The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1922-04-13
SAYS ELECTION
Method NEEDS
TO Be CHANGED
House Committee Soon to Be-
gin Hearings on Wood Bill
Making Important Changes
in System.
CHANGES ARE RADICAL
PALLADIUM NEWS BUREAU

WASHINGTON, April 13. - The
house elections committee will soon
begin hearings on bill providing i'm
portant changes in the national cleo
tion system recently introduced by
Rep VIII R. Wood, of Indiana
Rep. Wood is firmly convinced that
the federal election machinery is in
need of complete overhauling, and the
plan he has put forth in his measure
is radical one although Mr.. Wood is
a conservative in every sense of the
word. His proposals are based upon
many years Of practical experience as
a legislator, first in the Indiana gen
eral assembly and, in recent years, as
a member of congress.
The correspondence Rep. Wood is
now receiving indicates that his bill
has won strong support in every state
of the union.
The Wood measure contemplates a
six-year term for the president and
makes him ineligible for reelection
The Indiana congressman points out
that when the federal constitution was
originally framed provision was made
for the election of the president for
term of seven years without reelection.
This was changed, he says, during
the deliberations to election for six
years without the right of succession
and so remained until the closing days
of the convention, when it was recon
sidered and the present plan adopted.
Sees Good Influence
The dean of the Indiana delegation
believes, from his political experience,
that a president elected for only one
term will act Independent of any and
all political influence; that, knowing
he would not be eligible for a second
term, he would not have the incentive
TO take political expediency into con
sideration in formulating and carrying
out his policies.
This would reflect a good influence
through all the administrative branch
of the government, Wood believes, be
cause the administrative officers, es-
pecially the appointive officers, would
not be devoting a considerable part OF
their time to efforts to secure the re-
election of their chief.
Provisions of Bill
The Wood bill provides that the ma
fional election shall be held on the
first Tuesday in October and the in
auguration shall be on the first Mon
day OF the following month.
II provides that the candidate who
receives the highest number of votes
not a plurality over all shall be
president. and the candidate of the
same political party receiving the next
highest vote shall be the vice
president
This section of the bill does away
with tho electoral college and is one of
The most revolutionary features of the
measure Further. the same section
Of the bill divorces the federal election
from the elections of state and county
officials
Rep. Wood has a good reason for
wanting to completely nationalize the
election of president, vice president,
senators and repres entatives in con
sress He would have the entire ma
chinery for these elections provided
by congress and have them held under
the supervision of federal rather than
state officers.
Would Settle Question.
"In my opinion" Nh Wood said
"thls would settle the much veXed
question of southern representation
As I understand it, grandfather law
or a tax-payment law as a prerequisite
10 voting in the south is to maintain
the white mans control of their elec
tions. The white people of the south
am sure would have no objection
10 the voice Of all its people in a ma
ttonal election if they We're assured
that it would not interfere with their
state and local affairs"
Another important election change
The Wood bill provides relates to the
election of members of congress. II
specifies that the membership of the
!, house Of representatives shall at nc
J time be less than twice the member
ship Of the senate and never be more
than four times the senate member
ship. This would make the maximum
house membership 3S4, or 81 less mem
bers than it now has.
Would Divide House.
The Wood bill further provides tha
the members of the house shall bt
divided, as nearly as possible, into tw,
classes of equal size, one class to b,
elected every two years and the tern
OF each member to be four years in
stead OF the present term OF twt
years Thus, one-half OF the member
of the house in each congress wOult
be hold-overs, which Representativ
Wood believes would be a great aC
vantage for stable legislation.
Il think that with the extension o
the term for each member OF tn
house there would come more inde
pendence of action by the individua
member" he said. House member
would then not always be thinking in
mediately after one election abOu
their reelection"
Wood also provides that that eac
congress shall assemble on the frs
Tuesday after the national electio
instead of the first Monday in Decen
Der.