Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-10-13
meeting and balloting to determine
MAYER & co.

meeting and balloting to determine
which should he elected
When the convention got down to a
consideration of the question it would
adopt one plan. A little later some one
would suggest a new objection to that
plan and move a reconsideration. 1hls
motion would prevail. and then another
plan would be adopted. Again objections
would be forthcoming ana again inc
question reopened- June :. by vote OF
eight to two states. it was decided that
Congress should exercise the power OF
choice. That action was reafilrmed July
IT, but two days later the convention
seemed to lose faith in this method OF
election. because it rescnded the for
mer action and decided that the choice
should be made by the legislatures. rive
days later it switched back to an eIectioh
by Congress again. About month later
another switch was made. and this time
the election was to be made by body
of electors to be chosen by the people OF
the several states. but this was lost on the
next motion, by majority OF one
Finally, the whole matter was reierle
to a committee of eleven. and in few
DAYS that committee reported a plan
which, with a few notifications, was
finally accepted.
1t provided that each state should ap-
point in any manner the legislature
thereof, should
D-nv;1od for direct a number
of electors equal
Naming Electors. to the whole
number of senators and representatives.
the state might have in Congress. These
electors, however appointed. were 10
meet in their respective states ana vote
NV ballot for two persons for President
ono of whom at least should not be an
inbahitant of the same state as them
selves.
The lists of all these ballots were to pc
sent TO the President of the Senate 10
be opened by him in the presence pres narso o,
having the greatest number OF votes De
mo a majority. should be President. ana
the. person having the next creates,
number of votes. being majority snouia
be Vice President. In the e|ene vi ~, ~
panrasentatiyes was Immediately to
choose one of the persons voted TOT
for President and. if no one theh nau
a majority the House should make the
the vote being taken by states. In every
case. after the choice of the PRESIDENT
the nerson having the greatest NUMBER OF
votes of the electors was 10 pe wye
President but in case OF Tie the senate
was IN choose by ballot between the two
man lied This plan remained in force
MI ~ rnnlea sant incidents Of the JEFF
ferson- burr contest. in $500 brought
about the ratification of the twelfth
amendment.
=: ::
When the question came UP as to how
tho President should be chosen in the
event that the
Failure to Elect electors could
II
Question Dis, choice. it was
first proposed that the electors should
choose two numbers from each state to
constitute a single electoral college,
which should assemble in Washington.
and being presided over by the chief
Justice of the Supreme Court. choose. by
plurality vote. from the three candidates
receiving the highest vote in the electoral
colleges. the next chief magistrate.
The country did not have to wait long
until the fatal weakness of the electoral
clause of the Constitution, as finally ad-
onted was demonstrated. When, in 1900
Jefferson and Burr were the republican
candidates for President and Vice Pres
ident, respectively. and they tied. under
the letter of the Constitution, Burr was en-
titled TO claim as much right to go into
the White House as Jefferson had. But
no one had ever thought Of Burr as
candidate for the presidency. And yet
his ambition caused him to insist upon