Evening star., 1920-11-21
CHANGES IN ELECTOR
SYSTEM TO BE ASKED
Slow Response to Will of People Is Cited.
Senator Norris Is to Propose
Amending Constitution.

would have good chance of being
elected, they would be more careful
how they selected their candidates in
convention, in the opinion Of Senator
Norris.
Another reason advanced by Senator
Norris for the elimination of the electo-
raj college system is that at present
voter cannot vote for the nominee for
President of one party and the nominee
for Vice President of another party. al
though he might desire to do so. That
would be possible under the direct elect
tion.
the plan of having electoral votes for
President and Vice President in each
state. according to their population. In
this way, if fraud occurred in the cleo
tions in one state it would be isolated
in that state and could not affect the
total election, as it might if the popu-
lar vote alone were to count.
Resolution Adversely Reported.
During the Sixty fifth Congress joint
resolution proposing to amend the Con-
stitution by eliminating the electoral
college system and by changing the date
of the beginning of the terms of the
President and Vice President and men,
bers of Congress, introduced by Senator
Shafroth of Colorado, democrat, was ad-
verseIy reported from the Senate judi
ciary committee. In that resolution it
was proposed that the President and
Vice President should take office be-
ginning with the third Tuesday in Jan
uary following his election, and that the
newly elected Congress should assemble
the first Tuesday in January after it's
election. In making the shift, it was
proposed that the officers. whose terms
would be shortened, should be entitled
to the salary for the full term. to which
they were elected.
1t does seem unreasonable that the
old Congress should sit and legislate for
three months. although the people have
already selected new set Of representa-
tives. Yet that is what happens every
two years at the so-caued short session
of Congress. which winds up March 4.
Old Law Repealed.
Other suggestions to bring Congress
into action more quickly following its
election have been made, and one Of
them was put into effect during An
drew Johnson's term as President.
Congress passed a law that the new
Congress should meet March every
two years. 1t was in effect for half
dozen years and then. was repealed
OF course. a President may call an +!
extra session of the new Congress
early il he desires. But If he is o1
one political party and the majority
in Congress of another he may not
desire to do SO. It has been charged
that the republicans in the Sixty
fifth Congress delayed the passage Of
annual appropriation bills in the clos
ing session SO as to compel President
Wilson to call a session Of the Sixty
sixth Congress in the spring OF 1919,
in which the republicans controlled
both houses
There seems to be no legal reason
why the date Of the elections should
not be changed from the first Tuesday
after the first Monday in November to
some day In February, for instance.
II that were done. then the new Pres |
ident and the new Congress. coming
into being on March 4. would quickly
take office after the elections The
Congress has the power to fix the
day OF election. If such plan were
adopted no constitutional amendment
would be needed to make the inau-
suration Of new administration
take place promptly following an
election. The country, however, is
used to having the elections in the
fall or the year. after a political cam
paisn In the summer. The weather in
February probably would be advanced
az reason against the change. too.