Evening capital news. (Boise, Idaho) 1901-1927, 1912-10-13
BY Frederic J. Haskin.

BY Frederic J. Haskin.
When the constitutional convention
of 1857 committed itself to the task of
framing a plan for choosing the nations
chief magistrate. ii made something OF
Il record for the number of times 1t
changed it's mind and also for the num-
Der Of plans that We're brought forward
and considered. The one thing that
seemed foremost in the minds of the
majority of the members of the con-
vention was the necessity of keeping
the choice out of the hands of congress
on the one hand and out of the hands
of the people on the other.
Mason of Virginia said that it would
be as bad folly to trust the people to
choose the president as it would be to
let blind man match colors. Madison
declared that he felt that to let con-
gress make the choice would be to make
the president creature of it's will and
therefore absolutely lacking in back =
bone IN his dealing with it. Someone
proposed that the choice BE- left to con-
gress and the eligibility of president
limited to one term. TO this Governor
Morris replied that if the road to civil
glory be shut, the president might feel
himself compelled to seek renOwn by the
sword
The main reason why the choice by
the people was opposed was that the
influence Of the Society of the Cincin-
Tat was feared. one member asserted
that if the choice were left with the
peop,e, the dominating influence of the
members of this organization in every
community would line up the voters ;ts
The shepherd herds his flock, and that
the country would degenerate into a
Cincinnati bussed institution. This or
iulnent seemed to carry conviction with
the majority of the members, fer after
j. was made the convention seemed I'M
Willing 10 treat anything in the hands
of the people themselves.
Opposed By Madison.
ono member proposed that the presl-
dent should be CHOSEN by a small body
Of men composed OF three members
from each large state. two members
from eac, medium sized state. and one
member from each small state. When
members proposed that the choice
should bc roposed in congress, Madison
opposed it. saying IL was highly inpor-
tant to keep The president free from
legislative cntanglcmcnts. He said that
while he regarded the people as the fit
test source OF presidential power #
proper safeguards could be thrown
around their Choice. he saw hut little
CHANCE To- provide such safeguards. and
that therefore he favored the choice by
electt.s Gerry wanted n president
chosen by electors, but he thought the
electors. in turn should be chosen by
t. governors Of the states, When the
utostol! finally came up whether the
cfoiCc Snuniu be electors. North Caro-
Ina south Carolina and Georgia all
voted against ii.
There was much fear on The part Of
gone n,"Irhers Of the convention that
electors would not measure up tn the
host standards OF citizenship one of
them announced his belief that they
would not b. FIRST, ~ even second rat"
citizens. and tiat consequently no one
need expect wise choices to BE- made
under such circumstances. Eibridge
Gerry proposed that as electors seemed
10 be Objectionable. the legislatures of
the several states should ballot on the
question Of who should be the next
pre- sdent. and that out of the four lead
ing candidates then disclosed the Uni
ted States should make the choice of
the next chief executive Still another
MEMBER proposed tflal 10 members III
the senate SHOULD he chosen by lot and
that they should make the choice of
the next chief executive. Still another
member proposed that - members of
the esnate should be chosen by lot and
that they should immediately withdraw
and make their selection of a president.
Madison admitted that the real rea-
son why me south could not be brought
to the point of favorng popula
choice of president was that the slaves
Of the suuth could not be allowed to
vote. and that based on the white pop
uiation. the south would have a COM
paratively small say in the choice of a
president. He stated that speaking for
himself alone he would be willing to
give UP whatever advantage the south
would have to forego If that could make
possible the election of the president by
the people directly.
Proposal of Dickinson.
Dickinson Of Delaware proposed that
each state should select it's best man
and put him forward as it's candidate
for the presidency, and that then the
choice from this list should be made by
some other body, either by congress or
by electors appointed by congress.
Think what happy time We would
have electing president today II the
Dickinson plan had gone through. We
would have had 4S states each choosing
a presidential candidate, and then con-
gress meeting and balloting to deter
mine which should be elected.
When the convention got down to a
- - !.