Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1912-06-01
CHOOSING Of THE
CHIEF EXECUTIVE
Ideas Of Fathers From Very Begin
ming Was Not Followed In
Electing Executive.
fRY frederic ]. tlaskln.l

The most conspicuous failure of the
attempt to prescribe the method of
selecting the president of the United
States. In a perfunctory fashion the
forms OF the constitutional method
have been followed, but even those
forms were changed when they inter-
fered with the popular and extra-con-
stitutional method. No president, not
even George Washington, ever has
been chosen by the method laid down
in the Constitution.
This is all the more curious when
considered in the light OF the fact that
the only part of the Constitution that
was not subjected to severely hostile
criticism when it was pending for rat
ication by the states was the provis-
ion for this very election of the presi-
dent. Mr. Madison and Mr. Hamilton
both said in The Federalist that the
provision for electing the president
was the only part of the Constitution
which had not been assaled.
AS everyone KNOWS the Constitution
provided that the states select. by
any method prescribed by the state
Legislature. a number of electors
equal TO the total number of the rep
resentatives and senators of that
state in Congress, and that those cleo
tors should of their elaboration select
a man to be president of the country.
1t was undoubtedly the plan and pur-
pose of the fathers that the electors
always would choose some dignifed
and distinguished citizen, not a sup
porter of any political party, who
should preside over the nation from
the lofty station of man too broad
for partisanry, too wise for factional-
ism, too natural for sectionalism.
When the Constitution was being
formed the delegates to the conven-
ion had before their eyes, in the per
son of the president of the conven-
ton, such a man. The electors chosen
to name the first president. the legls-
latures of the states ard the people
Of the infant republic all were unani-
mously agreed that that man should
be made the first president He was
George Washington,
Justifying the conception held by
the convention of the presidential Of
fee, and justifying the confidence re-
posed in him by the states and the
people, President Washington decln-
ed to be a partisan, but invited into
his cabinet Hamilton and jefferson,
two pre-eminent leaders of the two
antagonstc schools of political
thought.
No Liberty of Action.
But even in this first election the
presidential electors were given no
liberty of action. They were chosen
for the purpose of voting for Wash
ington. and they so voted Four years
later the same thing was repeated and
Washington was reelected.
For the first time there were rivals
for the presidency in 1896, and the
electors chosen in the states obeyed
the mandate Of the party powers that
chose them ana II they We're Federal
lists they voted for John Adams, and if
they were Observation-Disclosures
they voted for Thomas jefferson.
Four years later there was no cleo
ton, and the issue of the presidency
was sent to the House Of Representa-
tiyes, The Constitution originally pro-
vlded that each elector should cast his
votes for two candidates for president
and that the one nayipg the highest
number Of votes being Q majority of
the whole should be president, and the
one having the next highest number Of
votes. being a majority of the whole,
should be vice president If the cleo
toral college had been indeed a DELHI.
erative body this probably would have
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