Evening capital news. (Boise, Idaho) 1901-1927, 1917-01-06
STATE ELECTORS
MEET monday TO
DECLARE CHOICE
Meetings to Be Held in the
Capitals of Various States
Preparatory to Converting
of Electoral College.

Washington, Jan. 6.--At noon next
Monday the electors chosen in the 4S
states at the November election will
meet at the capitals of their respective
states and cast their ballots for presi-
dent and vice president In the states
carried by the Democrats the electors
will vote for Wilson and Marshall and
in the states where the Republicans
were victorious the electors will Off
cially declare their choice OF Hughes
and Fairbanks for the offices OF presi-
dent and vice president, respectively.
The meeting of the electors is but
one of the cogs in the election machin-
cry provided for in the constitution.
and commonly known as the electoral
college system. Adopted after a pro-
longed and imbittered dispute in the
famous constitutional convention of
1887 in Philadelphia, the electoral col
lege system has since its inception been
a subject of attack and a center of
momentous disagreements.
CHANGE PROPOSED.
The close result in the recent presi-
dental election has serve to revive the
movement looking 70 abolition of the
electoral college system and the cleo
ton of the president and vice president
by direct popular vote. Twenty-Five
years ago this month bill aiming at
the same end was introduced in the
senate by Mr. Peffer of Kansas. At
various other periods in the nations
history it has been proposed to abolish
the electoral college. but the system
still stands and will soon be called up
on to perform it's auadrennial function
of electing the president and vice pres
ident.
The systcm provides that the elect
ors on the winning ticket shall meet at
tho state capital on the second Mon
day in January and then and there cast
their vote by ballot for president and
vice president, enc of which national
candidates at least shall not be a resi-
dent Of the same state as the electors
themselves. AS a result there never
will be national ticket made up of two
men from the same state, for the cleo
toral vote OF the candidates state would
be lost to them.
LISTS CERTIFIED TO.
At the appointed time and place each
body of electors makes up a list of all
tho candidates its members have for
president and vice president, with the
member of the college signs and certi-
flies the list. Three copies of the re-
suit arc made, one being mailed tc the
president of the United States senate,
the second being dispatched to Wash
ington by a trusteed messenger, and the
third us precautionary measure Is de-
posted in care of the federal Judge of
the circuit in which the electors meet.
Nv IaY.t
OF the senate are preserved in a spe-
cially constructed safe and additionally
protected by an elaborate system of
burglar alarms. When the president
of the senate receives the sealed en-
velopes from the mes :engel contain
ing the certified votes he delivers them
a receipt eouehed in very guarded and
nom eommittal terms.
TIME FOR MESSENGERS.
Travel was slow IN the days when
the electoral college system was adopt
ed, so q period of n month was allowed
between the raeetir gs of the electors in
their respective states and the official
canvass of the results by congress.
This was done to give ample time for
the messengers to bring the certified
returns to Washington.
lie second w cdHeSudy III feDGuaIS,
which this year falls on Feb. H. is the
day desigated for the perfectly per-
funetory. but highly important task Of
declaring Woodrow Wilson and
Thomas r. Marshall elected president
and vice president. respectively. of the
United States The vote will be can
vassed and the results announced be-
fore joint session of the senate and
house.
The ceremony will be attended by the
rigorous procedure prescribed for the
! occasion by the constitution and sup
Elementary statutes. It will be the
supreme and final act Of law really
making Messrs. Wilson and Marshall
the nations executives for the next
four years. The Inauguration to fol-
low will be but the formal attestation
by oath of the new executives prom
Using obedience to the constitution and
laws of the country and faithful exec
ution of their trusts, and their cere-
monial induction into office.