The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1916-11-24
Should be Abolished.

DhOubI bC tDOilSlSu.
New York World: The electoral
college is an undemocratic institution.
1t was created in distrust Of the abil-
ity of the American people to elect
President. The men responsible for
it conceived a theory that the selec-
ton of a President should be delsgat-
ed to few superlatively wise and su-
perlatively virtuous trustees who
would retire into sanctuaries in the
various States and give the country
the kind of a chief magistrate that
they thought the country ought to
have.
That theory did not long survive.
American democracy rejected it con-
temptuously and with much ingenui-
ty proceeded to evolve an effective
method for multiplying the electoral
college provision of the constitution.
For more than a century the presi-
Dental electors have been only clerks
for the majority in each CT the sew
eral States, according to the will of
the majority; but recording it under a
system which makes it possible for a
minority of the American people to
choose the President, and which al
so makes it possible for the result to
hinge upon accidents and strategems
that actually defeat the expressed will
Of the people at the polls.
The President of the United States
ought to be elected like a Governor
or a Senator, by the voters them
selves. The majority should deter
mine, regardless of State lines and
regardless of artificial devices. The
electoral college has been an anach-
ronism for hundred years, so far as
any independent political power is
concerned. 1t should be eliminated
completely from the political system
of the country as a public evil and
public danger.
Let the People Elect Direct.
Philadelphia Inquirer: Now the
majority of the voters Of any State
are always for one presidential can
didate or the other and accidents
ought not be permitted to interfere. If
the voters could. cast their ballots di-
rectly for President there would be
no chance whatever for a fuke. A
popular vote elects United States SEN
ators. Why should not a popular vote
also elect a President?
A constitutional amendment would
be required to make the change, and
that constitutional amendment should
be submitted to the State Legislatures
by Congress when it again meets in
December. Whether it should pro-
vide that President should be elected
by majority of all the votes cast,
without regard to State lines, or
whether the States should retain their
proportional influence as at present
and their citizens ballot directly for
presidential candidates instead of for
electors, is matter deserving Of Sc
rious consideration.
But in any event, the weather-beat-
en-, out-of-date and even dangerous
electoral system should be abolished.
Anticipated and Dangerous.
Washington Herald: Under the
present system of electoral votes Pres
ident Wilson was elected by a narrow
margin. Yet, under the popular vote
system, the 100000 votes that he re-
ceived over the number cast for Mr..
Hughes would have given the Presi
dent a very decisive victory. The cleo
ton has brought forcefully to the at
tention of the people the fact that a
President may receive the largest pop
ular vote-be given the support of the
greatest number of citizens-and yet
be defeated by the electoral vote.
Mr.. Wilson received the largest plu-
rality in history, with the exception
of those cast in the years in which
Mr.. Bryan was candidate. Mr.. Will
son also received the largest number
of votes ever cast for President.
Yet, Mr.. Wilson escaped defeat in the
electoral college by narrow margin.
Such condition should not be al
lowed to exist. The President of this
nation should be the man desired by
the greatest number of citizens and
not man who receives the greatest
number of votes technically under a
system devised for a nation in the ba-
byhood of its existence. If the Con-
stitution had provided candles for
lighting purposes, we would not be us
ing candles today instead of electric
ity. In electing our Presidents, how
ever, we are using candle-power sys-
tenn.
No Need for Change.
Philadelphia Evening Ledger: The
system of choosing President by