New Britain herald. [microfilm reel] (New Britain, Conn.) 1890-1976, 1928-11-27
CHANGING THE ELECTORAL
SYSTEM

The electoral system. whereby
each candidate receives all the cleo
tors of a. state even If his ma jority
in the state is only few hundred.
has been subject TO much criticism.
The fact that it is possible under the
system for minority candidate to
be elected President, or the election
Of the presidency thrown into Con-
gress-both of which have happened
-excites no end of uneasfness
among political thinkers.
When the electoral system was en-
grated in the Constitution there
were no political parties. The first
Congress. in fact, did not favor po-
litical parties. These developed.
however. and with their develop
ment the early intention of how the
electoral system should function was
greatly altered.
10 change the electoral system
would not require a Constitutional
amendment, as is generally suppos-
ed: but 1t would require cooperative
action by the states, which have the
power to clemnatc the unit rule
hi 4 11~ Ln -, -
of state to the candidate obtaining
majority of votes during an cleo
ton. A writer in the New York
World contributed valuable thoughts
on this subject when he had printed
the following modus operandi:
Unlike the whole electoral system
itself. the unit rule is easy to abolish.
No federal law or constitutional
amendment is necessary. since the
determination of the methods OF
election is loft TO the states,
Suppose that the New York voter,
for example. elected only three OF
| the electors rather than all As. TIL.
number of electors is equal to the
number of congressman. Why not
elect them as congressman? Each
congressional district would elect
one elector. and two-correspondine
to the two senators-wouId be elect
J cd by the whole state.
In this manner the popular vote
would be accurately represented. In.
stead of all As electoral votes going
to candidate carrying the state by
a few hundred--which was the case
of Wilson in 1916 and Cleveland ir
1SS4-they would be divided be.
tween the candidates according te
the predominance of one faction OF
another in each OF the compa ratively
small congressional districts. Minori.
ties not OF either large party would
receive their proper representation
in the election of a President. If tho
entire country followed this method
the election would be truly popular
one, representing the real decision OF
the people.
The spirit OF the American Con.
stitution. which devised the cIectora
system in order to take this power
from the hands of the people, woult
be defeated. But even with the pres
ont system it has long ago been de.
/ feated. Consequently the power o
election should he placed fairly ant
squarely in the hands Of the peopl,
and the clumsiness and unfairnes.
of the electoral system alleviated a.
much as possible.
Action by the states, however
would be accelerated by federal sug
gcstion. Probably the main reasor
why the electoral system continues
to survive is because of no desire f
suggest changed methods to tn.
states. Or if such a state like New
| York, with A. electoral votes. tool
action it would cause others to thinl
of similar improvement. SO long a
party in power gains, rather THAI
loses, by the unit system there i
slight hope that any such improve
ucnt will be made. even Wit hout Al
effort to tinker with the Constitution