Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1916-12-02
Weak Spots IN New Methods
of Electlng President


century and quarter OF development. and the
recent swift changes that the one obvious sub.
sttute for the electoral college as means OF
registering the desire of American voters has
been made impossible of speedy adoption. That
is direct vote of all the people for candidates Tor
head OF the nation.
Twenty or thirty or forty years ago there
could be presented no very serious objection to
this change except such as might be inspired, per-
haps, by the wish to retain shadow OF the state
sovereignty idea in this polling or the dread OF
the prolonged waiting involved in the gathering
of returns for millions of votes The first OBJ
lection is largely academic: the second is Sc
verely practical, for if there is anything the great
American voter does not want and will not have
it is excessive delay in ascertaining the result
The effect on business from days OF suspense is
also not to be regarded lightly.
In some Of our elections, however, this sus-
pense would have lasted not days merely II 1t
all depended on the popular vote. Beginning
with 1880 three quadrennal contests between the
republican and democratic parties were exceed
ingy close, measured by the popular vote. Gar
field in 1880 led Hancock by only 7OlS votes hav-
ing 4,449053 votes to his competitors 4,442,O3S
Cleveland had the popular verdict in 1884, but by
only 63,0l6 over Blaine. At the next election
Cleveland was ahead Of Harrison 957l3 on the
popular vote, but did not win in the electoral
was so close between the candidates that it would
have taken weeks to determine for certainty
who was the real victor.
But even without this vital consideration Of
quick decision of the result the modern problem
OF woman suffrage now stands in the way OF d.
rect vote for president 1t is not likely that
states which have not yet granted the ballot to
women will be swift to agree to constitutional
amendment that will decrease their own relative
importance in the presidential election by giving
the woman suffrage states double power, as it
were.
In the recent election, to give tangible illus
traton, California men and women voters cast
a total Of over 925,00O ballots. New Jersey, which
in 1910 had population very slightly above that
Of the Golden State, polled only about half that
number. Washington, which in the same census
year had about half as many people as Iowa, put
in the ballot boxes on November about So per
cent more votes than did the men Of the middle
west state. Illinois cast the largest vote of any
state, its combined Wilson-Hughes total OF l9l3,-
$50 exceeding that of New York by 270872.
Moreover it is evident that with the increase
OF equal suffrage states and the larger particpa-
ton of women in election the time might well
come when states, comprising 81 per cent of the
population of the United States, which had ac
cepted woman suffrage could outvote in d.
rect test the remaining states, which had 6o per
cent OF the population.
Another idea, aiming like the last to get rid
of the balloting for elector groups, but retaining
the principle OF state sovereignty on which many
jealous constitution makers laid such stress in
the early Debates is to have the president elected
by the states, voting as units, making adequate
provision for settling tie when the number of
states is even, as at present. Each state would
vote for the candidate favored by the largest num-
Der OF its voters
As practical proposition, such method of
election would have worked out in virtually the
same way as the electoral college did in the past
In 1875 when an electoral commission was set
up to settle the Tilden-Hayes controversy, each
candidate had seventeen uncontested states, and
four were claimed by both. All four were
awarded by the commission to Hayes, giving him
twentyone state, with l8S electoral votes, against
Tilden's seventeen states, with l84 votes.
Garfield and Hancock in 1880 each had nine
teen states. Four years later Cleveland won in
twenty states to Blaines eighteen, was beaten by
Harrison in 1888 with standing of eighteen
states to twenty and won his second victory in
1892 by carrying twenty-six states out Of forty
four.
Mckinley was winner over Bryan the first
time with twenty-three out of forty-hve states
to his credit, while in the second contest he car
ried twenty-six. Roosevelt Taft and Wilson in
his first run had long leads in states. This year
the president has apparently carried thirty states
to Hughes eighteen.
Modification OF the electoral college idea is
urged by some as preferable to abolition William
j.
tors be chosen by congressional districts instead
of in groups by the vote OF the states. This
would eliminate the two now granted to each
state as representing the senator's and reduce the
electors for each state to the number to which
it is entitled population basis, exactly like
the representatives in congress This would make
the number of electors at present ABS instead Of
55l.
II this plan had been in force in 1876 Tilden
would have been elected president, assuming that
| the democrats had chosen that year as many
electors as they did members OF congress-15l TO
the republicans l42.
In only one presidential election from that
time up to the present year did the successful
party fail to carry majority Of the congressional
districts The exception was in 1880, when Gar
field was elected. The republicans that year won
l46 congressional districts and the democrats 1873,
ten greenbackers holding the balance of power
The present year sees democrat elected
president and the democrats possibly having
plurality of one or two in the next congress- but
not majority. If the electors Chosen on the
Bryan plan) had been similarly divided there
would have been no election and the duty OF
choosing the president under the constitution
would have devolved on the present house. A
majority of the states voting as units, are re-
quired to elect The republicans, if aided by the
California progressives, would control twenty
FIVE delegations and be able to elect Hughes as
president.
1t has been suggested that the present e1eeto-
raj system be continued, but that the number of
electors for each state be reduced by two, thus
putting the states vote on basis of population
solely. This would seem farer than the present
combination of allowance for population and SOW
ereigntyl whereby little Delaware for instance
has one vote for population and two for sover-
eighty