The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1913-12-28
His Direct Election Amend
ment Is Death Blow to
South Politically
ANALYSIS SHOWS ITS
SERIOUS FEATURES
If II Had Been in Effect in 1911
Wilson Could Not Possibly
Have Been Elected
President

Herewith I submit one of many reasons
why the voters of Alabama should voty
for Hon. Oscar Underwood rather thar
Captain Hobson in the coming democratic
senatorial primary.
On December 4, 1911, Capt. R. P Hob
son introduced in Congress the following
joint resolution:
f"Sixty- second Congress. second session
in the House of Representatives, De
cember, 1911.
Mr.. Hobson introduced the following
joint resolution, which was referred &c
the committee on election of President
vice president and representatives in Con-
gress and ordered to be printed:
Joint Resolution an amend
sment to the constitution providing that
the President and vice president shall be
nominated and elected by direct vote of
the people of the several states.
Resolved, by the Senate and House of
Representatives of the United States of
America in Congress assembled two
thirds of each House concurring therein),
That in lieu of the second and fourth
paragraphs of section l, Article II, of the
constitution of the United States, and in
amendments to the constitution of the
United States, the following be proposed
as an amendment to the constitution,
(which Shall be valid to all intents and pur-
poses as part of the constitution when
ratified by the legislatures of three
fourths of the states:
Section l. The President and vice
president shall be elected by the peo-
pie of the several states, and the qualih-
cations for electors in each state shall De
the same as the qualifications for electors
for the most numerous branch OF the leg
islature.
Sec. 2. The elections shall be held in
the several states on the same day, and
within 10 days after the day of election
the governor Of each state shall certify 20
the President the names of the persons
voted for in his state for President and
for vice president and the number IF
votes cast for each. The person receivin 8
the largest number of votes for President
shall be elected President, provided such
number is a majority of all the votes cast
Tor President, and the person receiving
the largest number of votes for vice pres
ident shall be elected vice president, pro-
vided such number is a majority of all the
votes cast for vice president.
In case no person receives a majority
of all the votes cast for President or for
vice president, then the President shall
eau a second election to be held on the
last Thursday in November, for which
election the ballots shall have the names
of the person receiving the largest number
of votes and the person receiving the next
largest number of votes In the first cleo
ton and no other names and the quail
fications for electors shall he the same as
for the first election. The person receiV-
ing a majority of all the votes cast for
President in the second election shall Re
elected President, and the person receiv-
ing a majority of all the votes cast for
vice president in the second election shall
be elected vice president
Sec 3. No person nominated by any
political party shall be elected President
or vice president unless such nomination
has been made by primary elections held
in the several states, at which election
the person nominated shall have received
a majority of all the votes cast.
.Sec. 4. The Congress shall have power
through appropriate legislation, to en-
force the provisions of this article"
On January IA, 1913, and again ON April
Z, 1913, he introduced similar resolutions
in Congress, thereby showing his deter
mination and persistence in submit
ting this proposed amendment as part OF
the constitution of the United States.
The vote of the following III states,
have on the democratic party and t. :
people of the south.
In the presidential election of 1912 the
total vote cast for all candidates was
l5.033,669
which includes all the southern states.