Evening star., 1940-12-01
By Richard L. Stokes.

ington by one messenger from each
State. The last appropriation for this
purpose, in 1925, was $4,000. A law
passed in 1928 instructed the States to
send their ballots by registered mail
Electors frequently travel to Washing
ton at their own expense in inaugural
years, for the pleasure of sitting in the
House gallery among miscellaneous
spectators, and watching the count of
votes they themselves have cast.
For purely social reasons an effort,
the first in history, was made to bring
the electors together for the Inauguration
of 1888. The moving spirit was James
A. Farley, chairman of the Democratic
National Committee and an elector from
New York. He appointed "A committee
consisting partly of electors and partly
of congressional officials, which sent out
invitations to all electors. About 2l8
attended. They took part in the parade,
had their own section in the reviewing
stand and were entertained at banquet.
The experiment was repeated in 1887,
when approximately $50 electors were
present No arrangements for l941 have
yet been made.
Outcries have resounded in both
major parties for the abolition of the
present machinery, with its mysterious
and undemocratic powers, in favor of
system less complicated and more re-
sporlsive Demands for the change have
come notably from Chairman Edward j.
Flynn of the Democratic National Com
mittee and Senator Lodge, Republican.
of Massachusetts,.
Reform Cries Beaten Down.
Such hopes likely will remain little
more than pious aspirations, judging
from the unvarying failure, since
Thomas Jefferson first proposed the re-
form in 1901. which has attended re-
peated efforts to abolish the electoral
college. These efforts have been mainly
In two directions. One has sought to
transfer the election of Presidents and
Vice Presidents to popular vote, by indi-
viduals or districts. The other has sug-
gested that the strength of States in the
electoral college should be prorated ac-
cording to the number Of votes polled in
each by the respective parties. Either
change would require an amendment to
the Constitution, involving ratification
by three-fourths of the States
The survival of the electoral college
against every assault probably is due to
two features which at first glance seem
its most glaring defects. The Constitu-
ton directs that the representation Of
each State in this body shall be equal to
the sum of its representation in both
houses of Congress. Therefore, the i'm
portance of the several Commonwealths
in the electoral college is not founded
on their actual voting strength, as would
occur If the President and Vice President
were elected by direct popular ballot. It
is based partly on geographical boun-
daries and chiehy-under the fourteenth
amendment-on potential voting popu-
lation.
Second, in every Commonwealth save
Georgia, the fact that one ticket of
presidential electors obtains a mere plu-
rality of the popular count suffices to give
1t the entire electoral ballot of the State.
Thus the voters of all other parties are
in effect disfranchised in the electoral
college, even though, as has sometimes
happened, they command in the aggre-
gate majority of all votes cast. In
1884, Cleveland carried New York over
James G. Blaine by plurality of only
1,149. The formers count Of 563 ,154 gave
him the States solid electoral ballot.
Voters Of three opposing parties, with a
combined total of 614,041, were left with
out representation in the electoral COL
lege. Incidentally, it chanced that New
York's vote decided this election.
Thanks to the electoral college, Cleve-
land owed his initial term to micro
scopic cell Of SIS voters In one State.
Powerful Minority.
The frst seeming abuse which de-
termines the colleges organization by
population rather than, voting strength,
fiourishes In full vigor because 1t. sup
plies powerful political minority with
avested interest. The franchise Is dras-
tically restricted In the South through
such devices as literacy tests and the
grandfather clause for Negroes and the
poll tax. On November 5, Iowa cast
nearly four times as many ballots as
Alabama, the respective figures being
1,195392 and 307,240. Yet, since their
populations are approximately equal.
each has II votes in the electoral college.
Maine. which cast 31s,o72 votes, or l0832
more than Alabama, has four electoral
ballots.
The opposition Of only 13 Southern
States would be enough to block any
constitutional amendment subjecting
presidential elections to direct popular
vote. such . reaction would be certain