Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1922-12-06
AMENDING THE PROCEDURE

Some progress is being made in the direction
changing the time of the Inauguration of president
OF the United States, and also the time when
newly elected congress shall convene. The hous
Judiciary committee has under consideration a pre-
posed constitutional amendment for this purpos
1T is proposed that the new president shall tax
office on the third Monday in January, instead Of O
March /, as at present, and that the first session {
the new congress shall begin also in January, tn
December session of the old congress to be elimir
ated. Suggested amendments to the text of tn
proposed>new constitutional provision make certai
tchanges, SO that at present there is a conflict /
dates between the two, and also in the general fea
lures of the plan.
Another feature which is sought to be ineor
lporated in the new plan is that OF elect1ng presi
dents and vice-presidents by direct popular vote.
There has long been need for changes of tn
general character proposed relating to the tim
when presidents and members of congress shall be
gin their terms, and also as to the time OF holdin,
congressional sessions. Under the present arrange
ment the new president is elected four months be
fore he takes office. This is true Of members O
congress. But the regular session OF the new con
gress does not begin until thirteen months afte
election. Usually this has been overcome. in re
cent years by the calling of an extra session sooi
after March 4, which is a clumsy expedient.
Perhaps a more important feature is the fac
that the final session Of the outgoing congress i
held after the new members are elected, and befor,
they begin the discharge OF their duties. This give
rise to an utterly illogical and indefe1sible condi
ton, especially when the cpmpiexion Of congress il
changed by the November election: In that cas-,
the retiring congress, whose poiicv has been dis
approved, is left in power for al entire winter ate
the people have voted IN favor OF q different policy
There is unjustiflabIe delay in putting the new
policies into effect, and it is quite possible that the
old congress may take action WHICH will obstruc1
the policies for which the people have registered
their decision.
The manner Of electing the president and vice
president has also been severely criticized. Thu
electoral college is, and has been since the carries
years of the nation, a useless piece Of machinery
The intent was that each state should elect repre-
sentatives to a central body, and that this bod
should actually use its own discretion in the election
of the two highest officers OF the nation. This hz.
never been done. Presidential electors are elected
for the purpose of casting the votes Of their state
tor presidential candidates who have been decides
on in advance. The votes are always so cast, an
for them to be cast in any other way would result
in intolerable confusion.
The electoral college could be eliminated with
out changing in any way the principle on which ",
proceed in the election Of presidents. The essentia
principle is that the states shall be entitled to vote
equal in number to the number of their senators an.
representatives together. In that we have tn
recognition of the sovereignty of the state for which
the smaller states have always contended, and whic1
~ - AuAAAS ~ 1ldl IluIlD
could be retained and the electoral college be elm
mated by providing that the people in each stat
should vote directly for president and vice-presi
dent, instead of for electors and that each stat
should be credited with the same number of vote
now cassidy its presidential electors. All that woul
be necessary for North Dakota, for instance, woul
be for the proper officer to certify to Washingto
that the state casts its five votes for Dash for presi
dent, and Blank for vice-president.
The election of these high officials by a ma
jority or plurality of the total vote at large woul
be a different matter. Under that arrangement tn
smaller states would be deprived Of some portion {
the numerical advantage which they now hay.
which is an element to be considered. There woul
be, further "a stronger incentive for illegal electio
methods in some districts than now exists. It
taken for granted that South, Carolina, for instanc,
lis going Democratic. That fact being accepted
it makes no difference in the general result whs
the Democratic majority in that state may be. BIZ
in an election at large by popular vote, every vot
in every state counts, and if means were used j
South Carolina to roll up a Big Democratic m;
jority which were questioned in other states. vi
pleasant complications would result.
Pc presidents and yice-presidents are to be cleo,
led at large by a, prepohderance of the popular .yot
1.-THE direct supervision of allxsuch elections by ii
federal government will be necessary. There is 4
lleseape fronlsthat. That anything Of the sort Ca
lbs accomplished without overcoming the deternni,
LED opposition1of all the southern states is not viii
ias the possibilities.
49,
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