davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1913-01-12
Present System of Presidential Selection Leads
to misunderstanding of Electoral College
Tomorrow Brings Up Question of What
Original Intentions of Makers of
Constitution We're

all the electors were elected by direct
vote OF the people. Thus they are now
CHOSEN, and II they were permitted to
assemble in convention and nominte the
candidates for whom their formal votes
should be cast the system would indeeo
be ideal.
In recent articles in The Forum IRE
produced in this paper November 3 and
December l. 1872 1 have shown how the
authors of the Constitution provided at
first that the electors of all the States
should assemble as Grand Electoral
college, and both select and elect the
President; but afterward, In view of diff
flculties of travel arranged that they
should meet in the States and certify
their votes to the Congress. Thus the
electors were rendered powerless to make
choice and were consequently COM
PEELED to accept and vote for candidates
dictated by Congressional caucuses, and
later by party conventions. but Congress
ought to authorize the electors to as
semble for conference and the nominal
ton of candidates. Nominating conven-
tons then would be needless and ought
to be prohibited as forestalling the choice
q. e. impairing the freedom) of the cleo
tors, VINO are constitutional officers OF the
government.
In electing the electors themselves, the
(such as nomination by primary election
in each Congressional district. should be
employed to procure men representative
individually of their constituencies, and
collectively OF the public opinion of the
nation. The electors should also be adj
vised by a Presidential preference vote
of the people, given without previous
nomination. and properly tabulated for
study. Thus selected and thus instruct
ed. the Electoral College would be the
best agency possible for electing the Pres
ident. On election day, we, the entire
body of voters, would deposit our bollots,
every voter Of us, having written on his
ballot df he so desired the name of
his preference for President. BY the
same ballots we would appoint from
among ourselves a committee Of rexpec-
table citizens, to sift and analyze our
preference votes and select the best man.
The procedure of this committee of SCI
electors has been explained in the for
mer articles.
Direct Vote UntainabIe.
Let II be conceded at once that the
election Of President by direct vote Of the
people df any regard such method as
desirable Is unattainable. BY that meth.
cd the voting population would act en-
masse, State lines would be obliterated,
The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1913-01-12

49, hx..so..- -. .
nses az ' ss 70 toncn the
D.. - s,S ~. $50 ~ On nus PAIN.
90 :, "a 49, e.s. s ,ore t,an
49,. ....Sa.., seo IN tnat
"Fi,,y tbon.a,a . ~. ,-,...
tu. vo,,a ue. sae ps,es' answered.
aF,rtv thousand,1. ar 80 ,.,s
ny, 'noea NJ me man exclaimed;
Dos.n,t looL liz th., ,,,,ct, a. o..
ono" Fatbsr Danghar,y srswaras
nod been q I,,tIs surnrt.sd hir,.s,, m
,,a. .o,n.,hins a,sapro,n,,na - ~ mere nsr
Of the packaee. He had never ser,
~ ,,,ch money before ana n. ,,a,,a,'
do,s nowar Is trernsnSons nowsr Gu
III, a. re- suddanIv thorgh, Me- -,
csn,ra,ed In a comnass "a small tha,
the mind could hut slowly wheel ahon,
90 ,h. naw Convention The Iocksr,J,h
sr,ta
.aS,.,t J-r,,obt Lbo,d 4, a sacord-
g., ~ ou,n band7" he .aid
rha n,Ies, gave the hurdle into tn.
,.nd hardsneS nv M much honest toiI,
Tha WAN held q beavine n ,,p and down
,ncrsd,,Iou.iv. testing its weight Then
h. ave n hack
.Thank." he .a,d and sighed
rba tue aldsrmen had returned from
,h.tr ,i,tI. confsrenca
"yo,,r r,verence +" bepan McOuirx hest
foftno1v a
yop-in nrivate?" He looked susptciously
~ tha xorsman The prizes, went with
tben a little vay apart.
NV 1--WE know about that" McouIrk point
al 90 the b,ndJe'
.you do. do vou7- said the priest
sb,rnIv
we. father" Bretzenser said. IT'S
,.,a-wa1 q belon0. To the company.
.;r"
"wba+ comnarvrr
.-yyeu Won know the new Ra-ah. that
,x M BALDWIN the LAWYER. You know
III, -.
"ceorpa r p, asked Father Daueherty.
ayes your r,verence." said both men
honasr,Iy "rt should 20 bacx to him"
,rha nries, Hooked at them. and they
caugbt again that amused oppression IN
h;s 90 7, mt ther, m AT ease and "
rou.aa r..srtnent IN Rretzenper who
81, tL.t ri. coI,, nrJezt couId road hin,
80 waiI
..Tona n, :, balongs to vou. then. I
sunnose- observed Father Dausberty.
IA ,v.,I-oF course" Ncouirk urrea
- ID .,oa,ad that he No. ,rving
a., "a. 80 ~ % i-,nress tha nrias,
a., s -. s,.,,,nre.,eS,. ..OS
49, on s..t.,o5 q. - 49,, >,
.S,,e,s, pns,,.ns. "a syaIi,,s ,.Itb
,t.., 1880 - "a 800 % haIn
, Sne N''ie ' ia' t'U
'ii M. 1. s. O.. h,.,x -
>" ~
s.Tr. ..,.,. .,-~ .no,,
.mWSn ,..,,,. =. :,
wen, ne Gan eoie anu ~;
sau amer GheI'S'
1920 ene w. , an -
ms ms ioS' - n1He "oS -
run, tne .'iioa s'asteu .ie "oheS Hi.o
al inner poceI me ueeu seemed "
The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1913-01-12

OF the person TO whom SO important q
trust was to be confided. This end
VIII be answered by committing the
right OF making II, not to any pre-
established body. but to men chosen
Tor the special purpose and at the
particular juncture.' And again.
The mode least favorable to intrigue
and corruption. that In which the
unbiased voice OF the people wonId
be most attended to. and tha, 49,
viii be least likely to terminate in
violence and usurpation. ought TO be
adopted"
Would Feel Responsibility.
II the function OF the electors vsrs
made reality they as average ON
Americans selected by their FELLOW, ci,,-
zens Tor a solemn trust. would feel Their
responsibility keenly. They would he ,ro.
'eeteo ana restrained by a thorough cor.
rupt-practices law. their brief official ax,
ls'ence would be spent and their dutv na,.
formed In the very glare of pubI,citv =,
'ahes out a feeble optimism to predfc,
.a' corruption among them would be
practically non-existent. A sentinen, M
oiheiai integrity would grow around an
ctor' winch would soon become tradi-
Dt as unSaemlV f.
tempt TO bias an elector as a Judge ON
the bench. Obviously 1t would he i'm
possible for a President to comnunicats
win the electors. They would assemble
10 make their choice within thirty DAYS
vi tner own election. Their outgoinCs
ara incomings meantime as well as the
fresioehts. would be observed of all
men. III not restrained by a high sense
OF propriety, he would be hindered by
me oimcuities OF the situation from ca
ertins any influence over them, and they
Should be prohibited by law from re-
cefving from the person elected any office
or beneht directly or Indirectly. His
road to reelection then would not be
the corraiiing of delegates to the con-
Vehtion. or giving and promising Office
or favoring corporations but an able
aro patriotic administration of the gov
eminent. Upon the select body of men
who would govern destiny none Of the
evil Influences referred to above woulo
have any power
II would seem, therefore that before
attempting to amend the Constitution
either as to the Presidents term ana
ehgibility, or as to-the manner of elect
ing him, We ought to try the results OF
making the constitutional methods effec-
tive. Givs the Constitution chance. To
institute this reform a brief act SHOULD
Ce passed at an early day prohiDiting
the nominating of candidates for Presi.
dent and Vice President by convention
or otherwise, providing for Presidential
preference vote addressed to the cleo
tors, and requiring the assembling of the
next Electoral College for the purposs
of nominating. Thus would the public
he informed in advance. Afterward tn.
details could be carefully studied and
further provisions found necessary could
be- made In supplemental act or IN
the appropriation bill for the proper year.
The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1913-01-12

and the smaller States would lose the ad-
vantage secured TO them by our Federal
system in giving them a vote in the col
lege for every Senator and Representa-
tive. Also previous nominations would
be more necessary than ever, and the
voters would become more than ever
the blind puppets of irresponsible con-
ventions. The States will hesitate q long
, time before amending the Constitution
in this line. But by very simple legis-
lation and without change in the Consti-
tuition, We may perfect our persent sys-
tenn so it will operate as the fathers in
tended, furnishing a lawful nominating
body and authoritative election agency
i believe careful reflection on the subject
will convince candid minds that the peo-
pie will influence and control the election
of Presidents as far as II can be con-
trolled by them, when their grand COM
mittee. the Electoral College. exercises
its full powers
The effective operation OF the constitu-
tional method of election would cure the
, abuses alleged to result from the posi-
bility of reelection. The length of the
Presidents term and his eligibility to
successive terms were fully considered
by the fathers. For weighty reasons,
after debating proposals of six years and
seven years, they adopted term of four
years and declined to restrict the num-
Der of terms Recall Bancroft's narra-
tive respecting the mode of electing the
President:
The constitutional convention at
first reluctantly conferred that Office
on the National Legislature, voting
in joint ballot. To escape from dan
ger of cabal and corruption it next
transferred full and final power of
choice to an electoral college that
should be an exact counterpart of the
joint convention of the two Houses of
Congress and should meet at the seat
of government - From conf
dence in the purity of the electoral
body thus established, the re-ellgi-
bility OF the Executive was again af-
firmed."
Subject for Platforms.
Their thought was that IL the President
were elected by the Congress or by popu-
lar vote he ought to be limited to one
term. which might be as long as seven
years. but II chosen by a carefully Sc
lected college of electors, great advan-
tage would result from shorter term
with eligibility to reelection. A Presi-
dent who should prove a failure would
not burden the country OVERRIDING, while
the services OF an able and popular Pres
ident would be extended almost as a mat
ter Of course by quiet reelection.
From Washington We received the -un-
written law of two terms only. With
that limitation the Presidency Is so ad-
mirable an institution per Sc that the
most radical progressives and most timid
conservatives may we'll unite In keeping
It KS II is. The re-eligibility of the Ex-
ecutive renders the Office adaptable to
the character Of the man and the cir
cumstances Of the times. and a self
governing enlightened people may safely
remain the guardian of the two-terms
tradition. The establishments OF . one
The Liberal democrat. [volume] (Liberal, Kan.) 1911-1924, 1913-04-11
NORTHEAST SEWARD

Mrs. VIM, Burr gave dance Fri
day night In honor OF c. Reno VINO
leaves for Satanic. Haskell county,
Kansas.
Alvoree Burr and Otis Burr, Ben
Antrim and Miss Jones went down &c
No. 5 to take the common school d.
ploma examination of the 7th grade
Whit Smith went over to the Whit
ford home Thursday morning.
We are glad to report that the six
who we're very sick in Mr.. Ike Abb
bolts family are much better. Also
Miss Carrie Malone, who has been
very sick.
Mrs. Whit Smith had over night
Sunday Mr.. and Mrs. Jake Cook who
were on their way over into Haskell
county.
Mrs. John Watson visited Mrs,
Fred Warner Tuesday.
Charles Shanlow and family moved
a mile farther south. half mile to
the south of the A. c. Glen proper
ty,
Charles Albert was over through
this part of the country distributing
his sale bills for the l1th of April.
Thurman Halsey and Carl Burgess
had a pretty day for their sale last
Wednesday.
The HARDWOOD ball team got caught
in the dust storm coming home from
Satanic Saturday night.
B. B. Whitford and family are
making arrangements to leave for
Elkhart, Texas. where they have IN
vested in a home.
Lula Warner leaves for Larned,
her home. She has been visiting her
brother Fred and family this winter.
C. Reno takes her to Sublette to take
the train Saturday.
Maurice Ward took some horses
to Liberal Monday to sell. He came
back Wednesday. He was success
full in selling.
Lee Rhiness was In Plains the first
of the week.
Mr.. and Mrs Jim Burr and Miss
Roberts we're in Sublette Monday
About 40 attended the Halsey and
Burgess sale Wednesday.
The Liberal democrat. [volume] (Liberal, Kan.) 1911-1924, 1913-04-11
County SchOoINeWs

BY MARY f, TODD

send you some of my school WORK
Please give 1t to papa when you see
it.
/ am a boy scout went out Sat
urday, March 80. | won six points
Yesterday. can not play keeps be-
cause / am a boy scout, and that Is
against the scout laws, but whenever
get 100 in spelling get cent ana
save my pennies and buy marbles.
think the card you sent me very
nice, liked the poem you wrote on
the other side of the card.
Your loving
CHARLES EDWARD WOODS, JR.
His auntie, Miss May Woods sent
us some of his school work: arithme-
tic. spelling, language, geography,
grammar, ethics, penmanship. we
are very much pleased with MS
school work. It hardly seems posi-
BILE that this is his work and that
he will soon be in the Fifth grade
and that he is nine years old. How
fast the little ones grow up!
The new state book commiss on
will meet Thursday, April 10th, and
1t is expected that the commission
will determine at this meeting when
1t will ask that manuscript be SUD
mitted for the next books which Will
he published by the state during the
next year.
At the first meeting of the commits
sion 1t was decided that arrange
hn me do m n1hIigh n
primer, Kansas history and the elias
sizes for the Fifth, Sixth, Seventh
and Eighth grades and have a com
plete supply ready for use at the
opening Of the school year in Sep
TENDER, 1914. Kansas authors are to
be given the preference by the COM
mission in the granting Of the con
tracts to furnish the copy for the
books. There are many Kansas au'
thors who have written school texts
of various kinds, of high quality and
some of these are now in use In the
state and in other states. The Kan
sas history and the primer must all
be written. There are several whC
are contemplating writing a history
of Kansas for school purposes. the
classics course will be taken from
we'll known literature and only the
notes, discussion and references will
have to be worked out by the au-
thors. The commission has not de
cided what books from the classics i
will adopt.
The school board of District No
IL was in getting information for Its
school district before the annual
school meeting. The members are
much interested in having a good
school the coming year.
w. G.. Harnden, treasurer OF Die
trict No. 81, and e. o. Fast, director
Of District No "a, were in the first
of the week TO see il we stlll had
state aid for weak districts. We gave
it as our opinion that we still had the
law and that weak districts would
receive help from the state to run a
seyen-months school. The two weak
est districts in the county are No. 1S
| in the northwest corner and No. 2
in the southeast corner. We have a
few more districts that do not come
up to the 100000 mark, but they
have enough to run their schools
without state aid. The weak dis
! tricts are;
The Liberal democrat. [volume] (Liberal, Kan.) 1911-1924, 1913-04-11
MATING LIST

YARD A-This mating was
specially selected for me from the
yards of A T. Marlz, president
OF the National Buff Orpington
club, and contains plenty of quail
ity to command a much higher
price, bat ! will spare few set
tings at S. 90 for Is eggs.
YARD This yard contains
many of my Liberal and Dalhart
first prize winners and is without
doubt one of the best pens of
birds to be found. Eggs $500
for 10.
YARD 2-This yard is made
up principally of first and second
prize winners at the Liberal Dali
hart and Pratt shows and the
quality demands a higher price.
but | will spare a few settings at
SO 90 per 10.
Yard 3-Yard Three is also
made up principally with prize
winners at the above mentioned
shows. The eggs should bring
a much higher price, but to en-
courage the breeding of thorough
bred chickens BY my farmer
friends | will spare Q few settings
from this yard at $l.6Q per la
eggs.
YARD 4-ThiG pen is made up
Of high quality, and every bird is
a thoroughbred OFDington, but
sope show slight defects and
would not score as high as the
birds in the other pens, but will
make good breeders, and for those
who care only for eggs and meat
this yard will fill the bill. Eggs,
81 90 per Is. No eggs will be
shipped from this yard.
T. w. HUBBARD,
Proprietor of the Golden Plume
Poultry Farm, Liberal, Kans.
Phone 3l37.
Agent for Robert Essex incuba-
tor and BFooder, hstfs
The Liberal democrat. [volume] (Liberal, Kan.) 1911-1924, 1913-04-11
TREE CULTURE AND ARBoR DAY

An old timer, pointing to a line
row of trees in an eastern town, ONE
told the writer that they were set
out by himself and others as a way OF
celebrating July A. In the simple
quiet of the little village OF his early
youth, it was an older generations
theory of how to have good time:
Voluntary effort of this kind 'has
become so rare, and the barrennass
of many of the newer towns Is 80
bald and glaring, that Arbor Day
has become quite general spring
festival in many states, though not
one man in q hundred can tell the
date
II more people realized that tree
culture is one of the easiest ways OF
improving real estate, the methods
employed by land spectators won d
be very different.
Suppose you compare two streets
of equally pleasant location and with
identical public improvements, and
having houses Of equal value. Let
one street have a thrifty growth OF
little trees, say 10 years old, and the
other have no trees. 1t Is probable
that In any live town on the street
with trees, the houses would be
worth 10 to 20 per cent more than
those without them.
Even an attractive house looks
bare and forbidding if unscreened by
any tree growth. The eye spots it's
defects and excrescences, If attention
is not diverted by natural beauty
Even shabby house looks home
like and inviting If there are trees to
help screen it. 1t is not so much that
defects are hidden, as that the eye
s so pleased by the symmetry of a
good tree that the blets in the pic
ture go unnoticed.
There is too much of the spirit of
"Let George do it," about town i'm
provement. Why walt for street SUI
perintendents to plant trees in front
of your house? A few little sapllBos
cost little and one can frequently
find them for the asking on a holiday
excursion into the country.
The Liberal democrat. [volume] (Liberal, Kan.) 1911-1924, 1913-04-11

A weak district is q district whose
valuation Is less than 100000. The
state tells the weak districts to make
levy OF Al mills or rather vote
$3.50 to run their school. The state
and county makes up the difference
between what Al mills will raise and
$3.50. Take district 10, the weakest
district; AZ mills will raise $159.237,
the state and county will give the
district $290.763, state appropria-
ton and county fines, would be taken
out of this, so less amount would
be given the district.
Under the new law governing the
granting OF certificates to the pupils,
school teachers Of Kansas some few
requirements are added, among them
being more studies on which the
prospective candidate must pass the
examination: Third grade: orthog-
raphy reading, writing, English
grammar, composition, geography,
arithmetic, y. s. history, Kansas
history, civil government, PHYSIOLOGY,
hygiene, elements Of agriculture,
principles and methods OF teaching,
elementary science, inclding physl-
cal geography and botany.
Second grade--All of the above
plus music and English literature.
First grade-All Of the above plus
algebra, ancient and modern history,
bookkeeping, elementary science, IN
Guiding physical geography, botany
and physics.
First grade certificates may be re-
newed as heretofore, provided tha'
the holders make grades in all OF the
subjects required by law.
No high school training required
for third grade, one year for sec
ond grade and two years for frs
grade,
The congress that expired Marct
had appropriated s2,23S,470,99O
This breaks all records. We wonde
what the new Congress will do il
the matter Of appropriations.
The following is the state appro
priation for the schools of Seward
county for the year 1912:
The Liberal democrat. [volume] (Liberal, Kan.) 1911-1924, 1913-04-11
HARDWOOD

A ball game was played Sunday
at Satanta between that town and
tIarwood. Satanic won and expects
to come to Harwood to play next
Sunday.
Mss Ruby Rhiness gave a dance
Friday night at her home. A large
crowd attended.
Bern Patton went to Satanic Sat
urday to play for dance held there
that night.
A fire broke out Sunday near Robt.
Jones place. Men quickly gathered
and fought it out. Everything is so
dry all persons should use great care
to prevent these prairie fires, which
are likely to destroy much properly.
w. E. Burr went to Plains one day
last week for we'll repairs.
Last Friday Miss Ula Antrim OF tie
Rhiness school went to take the
county examination, held at Lone
Prairie school house. The pupils OF
the Banner school who took the ex
animation are: Otis Burr, Emory, AL
yoree and Audrey Burr, and MISS
Mona Jones.
Mr.. and Mrs. J. H. Burr and
daughter made trip to Sublettt
Saturday.
Harwood Patton and family were
visitors Sunday at the Harvey home
Mrs. Jessie Harvey has been carry.
ing the HarwOod mail. The mai
route Is soon to be changed and WI
extend only to Sublette, Instead o.
Santa Fe.
The Liberal democrat. [volume] (Liberal, Kan.) 1911-1924, 1913-04-11
EUREKA

v. capps made trip to Liberal
Sunday.
We had a good turnout at Sunday
school and Bro Groat Of Liberal
preached a fine sermon after Sunday
school, He breaches at night on the
18th.
Mrs. c. Z. Morehouse and Mrs
G. H. Morehouse were in Liberal
Friday and marketed over two cases
Of eggs.
Mrs. w. A, King and Mrs. W. T.,
Caps were in Liberal Friday.
Mrs. Ed Hudkins was on the sick
list Sunday.
Still the wind blows and we need
rain for the crops.
Walter Elliott, w. A. King and w.
T. Caps were helping w. Capps on
his siIo last week.
C. Il. Morehouse was drilling oats
and barley last week.
Mrs. Gertie Shaffer and her moth
err called at the G. e. Morehouse
home Tuesday afternoon to look at
Mrs. G. e. Warehouses; chickens. She
has 1870 little chicks. They thought
they were fine.
Mrs. Guber has over 100 little
chickens and Mrs. w, A. King about
that many Mrs. Capps has so.
w. T. Caps marketed his broom
corn in Liberal last week.
Mrs. Walter Elliott was on the sick
list last week.
Geo, Clark was at church at Eu-
reka Sunday.
C. H. Morehouse was listing this
week.
Geo. Clark was at church at Eure.
ka Sunday,
G. II. Morehouse was listing thii
week.
The Liberal democrat. [volume] (Liberal, Kan.) 1911-1924, 1913-04-11
MethodistC Church.

Subject for next Sunday morning;
sit a Man Sin" Evening subject;
"The Sun Upon Gideon, the Moon
Upon Aialon."
Sunday School, Fist Church, 9A5
a. m. This is missionary Sunday and
the program will be in charge Of u
D. Cooper's class. Wesley Chapel
800 p, m.
Glass meeting, 1900 NJ.
Epworth league, 100 p. m.
The ladies OF this church remove
their hats just before the sermon.
Courteous ushers, cordial well
come.
WIN. T. WARD, Pastor.