The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1905-01-11
Y,,,gDzpl,N n JANUARY i ~ !, 1905.
The Electoral College.

The Electoral College. 3a
tho electoral colleges Of the several raj
M states have lust met md cast ho u pa al
Ia for President and Vice President, ne 10
fine seems fit and proper TO to give II 1r'ol
tia history oe this institution Of our W. goy-
ern1nent. 81 !,
Iyyhen the convention of 17s7 was IN s Sc
lion various plans and devices vic: Tor = olo ''
- 4 he Presiden we're proposed d # ~ was y
,,rat debatad whether the executive should 'LL'l
be singular or plural hut the e pan g ~
4 ngle executive was adopted by g sYn E't'
S = n seven Il States to three, ne mere WIS ~
q LAO some discussion bout the Presidents y 8
Il ,f.ahnnt. hit the subject upon which st "
NJ !, ,onycntion was most at sea- wa 8 the rlouc
Il Of election. Mr.. Nyis Of PennsylVanla'
seges ted that the election be BY lie Pee
,,le AZ large Mr.. Sherman go t' ~
Ia president ne appointed by the 2l .'l!
~ sslature. while Mr.. RI ndolpll PROPOSED e.
n electionS BY the Nat onM Legislature y
v ,rhere was much scaission not only as e
the b1node5or election, but as to the Term
~ office. Mr.. Wilson'S proposal that he!
~ ~ ,e.c,u,tlve be elected by the qual1fllcu
voters was rejected BY g vote q 3 Ivy y
s states to eight, and the election ny 7 h 's
e ,onal$ i egslature for q term OF seven
years was agreed ito by q vote 7 OF elel' 7
states to two. Il t was then agreed by f' 2
vote az seven States to two TO mare eE
A. i, = executive Ineligible after seven years
Various other plans were proposed, put
WIS finally determined that the Presl-
dent should be elected for q term &. OF
four years by electors chosen by q ea ca
II state. II is. provided in article u, Of the
Constitution that each state snail ap-I
g1ooint Din such manner as the l1eglsl az;
al thereof may direct, a number o. cleo
tors, equal to the whole number Of sen en-
ators and representatives to which the
* state muy be entitled in the Congress
II is further provided that the cleo.
Il tors shall meet III their respective States
and vote by ballot for two persons OF OF
IS whom one at least shall not be an IN
l,abitant OF the same State with them them
/ selves, and they shall make q list OF al
the persons voiced for. and OF the num-
her Of votes.'t oT each; which list they
ii shall sign ana certify and transmit, seal
ed to the scar OF government Of the.
limited states directed to the President of
the Senate i.l
\ Under this pluu, the person receiving the
+ highest number OF votes was elected
president and tho person receiving the
next hishest number Vice President But
N q dangerous condition OF things resulted
from the election Of 1900. Thomas JEFF
ferson and Aaron Burr were voted Cor
BY the same political purity, and had
equal votes neither being designated IS
president or Vice President The origi-
nal Constitution declared that when two
persons had an equal vote and each had
a majority over all othors. the House
Al OF Representatives should choose one OF
Il them for President. In this case the
1aouse or Representatives could not elect
either Jefferson or Burr, For a long time
1t was felt that there would be failure
81 to elect and thus an interregnum occurred
which might have destroyed the IJnion
some weeks, however, Mr.. Jeffer-
II son was elected, and Burr became Vice
President. But this resulted In the adop-
which provides that "the electors shall
B, meet in their respective States and vote
Il by ballotgTfor President and Yce-pres-
J. dent. 4 |. lsss They shall name in
their ballots the person voted for as Pres
ident and In distinct ballots Tho person
,9 voted for AZ Yice-President, and they
Il shall make distinct lists Of all persons
voted for as President and If all per-
"A sons voted Tor as Yice-President and of
the number of votes for each, which iists
they shall sign, and certify and transmit,
X sealed 10 the seat of government If he
\; United States, directed TO the President
y Of the Senate
lis the custom to send two llsts--one
K by mail and one by special messenger.
@ Mr.. Tucker IN his work on the conetl'
4 tuition. emphasizes that The elector. are Il
u sit In their respective seats and mot te
II meet In pne bI,dy with electors from othsi
@ states, :yrhis select body in each Stale.
~. says hel t1s intended to voice the inde
pendent will OF each State. In the Jack
% auick communication between the dit
Sferent States Of the Union, this plan Of
tered a strong hope OF independent actor
NJ the several States. sis obvious that II
our day this expectation would DO dis
Appointed BY the Easy communication be
tween the Htatsa and tlis appo!ntnsa
bks hssa Increase by tslls party cpn