The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-12-05
TT HAS NO CHANCE.

The demand for the election of
president by popular vote has made its
quadrennial appearance. Hitherto
the proposition has not extended be-
yond the talking stage. but this year
there is a plan on foot to introduce
in congress a constitutional amend
ment looking to the abolition of the
electoral college.
A timely editorial in the New York
Times seeks to put a quietus on the
whole matter. 1t says:
Perhaps it would be a good thing to
abolish the electoral college; perhaps
not. The discussion. renewed every
four years, is sometimes interesting,
always futile. Many things may be
good that are not possible. 1t is al
ways well to long for perfection. but
it is not well to get all worn out Ia
boring for the attainment of the I'M
attainable. Such labors waste the eff
fort that might be employed on other
things.
1t takes three-fourths of the states
to ratify a constitutional amendment.
If thirteen states refuse to ratify it, it
does not become a part of the consti-
tuition. There are a number of states
that might vote against an amend
ment abolishing the electoral college,
but we need not consider them. We
need consider only those states that
would certainly vote against it, vote
against it to the last ditch, to the last
cartridge, to the end of time.
First there are the states that
would never consent to federal super
vision of elections. These states are
Virginia, North Carolina, South Caro-
lima, Georgia, Alabama, Florida, Mis-
and Tennessee. There are eleven of
these states.
Next there are the states that, be-
cause of their small size, would wipe
themselves out of existence as political
powers and remove themselves from
the political map if they ratified such
an amendment. In the present imper-
feet state of human nature this altru-
ism is not a probability These states
are Rhode Island, Delaware, Vermont
and New Hampshire. There are four
of them; and Maine might as well be
counted too, because, tho she would
not be wiped out, her influence and
importance would be reduced to the
vanishing point.
Next are the large states, which, be-
cause of their small population, would
put themselves in the same category
if they ratified such an amendment
Some day these states may be so
densely populated that this will cease
to be an argument with them. At
present they are of all the states the
ones most jealous of preserving their
newly won political influence and
most deeply incensed at anything that
even squints toward impairing it..
These states are Wyoming, Idaho,
Montana, North Dakota, South Da-
kota, Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada
and Utah. There are nine of them.
Altogether there are twenty-four
states. not counting Maine, that would
instantly and continually vote against
such an amendment; that would re-
sist it to the last, from motives which
they would consider motives of self
preservation. There would be others
as we'll, probably, since the suggestion
has two sides and men might disagree
about it even when no motive of self
preservation guided them; but these
twenty-four are all that need be con-
sidered. And not all even of these
twenty-four, for it takes only thirteen
states to beat an amendment.
Let us now stop talking about the
millennium for a while and devote our
energies to discussing things that can
be done.