The evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1914-1922, 1917-02-21
THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE

The opinion Is quite widely enter
tanned that the constitution should be
40 amended that the president hc
chosen by a direct vote Of the people.
and that the contest be decided by
the popular majority. 1t II believed
that the electoral college has ou,lived
its usefulness and should be abolished,
A. the constitution now stands.
electors are not legally obliged to
vote for the nominees OF the party
they represent. They are free agnts.
at liberty In so far as any restraint Is
imposed by law. 10 vote for whomso.
ever they please. but there Is no in
stance OF the popular confidence In
this respect ever having been VIC
latd.
The trainers OF the constitution did
not intend that the people should
choose the president. 1t was suppos-
ed hat the choice would be left en-
|tirely to the electars. and Il was so in
the beginning, but the practices OF
nominating presidential candidates
has made mere ngureheads OF cleo
tors. and they are for the most part
unknown voters. Yet through the
carelessness OF voters. or ntherwlse.
all the electors in one state rarely re-
ceive the same vote. and when the
state II close the electoral vote is FIRE.
%quently divided. Cleveland got one
electoral vote In Ohio IN 1899. BRYAN
one In Kentucky In 1896 and Wilson
two in California In 1912.
This may occur through the prefer
ence given by illitcrate voters To the
names OF men printed first in alpha
bet.cal order on the ticket.
In some states In the early history
OF the country electors were chosen
by the state legislatures. That prac.
tice continued in South Carolina until
the C'"d war period.
Michigan. several years ago. cXpe-
rimented with the plan OF choosin 3
electors by congressiona districts.
II is In the power OF any state now.
by Legislative enactment. TO fix the
manner OF choosing electors.
Az OF these Facts have led many to
the conclusion that The direct election
OF a president by popular vote would
DO a simpler and better plan. II
would avoid all possibility OF a cob-
test. There are exceeding 10, 0OO. 900
votes cast tor residential candidates
In the regular quadrennial election
nov nc out Of 80 many itwould surely
be rare that a plurality OF sevcal
didatc. The electoral college has sur
vived because 10 gives recognition 20
the states. \ state like Nevada, for
instance. with less than 200. 900 pop
ulauon, has three votes In the cleo
Itoral college, 40 state, however small,
has less than three votes. The repre-.
s%entatiun Ia the college is the same
numerically as that In congress and
two Of the electors correspond with
the tWo senators. 4 small states vote
Is therefore disproportionate TO that
OF the large one.
1t would be IN some aspects a
more equitable arrangement IL pres
idents were elected by direct vote and
by popglaF majority but that plan
viii never be consented to. II would
give toe much power 10 the great cen.
ters ~ population. The south and
the TAR sest would never agree to tina
arrangement. II would weaken their
power as compared to that Of the
east. New York, Pennsylvania New
Jersey and New England would be
equal to the entire south, or 10 an the
country west Of the Missouri river
Nashville tanner CDeml