The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1922-12-17

ons for the electoral college, and show
that it is consistent with the genius
and habits of our people.
The convention was framing an in
strument to establish a republican
democracy, resting upon the principle
Of what Mr.. Calhoun calls the con-
current majority, and not an abso-
lutte democracy, or government of
the numerical majority. The conven-
ton realized that there is a tendency
in all governments to degenerate into
their respective absolute forms and
that there is tendency in all abso-
lutte governments to degenerate into
despotisms and that is peculiarly true
of an absolute democracy" What is
meant by the concurrent majority, is
the present federal system which
takes the sense of each state, each
through its appropriate organ and re-
CARDS the sense of all taken separately
as the sense of the whole.
On the contrary, absolute democracy
Concentrates power in one uncon-
trolled body whose will is regarded as
the sense of all. The concurrent ma
jority takes the sense of each through
its representatives and the majority
sentiment prevails. Often, the pre-
vahling sentiment is the result of
compromise, which is the life of gov
ertments based upon the concurrent
majority as force is the life of gov
ernments based upon the absolute
majority" 1t is true that under our
system, the numerical majority in the
election of president is one of the ele-
mentS, but it is not the sole, nor even
the controlling element. In the seth
number of the Federalist, Mr.. Madi-
son says. The elective power will
be derived from very compound
source. The immediate election of the
president is to be made by the states,
in their political characters. The
votes allotted to them are in a COM
pound ratio which considers them
partly as districts and co-equal So
cieties; partly as unequal members
of the same society" In other words,
it is a blending of the numerical with
the concurrent, or cOnstitut iof1al, ma
jority. What is meant by the con-
current majority, can be better illus
trated, probably, than explained. The
continental congress was constituted
of delegates from each colony, and
each colony had an equal voice in this
congress, Notwithstanding the differ
ence in the numerical strength of the
delegations. On every question the
sense of each colony, through it's dele
CATION was taken and the majority
sentiment prevailed. The Articles of
Confederation were proposed by each
state having only one vote in the con-
tinental congress. They were ratified
by each state, acting separately
through it's legislature. When the
congress Of the confederation, in COM
pliance with the suggestion of the in
formal Annapolis meeting, called the
constitutional convention, each state,
without regard to population, had
only one vote. 1t was in the power
of seven of the smaller states, as we'll
as the larger, to defeat the call of the
convention, and consequently, the for
nation of the constitution.
When the convention met the dele
cations did not vote per capita, but
as states. Delaware's voice in the
convention was as potent as that OF
Virginia, then the largest state. Again
the control of the concurrent senti-
ment obtains in the methods OF
amendment.
Now the instrument thus framed
was to be the constitution only be-
tween the states ratifying it and to
go into effect if ratified by nine
states, but only between the nine. II
was eventually ratified by all of the
states. Under the constitution thus
framed and ratified, the president is
elected by electors appointed by the
states as the legislature of each state
shall direct. Each state being en-
titled to as many electors as that state
has senators and representatives in
congress. The electors of each state
meet in that state and cast their
votes for president. The person re-
ceivlng the majority of the whole cleo
toral college is elected president. If
however. no person receives such ma
iority. then from the persons having
the highest number Of votes not (aft-
err the adoption of the 18th amend
ment) exceeding three. the house OF
representatives shall elect president
Now, again, the concurrent majority
elects. for the house of representa-
tives in the election Of president, votes
by states. and not per capita. Rhode
Island is as powerful in this election
as Is New York.
The basic idea throughout the con-
stitution is the rule Of the concur
rent majority. The sentiment OF cact
state being taken. and the majority
sentiment thus ascertained to prevail
it was this principle that Influenced
the convention at all times 10 reject