Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1916-11-16
OUR ELECTION PROCEDURE
Method of Selecting President
Has Been Changed.
Once candidate Receiving Most Eiector-
al Votes Becsme President. second
Choice Observation-Disclosures
Now Distinct for Each OHice.

| 1t is a prevalent and an erroneous sup
! position that the United states has AL
! ways chosen its presidents and vce-pres
| idents as 1t does in our times, says an
editorial in the Christian Science Monitor
The constitution Of 1857 laid down certain
| fundamentals in this as in other respects.
! leaving the working out Of details to time
and experience. Under the provisions OF
the organic law. each State is directed to
choose number of presidential electors
equal to the number Of its representatives
| in both branches Of Congress II was
originally the plan, or the thought behind
the plan, that, by choosing the highest
officer of the republic and his possible sue
cessor through electors named by the
voters of the several States. these electors
! would ne guided and Influenced to choose
for chief magistrate the person best fitted
for the Office. In practical operation, how
ever, the electors never have been. and
are not now, privileged to use their discre-
ton. since they are chosen under a pledge
to vote for certa in candidates for the pres
idency and the vice-presidency. At pres
emit, presidential electors are nominated
by the political parties. and are chosen. in
the respective States. by popular vote. In
the earlier DAYS Of the nation, electors
were chosen in many States BY the Legis-
latures. but this plan was practically
was the only State adhering to the prac-
tice. In 1855 South Carolina swung into
line with the sister States In this re-
spect. In 1892 Michigan reverted to the
district system. dividing Its electoral vote
VOTING FOR TWO CANDIDATES.
Up to lsA. each eiector chosen by the
popular vote Of the state. which he repre-
scented In the electoral college. voted for
two candidates for the presidency. The
one receiving the largest number Of elec-
toral votes WAS declared president: the
one receiving the next largest number
was declared vice-presdent In the first
electoral vote for president, the count
stood: George Washington. OF Virginia,
60 John Adams. Of Massa chusetts "a
John jay. of New York. .. r. n. Harrl-
son. of Maryland. s; John Rutledge. Of
South Carolina. 6; John Hancock. OF Mass
achuSctts, (: George Clinton, Of New York.
:; Samuel Huntington. Of Connecticut, 2.
John Milton, of Georgia. 2. James Arm
strong. of Georgia. BENJAMIN Lincoln Of
Massa chusetts and Edward Telfair NJ
Georgia, 1 vote each. George Washington
and John Adams were declared president
and Vice-presdent. Fartisanship entered
into the second election, George Wash
ington and John Adams. both federalists
being renominated II will be noticed that
Virginia had no second choice for the
presidency in the first election. Thoms =
Jefferson, Of that state. was named in the
electoral poll four years later, but he re-
ceived only four votes In the latter poll
Aaron Burr of New York. first appear.
as possibility" and eight wears later
he received, as republican, "a votes
Here tie vote appeared between Jefser.
son and Burr. and the House Of Repre-
sentatives was called upon to break il. l.
n RI IeN md
Burr vice president
Following this incident, the constitution
was amended. and the electors four year.
later. in 1904, voted for a president and
a vice president distinctly instead OF for
two candidates for president. Thomas JET
ferson was reelected. as republican
and George Clinton. also a republican. was
r chosen vice president.
THE ANDREW JACKSON RULE.
The system. from this time until 1894
operated smoothly. In that year ANDRE
Jackstl. Of Tennessee, republican. re
ceivet. 20 votes; John Quincy Adams. o
. Massachusetts. republican. 81; Henri,
clay, of Kentucky. republican, 81: vii
liam n. Crawford Of Georgia. republican
81 amended constitution dema nded then
it does down 20 this day, that the sue
: cessfu candidate shall have maiorit!
: of all the votes cast. Andrew jackson
had the largest number Of votes. and un
der the rule previously in force, uoult
have heen declared president. Now. how
ever. there was no choice, and the Hous'
of Representatives, again called upon :,
act. declared John Quincy Adams rresi
dent. John G. Calhoun became vice-pres
dent
Following this second break in the cleo
toral college procedure of naming thu
CHIEF magistrate. there was no further in
terruption OF the esta hlished routine un
r til the HAYES and Tilden contest Of 1876
Y when a deadlock occurred in the electora
Z vote ny reason ~ dispute over the count
Il ing of votes in certain of the reconstruct
t ed states and in Oregon. The electora
= college VAS divided between the or
t posing parties that the choice of the dem
= ocratic electors in anN one of the con
Z tested States would have given the ma
= tority 10 the democrats. while the choic
= Of the republicans In all the conteste,
4 States would have given the republican
r a majority of one in the college The dis
pute that resulted assumed serious ~
v poets. The House Of Representatives he
: ing overw helmngly republican was no
: trusted by the democrats to decide tn
r question impa rtisllv or fairly. After n,uc
discuseon and many conferences a specia
2 presidential electoral commission wa
9 agreed to by both sides All OF the con
:. tested points in this body were decided b
6 vote IF eight 10 seven. on strictly par
tisan lines. and the outcome was the Sc 4
= ing OF the republicans. Rutherford +
I. Hayes and William 4. Uheeler as pres
? ident and vice-prerident. This was no
i, satisfactory 10 the democrats, but the
patriotically accepted It rather than tina
the nation should again ne torn by dis
cord