Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial. (Wilmington, Del.) 1878-1928, 1921-01-10
ELECTORS VOTE FOR
PRESIDENT TODAY
Harding and Coolidge Will be
Declared Choice at Every
State Capital.

Washington, Jan. lO--The successful |
candidates for Electors for President and
Nice-President meet in each State today .
Mt the State capital, and formally cast
their votes for their party choices, and
officially decide the election for President
and Vicc-President of the United States
for the ensuing four years.
While the result is anticipated, there
is no legal obligation resting upon the
electors. and If they choose To vote for
Eugene " Debs or any other man, their
decision would be binding.
The change in the method of electing
Presidents resulting in making the report
of the Electoral College n mere form, is
one of the outstanding examples of how n
written and immobile constitution may be
changed hy custom and without formal
direction on the part of the voters.
In Washington on February 2, the
members of the Senate, headed by the
sergeant-at-arms, will march to the
Chamber of the House of Representa-
tives. Behind the congratulations will
march two pages carrying the boxes con-
tanning the vote cast by the members of
tho Electoral College. The Vice-Prcsi-
dent will preside and will superintend
the opening of the boxes and the count
ing pf the DaitotS nN teiicIS
The exemplitcatIOn of the change IN
method of electIng Presidents that came
about since the time of George Wash
ington probably would shock Alexander
Hamilton, who took great pride in tho
method that was worked out. Through
out all of the sessions of the convention
which framed the Constitution Hamil-
ton stood out against so-cafled pure
democracy" and insisted upon repro
sentative form of government. II Is n
singular fact that even the name of the
archaic system which will commence TO
work tomorrow and will complete its
work February 9. was not provided in
the Constitution. Its similarity to the
College of Cardinals which elects the
Pope. probably resulted in the name IT
has acquired the Electoral College
Under the system worked out'bv Ham
ilton and others the Presidential cleo
tors were 10 be the representative per-
sons Of their State from whose activi-
tics should result the election Of the
hest man in the country, free from par
tisau faint and not the creature of party
The system worked out by the trainers
If the Constitution prevailed in the cleo
tion of George Washington, but follow
ing HIM Parties began to rear their heads
and the People decided they would elect
their own Presidents. and they have
done SD ever since.
Tho third election of President
marked the beginning of this funda-
mental change in the Constitution While
tho electors were chosen as usual IL was
understood they would vote either for
John Adams or Thomas jefferson.
In 1900 the change had become dis
tinct. The two PARTIES Of the da V put
forth their candidates and the electors
were chosen with the distinct under
standing they were to record their votes
IN accordance with the Popular verdict
The electors had ceased TO think or to
deliberate. They had become mere au-
donations.
II still remains with the state legis-
latures to direct the manner in which
the electors shall be chosen and how
they shall record their votes within the
limitations of the constitution. The con-
stitutlon provides the number which
shall coincide with the States represen-
tatIon in the two branches of Congress
Aaron Burr may claim credit for hav-
ing brought about a change The con-
stitution originally provided that the
electors should vote for two persons IL
was the intention that the one receiving
the highest vote should be President and
the next highest should he Vice Presi-
dent Jefferson and Burr tied and both
represented the same political party It
had been the evident intention of the
voters that jefferson should be President
and Burr Nice-President
In view of the possibility of repeti-
ton of this situation. the Twelfth Amend
ment was voted which provided the
States shall name in their ballots in per
son voted for as President and in distinct
ballots the person voted for as Vice
President.
In the event that no candidate receives
q majority of votes the House retains
the constitutional provision of electine
the President. making the choice from
among the three candidates receiving the
highest number of electoral votes the vote
being hv States, the delegations deciding
how the single vote of the State shall be
cast In the event of a tie for Nioe-Presi-
dent, or failure TO secure majority, the
senate of the United States makes the
selection Thomas Jefferson and John
Quincy Adams were the only Presidents
selected in this manner
The Hayes-Tilden controversy when
the election result was long in doubt re-
suited In another change In the method
of electing Presidents In that case two
different sets of electors claimed to rep
resent their States. The particular re-
suit was settled by an electoral commits
dion. but Congress awoke to the fact
that IN the case of different sets of cleo
tors there was no power either IN Com
cress or in the States to determine which
set was entitled to have its vote counted.
Congress passed a statute in 1887 pro-
viding that the respective States should
decide IN case Of disputes through their
laws and courts, which set of electors had
been properly chosen.