The Hartford herald. [volume] (Hartford, Ky.) 1875-1926, 1908-11-25
KENTUCKY REM!SS
in VITAL MATTER
Has Failed to Obey the
Constitution
IN THE PRESIDENTIAL MATTER
Follows Custom and Not Law
In the Matter of Select
ing Electors.

Kentucky'y electors for President
and Vice President will, according
to law, meet at Frankfort on the sec
ond Monday in january, which is jan
uary IL, to make a return of the vote
cast in the State at the last Presi-
dental election. At their meeting
they will also select an official mes
senger to carry the Commemorative
vote to Washington and To deliver it
to the Vice President of the United
States. who will present it along with
the vote of other States to the whole
Senate.
The positions of electors are pblces
of honor, but, according to THE Ken
lucky statutes, the electors receive
the same per diem and the same mile
age as members of the Gneeral AS
sembly receive, or s. a day for the
time they are in session and fifteen
cents a mile on their way to the seat
of government and THE same amount
returning. OF course they will be in
session but one day. According to
the statutes if all the electors are
not present in Frankfort by noon of
January II, majority OF tile electors
present shall elect hteir successors
and the electors thus chosen serve
just as If they had been elected orig
inally by the people.
The Kentucky statutes are 50 de-
ftcient on the question of the selec-
tinn of electors for President and
Vice President that unless this defi-
cheney is remedied the chances are
that if there should ever be a con-
test fer the Presidency and If Ken
tucky's vote should be involved, it
would not be difficult for either par
ty ID succeed in having THE vote Of
this State thrwon out This year the
thirteen votes of Kentucky are not
needed by Judge Taft. He has many
more than he needs and the Repub-
licans could gain rAothdng by taking
them away from Mr.. Bryan, for they
could do him no good.
The Federal Constitution contains
a section in which the Legislatures
of the Suites are directed TO enact
legislation providing fer the ap-
pointment of electors fer President
and Vice President" and it says that
the Legislature must direct how these
officers shall be chosen, voted for,
etc. All ether States have laws fol-
lowing out the mandates of the Fed
eral Constitution, but the Kentucky
statutes haven't a word to say on
the subject.
Kentucky has never selected Pres
idenital electors according to law.
She has merely acted according to Gus
tom and has done just what other
States are doing, except the other
States act by law. In all the States
the various political parties nominate
their respective electors and they are
placed ON the Presidential ticket. In
Kentucky the rule for both political
parties has been for the voters in
each congressional district to name
their electors by convention or ether
wise, one elector being chosen by each
party for egoh congressional district
according TO the constitution. Then
the highest governing authority for
each political party in the entireState
selects two electors from the State
at-lhrge to correspond TO the States
two Senator's in Congress. In the
case Of the Republicans and Demo-
Gratis in Kentucky their electors from
the Suate-at-large are always CHOSEN
in State conventions where delegates