Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1913-11-25
WOULD CHANGE TIM ELECTION
or THE PRESIDENTINL
ELECTORS.
DISTRICTS AS SUBDIVISIONS



'''' '"'''''''' ''''''''"'''''''
ton, has introduced today an amend
ment to Paragraph :, section J, ot
ArucleZ, OF the constitution OF ih'
United States 70 chanSe the method
OF electlns presidential electors by
states to electng them by congress
s-ohal districts. HIS proposed amend
n'nt Is as lollo"s'
There shalI be chosen iInm 'a'h
state number OF electors cqUdI 10
the whole number or representatives.
10 when the state may be entitled IN
the congress. Provided, such electors
shall be elected by the qualified voters
within representative districts, ana
nach be entitled 10 numbe' on cleo
tors equal To the number OF Iepresen-
lauNes chosen from and wltnln such
district To the congress.
The purpose of this amendment as
explained by MT Murray Is 10 break
down state machlue control IN pr'Sl-
Dental elections ana force the cleo
uon nearer the people ana ny con
gressionM districts rather than by
says
The primary effect of this amend
ment IS to remove pivotal stateism'
or the necessity OF nomlnatlAr man
from given state in order 10 carry
the state and win his election Arti-
Gle II or the Constitution now pro-
WIDEN: Each state shall appoint in
such manner as the legislature there
OF may direct number " electors
equal to the whole number or senator's
ana representatives TO which the state
may be entitled In the congress.
nder this provision any state may
elect the presidential electors by the
people, or by the Legislature, or they
may be appointed by the governor. All
these methods have been used In the
past. South Carolina was tho last to
change and go to election Of the cleo
tors by vote OF the people ana that
as late as 1858.
The purpose of the electoral col
lege by the makers of the Constitu-
| ton was a sound one in this 1t was
the only means by which thr power
| to determine the qualification Of
voters could be left with the several
states. 1t will readily be observed
that under the electoral college
state may, or may not as f. chooses,
have woman suffrage, property am
| educational or any other Iualiflca-
tion for voters, and the result Will be
the same; because electors are based
upon population tplus two for the
senators) rather than upon the votes
The wisdom of leaving with the states
the power over suffrage and the cleo
tons, is better shown now than when
the Constitution was written, since
suffrage must depend upon the char
acter and intelligence of the people. ]
have no desire to cripple the system
of the Electoral college, bur along
with its merits has grown up evils.
We nominate men for president be-
cause of their ability TO carry Ger
tain state, whose popularity IN that
state may be determined BY local Is
sues or his control over the state or
ganization or machine. Hence such
evil Is not calculated to insure the
best men for president /" choose
men because or their location is never
safe itself
My proposd amendment strikes out
two electors from each state nor the
senators) and gives NUMBER equal
to the number OF congressman VINO
are proportloned among the states ac-
cording to the population' ana pro-
vtdes that they shall be elected IN the
several congressional districts 80 that
in the event Of its ratiflcatlon the par
ty battle VIII not be maze ny states
but by congressional dlstrlcts' Ana
should state, Ike New YORK with
ffty-fVe presiuehtial eiectolS' go py
one vote majority Tor particular
| candidate II would be equlNalehl 10
the unanimous vote as the torty-fiVe
electoral votes would be cast az unit
and the unit rule ~ itself unWhole-
| some. But under my amendment IL
| New York went Tor the Democratic
ticket in say eighteen districts, and
for the Republican ticket In seventeen
and for the Progressive ticket In elght
tive numbers would be cas-. In the
electoral college for the three respec-