eminently qualified as head of the nation
This constitutional prerogative is stiil
vested in them, although. simply by pop
ular viii and by machinery which has
grown UP outside of the constitution and
the laws. the actual selection of president
is made in a method which the constitu-
ton does not recognize and never contem-
plated
ion prevents any presidential elector from
refusing to vote for the candidate of his
national convention, yet that in itself Is
sufficiently strong to relieve the matter
from even a possibility OF doubt as to
the manner in which the electoral votes
viii be cast. In the most critical election
ed. that of 1876. when it required the Gre
alton of new and extraordinary national
tribunal to determine the result. when
the election of the president turned upon
one vote in the electoral college, thought
was scarcely given to the possibility that
any one OF the electors chosen would be
false to the trust imposed upon him by
the members Of his own political party;
nor did II ever appear that in all OF the
intrigues and political manenvers OF that
exciting period. any serious attempt was
made by either party to induce any presi-
Dental eiector to change his vote.
As the constitutional manner OF select
ing the president has been entirely chang
ed and as the electoral college simply be-
comes a piece of obsolete machinery for
recording result arrived at by the popu-
lar vote. does It not seem that It would
be exactly as easy to change the manner
Of electing United States senators IL there
were any overwhelming popular demand
for such change? It certainly would be
as easy matter for a political party to
nominate its candidate for United states
senator at a state convention as 1t is for
the same party to nominate its candidate
for president at national convention.
There is no instance on record OF q presi-
Dental elector refusing to vote for his
party nominee, and there Is no reason to
believe that a member of a state lesisla-
ture elected on a ticket which pledged
him TO vote for particular man for
United States senator. would be any more
likely to violate such pledge.
In several of the Southern states the
United States senators are substantially
chosen by votes in the Democratic pri-
maries. The result of the primaries Is
accepted, and the vote Of the Legislature
is simply formality. The contests are
fought out entirely before the legislature
is chosen. and do not In the slightest de-
gree interfere with the work OF the legs-
lature. when II finally assemblies.
The Democratic party In other parts Of
the country Is on record as favoring tho
election Of senators by popular vote. That
system liz In practical effect In some of
the Southern states already. at least as
much so as in the election of any other
officers. There is nothing in the consti-
tuition or the laws to prevent the Demo-
cratic party OF any state from nominating
a candidate for United States senator IN
state convention: and 1t certainly should
not nominate a man for the legislature
who would be likely TO go back on SOL
emn pledge TO support the party nomina-
ton so made II the Democrats really
and truly desire to give the people d.
rect voice in the election OF United States
senators. why do they not try this
method?