El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1912-05-30


scribe the method of selecting the pres
ident of the United States. In a per-
Tu1ctOry fashion the forms of the con-
| stituuOnal method have been followed,
but even those forms were changed
I when they interfered with the popular
and eXtra-cOnstitutiOnal method No
I president not even George Washington,
| ever has been chosen by the method
laid down in the constitution
This is al the more curious when
considered in the light of the fact that
the only part OF the constitution that
J was not subjected to severely hostile
criticism when il was pending for rat
lfication by the states. was the prOvis-
ion for this very election of the presi-
dent Madison and Hamilton, who were
the chief authors OF the document ana
who were its champion defenders when
it was referred to the states. both said
I in the Federalist that the provision
/ for electing the president was the only
, part Of the constitution which had not
| been assailed, and the only feature
| which even the opponents of the con-
stitutOn admitted was good
The constitutional Method.
As every one knows. the cOnstitu-
ton provided that the states select by
any method prescribed by the state
legislature, a number Of electors equal
to the total number of the representa-
tives and senators Of that state in con-
gress, and that those electors should Of
their elaboration select man to be
=
dOubtedly the plan and purpose Of the
fathers that the electors always would
choose some dlgnltleQ end distinguished
citizen, not a supporter of any political
party, who should preside over the na-
ton from the lofty station of a man
too broad for partisanry, too wise for
factionalism, too national for section
alism-
When the constitution was being
formed the delegates TO the convention
had before their eyes, in the person Of
the president Of the convention, such =
man The electors chosen to name the
first president. the legislatures Of the
states, and the people of the infant re-
public all Were unanimously agreed
that that man should be made the first
president. He was George Washington
Jusufying the conception held by the
convention of the presidential office,
and justifying the confidence repOsed
IN MIN by the states and people, presi-
dent Washington declined to be a par
tisan, but invited into his cabinet Ham
iltOn and Jefferson, the two preemf-
nent leaders OF the two anita gonistic l
schools Of political thought. from whom
flowed out the political party princi-
pies that have since divided the peO-
pie OF this country into two major
factions.
violated in First Election.
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 I
Washington was reelected.
For the first time there were rivals
Tor the presidency in 1896. and al !
though there were no nominations and {
no formal party organizations. the 1
electors chosen in the states obevfne- !
the mandates Of the party powers that I
chose them, whether the people in pop I
ular election as in some states, or the
legislatures as in other states, and if
they were Federalists they voted for
John Adams, and If they were Demo-
neutrality-suspicious. they voted for
Thomas Jefferson.
No Election Next Time.
Four years later the absolute LOYALTY
Of the electors to the party mandate
was Such that there was no election,
and the issue of the presidency was
sent TO the house OF representative
The constitution originally provided
that each electOr should cast his votes
1or Two candidates for president. and
that the one having the highest num- |
Der OF votes, being maJOrity OF the I
whole, should be president, and the one /
having the next highest number OF /
votes, being majority of the whole, /
should be vice president. If the cleo /
lOral college had been indeed a DELHI &
erative body this probably would have /
resulted IN the second choice for presi- i
dent always being made vice presi- ]
dent But the loyalty OF the electors /
10 the mandate Of the people was such !
Burr, the two DemOcrat ic-Republican !
candidates, each received % votes The I
election, therefore. went to the house i
Of representatives, where. due to the
patriotism Of Alexander Hamilton, JET
terson, who was the real choice for
president was elected This was fol-
lowed Immediately by the amendment /
OF the constitution TO provide for a
separate ballot OF the electors for the
OIIlce Of vice president. As was ineVi- /
table, this further departure from the I
original constitutional scheme result
ed IN the succession to the vice pres
ldency being used as minor and in
Terror office, often bestowed to pla-
cate faction or assertion
In this year Of i 30 for the first time !
there were nominations for president.
The Federaist members Of congress
held conference in the senate cham
Der early in the year and agreed to
support Adams for second term A
Few weeks later the emOcratic-Re-
publican members Of congress held a
secret caucus and agreed to support
Jefferson for president and Burr for
wee president These conferences were
not, however, formal in character and
their decision was not presumed to be
anything more than the expression OF
the general sense Of the supporters Of
the two parties. The fact that the nom
nations were made was not formally I
and no report of the pro-
eeedings Of these conferences ever was
published.
Formal Nominations.
-Four years later, however, formal |
nominations for the presidency were |
made. A regular caucus Of the Demo-
cratic-Repu blican members Of congress
was held on February %, 1904, at which [ I
Thomas jefferson and George Clinton |
were unanimously nominated for the / ,
offices of president and vice president, ;
respectively. The Federalists did not
hold a caucus, but by a general agree
nent of a more formal character than [
yer before. they supported Charles c. 4
'inckney for president and Rufus r
King for vice president and Rufus | .
ion Jefferson received 162 votes as
lgainst only II for Pinckney.
The victorious and dominant Demo- I
,ratic-Republican party then assumed ! I
hat the congressional caucus was the S
accepted means of choosing the presi- s
lent This grew out Of the fact that !
political party divisions appeared in
congress before they were defined ]
.mong the people, and that even after
he Federalists had been almost annihi- 7
ated in the electoral colleges, they stiu | v
possessed considerable strength in con- Z
,ress D.
The members of congress assumed
hat they were the political as wei as Z
he legislative representatives. of the j
eOpIe and felt themselves obligated 10 | q