The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1913-07-14
GOING TOO FAR.

GOlNG TOO EAE.
The report is that President Wilson is
not only advocating tho abolition of
National political conventions for nomi-
mating purposes, but also the elimination
Of the electoral college in the choosing
of President and Vice. e.President Of the
United States. We have not seen any
definite statement as to how he would
provide as to this, but only the informa
tlon quoted in a general way. Prosuma
bly, the President, in favoring the aboIi
tlon OF the electoral college, would wish
to have the President elected directly
by the people, and the candidate receiv-
ing the highest number Of popular votes
declared elected. Evidently this would
give immense opportunities for fraud,
and for the overbcaring of the popular
VIII by manipulation in populous States,
or by Tammany in New York. IN re-
turning bogus maiorities The PROPOSE.
tion is a new one, and is not likely to
reach any acute form for years to come,
If ever. AS matter Of fact, the cleo
toral college should be strengthened,
and given greater length of service than
at present. AS we have urged hereto
fore, the electoral college should be
made permanent body, with terms last.
ing for four years, which would meet,
not at tho capitals of the States, but
in the National capital, and there cast
its votes, and whenever there is a va
cancy in the office of President and the
Vice President elected succeeds to the
Presidency, the electoral college should
be called together to choose Vice-Presi-
dent, or III case Of q vacancy in both of
fices. should fill both We consider the
electoral college the great conservative
and reserve force in the machinery of
our Government, It is body that has
been considered Of too little importance
Much more ought to he made of 1T, and
il should he put to the highest possible
service
We do not understand exactly what
some of the present reformers are try.
ing to get at. II would look really as
though they were tired of living under
the republican form Of government that
we have had. and want to substitute for
it some other form that they conceive
would better serve their purpose under
the claim that they want to see the peo-
pie have more complete rule. The peo-
pie have absolute rule as it is, and
as for amending the Constitution, the
difficulty of which has been magnified,
the adoption of two amendments in one
year, one permitting of the imposition
of direct income tax, and the other
for the direct election of q. 5. Senators
by the people, demonstrates that there
is no great difficulty, and but very lit
tie delay, in amending the Constitution
when the people wish to have it
amended.
1t is possible that the people Of the
United States are tired of living under
the Republic as the Fathers founded it.
We would require greater proof Of this.
however, than is afforded in the expires.
sion of opinion by President Wilson or
by Col Roosevelt The great masses of
the American people are, we fully be
lieve, entirely content with the Republic
as they received it from their forefa
theirs, and we DO not believe that they
will sanction any radical tampering
with it such as is proposed by the aboli-
ton of the electoral college.