The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1912-08-03
Press Comment

Bismarck Tribune: A candidate for
presidential elector on the republican
ticket in Ohio has announced that he
will vote for Colonel R~oosevelt,if elected
no matter if the state votes for Mr..
Taft. This is strictly within his rights
under the constitution and is in direct
line with the original idea in framing
constitution, but it is not in line
with the present idea of what is honest
in politics. The original idea Of the
fathers in framing our method of elect
ing a president n vice president was
that the electors, chosen by the people
of the states, either by popular vote or
through the medium of the Legislature,
should vote for the w persons who in
their estimation would best NIL the Of
fees, the only limitation being that
they should not vote for two men re-
siding in the same state with the
elector.
The object of adopting this method
was to remoye the selection from any
sudden gust of passion or OF personal
popularity or the part Of some design
ing person. 1t was thought this meth
cd would lend dignity to the selection
OF chief magistrates, and so hedge 1T
about that cool, second thought might
take the place of momentary enthusi-
asm on the part of the people. For
100 years, however, it has been the rule
govern, and only once, up to the present
time, has any elector had the temerity
to break the rule. That was in the Sec
ond election of Monroe. Every state
had voted for him, and it was expected
tina he would receive the unanimous
vote of the electors, but one elector In
New Hampshire cast his vote for John
Quincy Adams. 1t is said he did this
for the reason that he thought no man
after Washington should be elected by
a unanimous vote.
Up to 1910 it frequently occurred that
both Maryland and Vermont divided
their votes, but those were the lays be-
fore parties became a fixed part OF our
political system. 1t has occurred on
large voted for the candidate of m
party, one or more opposing electors
pulled through. Thus in 1892 Cleve-
land received one vote in Ohio and one
in Oregon, although a of those
states went republican and Harrison
got a vote In California and North Da-
kota, while the popular vote was for
Cleveland, and Michigan divided her
In 1874 a strong effort was made In
the senate to amend the constitution so
as to do away with the electoral col
lege letting each state vote directly
for president and vice president, The
vote being certified to by congress, that
body was to give the successful candt-
date as many votes as the state had
| representatives in congress. 1t was ar
gued in favor of this plan that 1T would
| avoid any political treachery on the
part OF an elector by voting contrary
to h wishes Of a majority OF the peg
prevent just C attempts as that
threatened by the Ohio elector. Under
present political methods an elector is
only the mouthpiece of a majority of
the people of his state, and it would be
regarded as political treachery for him
to vote contrary to the wishes OF the
majority, just to suit his own personal
Next to the philosophers stone, a
tariff system that would provide gem
eral revision downward without hurt
ing any protected industry rs the most
ity can attempt.
Mimic Journal: The meeting at Far
go last week Tor the purpose or con
alive to the stand to be taken relative
to the proposed third party convention
to be held in Chicago next Monday, we
consider did all in its province when
it chose a set of delegates to represent
this state in the convention. While
| most people doubt the effectiveness of
the movement and h chances of sue
that will be put in the field by that
| convention, yet 1t will supply a ticket
that probably will receive the bulk of
the republican vote of the state, that
being opposed to Taft would otherwise
go to the opposition or not be cast at
| all SO far as the head of the ticket Is
concerned. But the proposition set
4 dL# LndI- AACOLAAl5 GAA
| new state ticket in the field lis prepos-
ferrous. The state ticket nominated at
the primaries liz a good one and salts
| factory to the republicans OF the state.
Let it alone and It will be elected in it's
entirety and that is what the majority
Of the voters we believe want to see
done.
Monango journal: is the personal
and vindictive ennaity OF one man for
! another to be allowed to defeat the
cause of ~nationaI progressiveism so
far as North Dakota LIS concerned2
Upon the answer which the voters OF
| the state give to these two questions,
depends In a large degree the trium-
phant progress or the death blow to
i the movement in this state.
Not in the history of III state has
there been so bare faced, so fraudulent
and so selfish O. theft as that perpetrat@
ed at the state Roosevelt convention
held in Fargo Friday morning Nearly
one-half OF the Roosevelt men who at
tended the convention were ~railroaded
out of the meeting without a hearing,
without trial-and upon the dictum Of
one man, w. s. Lauder OF Wahpeton,
gag rule artist and ~debancher Of clean
Mnrn Yhnn 100 anthustantar Ronmnvnt4