The Waterbury Democrat., 1932-10-31
MONDAY, OCTOBER s1, 1882
Is This Inevitable?

~ Far be it from us to disturb the thoughts of people concerned with weighing the re- nspeetive merits of opposing political eandi-.
 dates, but there seems to be at last in this
 nation a well-dehned movement afoot to abolish for once and for all the far-famee electoral college of the United States. Many people have fumed and fused about the re- 9.sbeetive merits and faults of this means by swhieh We elect our president and vice.
 president, but the electoral college has per- lsisted in its somewhat mysterious and phani tom existence. It has withstood assaults up- ocn its sacred portals in the past. It isn't for : us to say that they will erumble in this lat
 est attack.
 Of course it is becoming increasingly evl- dent to any student of government that the electoral college no longer lives up to its
 requirements drifting population and een- ,tralization of the electorate in the big cities
 makes it more apparent that what our fore fathers intended the electoral college to do, 1t doesn't. It isn't balance wheel any longer .By means of the electoral college astute apolitical leaders can control national cleo -tions. If the will of the people is to be re- Expected we are inclined to think that Its sfamfieatons must be widened, perhaps in -just the way that was suggested at the last Session of Congress by Representative Gar ssnce F. Lea of California:
 q He pointed out the inadequaey of the elee- storal college in rather convinrIng fashion .sand then presented substitute that to date .fas not been equalled so far as we know. sMc don't suppose there is anything novel in E lhc Lea proposal Doubtless legislators be- sfore him have had the same idea. Perhaps sso,re of them even put the idea into words, ssss;milar to what the Californian used last eJuly when he addressed the House and de- -tared, MT Speaker, the election of Presi- [1ent is the most important routine political stv.nt of our nation The Electoral College ssystem under which we select our President s;s the most inept, anticipated, and defective ~bart of our Constitution " We don't know about this latter state sanent, There are plenty of usto ind fault @with other sections of the Constitution. sOne amendment is now being discussed .xitl, some feeling by a great majority of the Electorate. However, that has nothing to do Mwith the respective merits of the electoral xoI!ege, which in its day has been responsible Tor the loss of the presidency by three ma a1orityl candidates In 1928 Andrew Jack son boiled the most popular and electoral %otes, but not having majority of the lat- 4et the House of Representatives chose John ~Ouincy Adams. In 1876 Rutherford B. Hayes became president, although Samuel J. .Tilden boiled more popular votes. Agan ain 1888 Grover Cleveland was the popular &hoiee over Benjamin Harrison, but the lat-' Ser was elected president because he had ~snore electoral votes
 . All of which leads up to Representative 1eas proposal that First. Abolish the Electoral College system of eleoting the President and Vice-president.
 ' Second. Provide for the direct election .of President and Viee-president. Instead ot Noting for the presidential electors the peo- aple would vote directly for the presidential Candidates
 . Third Each state would retain its pro- ~portion of electoral votes as at present. It would have electoral votes but not presiden- lial electors.
 . Fourth Each candidate would be given Such proportion of the electoral vote of the ~State as his popular vote therein bears to The total vote for all candidates. The pro- ~portionate vote of the State would be sub- .stituted for the present unit vote Instead Of %iving the whole vote of the State to the deading candidate, this amendment proposes -to give to each candidate the exact part of Ihe State vote given him by the voters, no Snore, no less.
 . Fifth The person receiving the greatest , ~number of electoral votes to be elected This ~.avoids the possibility of deadlock or the shecessity of having an election in the House .of Representatives or in the Senate.
 . And if Representative Lea thinks that he scan persuade the House. let alone the Amer- tan people, that the Constitution should be stampered with to this extent he has long flight ahead of him. It may prove popular Tone, though, as there is no doubt about his ~tlaims of the usefulness of the electoral col lege That was outlived years ago. But we're . hard people to convince about such mat 1ers.