The Mankato free press., 1912-07-26
THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTORS.

The ST. Louis Globe-Democrat
takes the logical position that there
ought not to be any doubt about
the vote of presidential elector.
Under the wise and democratic GUS
tom which has prevailed almost
from the beginning, of the republic,
the elector is required to cast his
vote for the candidates named by
the national convention of the party
which selected him for that duty.
He is merely vehicle for the ex-
preston of the wishes of the party.
1t is true that under the letter of
the constitution he has the right to
cast his vote for whOmsoever he
pleases, but no elector has yet had
the hardihood to vote for any man
for president who was not regularly
nominated candidate of the party
which the elector was chosen to
represent
That candidate may be personally
repugnant to the elector; the elec-
tor, between the time Of his state
convention and the general election,
may have radically changed his po-
litical views; yet he is morally
obligated to cast his ballot for the
nominee of the party which ap-
pointed him it's voting agent He
has no personal choice in the mat
ter. No elector since the present
nominating system was established
has ever claimed to have or has
ever exercised, the right of choice.
The peculiar conditions of the pres.
ent campaign have brought this
question to the front, practically for
the first time. Republican electors
in some of the states were named
at conventions held prior to the
national convention at Chicago. A
number of these electors were, and
are, ardent supporters of Mr.. Roose-
welt, and some of them, it is re-
ported, have determined to cast
their ballots for their favorite, re-
gardless of the action of the Chi
cago convention, holding that the
nomination of Mr.. Taft was obtain
ed by unfair methods and therefore,
according to their viewpoint, not
binding upon them. This is not
the place to consider the differences
of opinion as to the honesty of Mr.
Taft's nomination. The point is
this These electors were named
by republican conventions. They
are electors of the republican party
alone, Mr.. Taft is the nominee of
| the national republican convention.
No matter what one may think
about the methods of his nominal
ton, the simple fact remains that
! he is the republican candidate for
president, and the only republican
candidate. Mr.. Roosevelt may be
nominated for president, but he will
not be the candidate of the re-
{ publican party. His, party will bear
some other name. The republican
electors, as private individuals, have
1.-The, right of every American citizen
to think and to vote as they please,
but in their official capacity they
are in honor bound to cast their
ballots in the electoral college for
William Howard Taft, the candi-
date of the republican party.
''It has been suggested in some
states, particularly in Minnesota
where the electors were chosen by
Roosevelt convention, that the
same electors named for the regu-
| lar republican ticket also be the
electors on the Roosevelt ticket,
the electors to cast their vote for
the candidate who carries the
state. Whether the Taft forces will
consent to this arrangement, which
would on first thought seem emf
nently fair, is yet to be ascer-
tained,' says The Globe-Democrat
There are too many republicans in
Minnesota who are of the opinion
| that Mr.. Roosevelt will, if he runs
for president on a third party ticket,
cut the tie that linked him to to-
republican organization and that he
will not be emitted to any assist
ance, comfort or aid from mem
bers of that party men. He will
no longer have a claim on the party
or it's electors.
cn1n rrO~,Il-0