The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1912-08-05
ELECTION OF PRESIDENT.

pN reason OF certain ulsDOOeSJ Pollt-
ical tactics that are threatened and in
part begun the present year, there
would seem to be need of making
some change in our present methods
of electinc the President and the Vice
President. A good many have favored
the idcs of having the people elect
these officers direct. but there are diff
culties in the way of this that can cas-
ily be suggested. First of all, there
are number of woman suffrage States
which would be put at distinct ad-
vantage as compared with other States
where the suffrage is confined TO the
male sex. and the votes in the woman
suffrage States might so prepouderate
as to overbalance the votes of States
having only male voters. to the discon.
tent of the latter. And then, in the
South. in spite of the Constitution
guaranteeing the suffrage TO the negro
race, that race is in fact disfrapchised.
And so. by reason of these inequalities,
there would be a certain injustice in
electing the President and the Vice
President By popular ballot. II is easy
to see, however. that change that
would make the election by popular
to promote woman suffrage widely aud
in the Southern States to actually en-.
franchise the negroes: and If that were
done doubtless the negroes would be
practically compelled To vote with the
whites, and thus enormous Democratic
majorities could be rolled up in the
Southern States, where there is practi-
callv 70 Republican vote, maiorities
large enough TO overwhelm all OF the
other States in the Union. II seems to
the mass of the popular vote might
create worse conditions than we have
now, and could tend powerfully to dis
content, and even to the disiutegration
of the Union.
We have suggested in the past. how
ever, and will now renew the sugges
tion of remedial change in prsctice
one that would do no violence
TO the established principles of the
Constitution, nor TO the practice that
has hitherto prevailed in the election
OF President and Fice-Presdent. Our
suggestion is that the electoral college
be made a continuous body; that the
members of it be elected for four
years. and any vacancy in the number
of electors in anv State by death or
81 H. 80 49,.
the remaining electors themselves or
bv special or general election in that
State. In this usv We would have
continuous electoral body available for
the election of a President and Vice
President, 10 case both should die or
be assassinsted. or for the election Of
Vice.President in case Of the death
or disability Of the President, when
the vice-President succeeds to the of
fee. In that way VIC would have
constitutional BODY always in exist
ence. and always ready TO act in case
Of an emergency. In fact, il seems to
be a fairly clear case that Congress
by law might enact that the electoral
body should be chosen for four years,
and remain actively as an electoral
college for any emergency and for all
the purposes of its creation. without
any change in the Constitution.
Next, we would have this electoral
college assemble as a National body,
and not have the members Of IL in the
different states meet. as now. in the
capital of their States and cast tneir
votes. transmitting the result to Wash.
ingtou; for in that case there is no
opportunity for consultation, and in
case the President or Vice President
elect. OF either, should die after the
popular election and before the elec-
toral college meets, there would be, un.
der our present system, no way 20
meet this emergency: but as proposed,
the electoral college being continuous,
and meeting in the National capital as
a whole, and comprising in its body
number corresponding 10 the whole
unmhsr of Senators and Representa-.