West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1916-11-30
Abolish the Electoral College.

Der of electoral votes from each state
and why. IL the people vote individ
ually, the votes arc not counted In
dividually for the candidate for elec
tiong-A Woman Reader OF the World
New York. Nov. %.
The President OF the United state,
is elected by Presidential elector,
chosen In tho several states for thai
particular purpose. Or, II no candi
date have IA majority OF the Who'll,
number of electors appointed" tn,
4 President is elected by the House o.
| Representatives. In that case eaci
state has one vote, which In deter
mined by majority OF its represen.
tatives In Congress-
Every state has as many Prcsiden.
tial electors as IL has Senator's and
Representatives In Congress. The to-
tai number of electors under the last
apportionment made by Congress is
53l.
The constitution OF the United
States provides that each state shall
appoint it's electors "in such manner
M the legislature thereof may direct. f."
The only restriction imposed is that
no Senator OF Representative or per-
son holding an Office of profit or trust
under the United States shall be an
elector. The electors I'm every state
are now chosen by popular vote, but
this Is concession that has been
wrung from the legislatures by the
people. In the earlier days OF the re-
public the legislatures OF majority
OF the states made their own appoint
ment OF electors. New York did not
participate I'm the first election of
Washington because the two branches
of the legislature Quarrelled.
So far as the constitution of the
United States is concerned, the legls-
lative power is absolute In the ap-
pointment of electors. II could decide
that the electors should be chosen by
the Stock Exchange. or by Charles +.
Murphy, or by Kuhn, Loeb a. Co, or
by the board of estimate of New York
city.
This is not the only anomaly In the
constitution In respect to the election
Of President. There is no provis-
ion whatever for adjusting contest
over the choice of electors. The con
stitution declares that THE President
of the Senate shall, In the presence of
the Senate and the House OF Repre-
sontatives, open all the certificates
and the votes shall then be counted" ="
But what is TO be done when there are
irregularities in the certificates or
there are contesting sets OF electors?
Who is then to count the votes?
That question once brought the ma
tion To the verge of another civil war,
for II has been prolific source OF CON
troversy for three generations. Dur
ing the last hundred years there has
been hardly Presidential election in
which controversies did not arise as
to the qualifications and returns OF
electors. Few OF these controversies
have been serious because the elector-
al majority OF the successful candi-
date was 80 large that the result could
not be affected. but I'm 1876 the coun-
try was menaced by civil war.
The original purpose of the electoral
college was to deprive the people of
all direct power I'm the choice OF
President. II was not considered safe
to entrust them with this power. At
the time the electoral college was
created not a single state had man
hood suffrage and popular govern
ment was distrusted by all except the
extreme radicals. Through the med
ium OF electors II was assumed that
the selection of the President had been
delegated TO a body OF wise, dlspas-
sionate supermen who would always
provide the country with a wise. dis
passionate superman President, wheth-
er the country approved or not
An exultant democracy soon nulli-
fed that provision except as 90 the
mere machinery OF election, and made
the electors the agents OF majority
OF the voters I'm each state. but
democracy has never been able 90 rid
itself OF that cumbersome and danger
our machinery which was created to
prevent popular choice OF President.
SO long as the Electoral College exists
in It's present form, each Presidential
election will carry in II the seeds OF a
civil conflict Nor has Congress I'm
the form OF Legislation ever been able
to agree upon a plan that would re-
move the danger.
The World believes IN the election
Of the President by popular vote. but
a long step forward would be taken
n the electors from each state we're
not chosen as individuals. That
would remove the danger OF divided
delegations although II would not pre-
vent a repetition Of the Tllden Hayes
contest.
No republic concerned about it's do
mostic peace and security can afford
TO tolerate the conditions that have
80 long existed in the United States
In respect to the choice Of a chief
magistrate, and whatever remedy is
decided upon the electoral college as
now constituted must be abolished
New York World.
-N
No Less Hopeless