Evening star., 1949-02-26
The Political Mill
Electoral College Change
Advanced With Heurinos
Lodge Believes New Proposal Would
Strengthen Republican Chances
By Gould Lincoln

BY GONld Lincoln
The Lodge -Gossett resolution eliminating
the electoral college election of Presidents
of the United States and apportioning the
electoral vote" of each State among presi-
Dental candidates in the ratio Of their popu-
lar vote, is on the legislative ways again.
Hearings have been held on the proposal
"a constitutional amendment-by the Ju-
dietary Committees of both the House and
Senate and both are expected to report 1t
favorably. Indeed, Representative GoSSett,
Democrat of Texas hopes the resolution
will be brought to a vote In the House within
six weeks and believes it will receive the two
thirds vote necessary for the adoption of
proposal to submit a constitutional amend
ment to the States.
Opposition to the proposal takes two
forms. First. some Republicans say they fear
that as long as the South remains heavily
Democratic, under the Lodge-Gossett plan,
no Republican would have much chance Of
being elected President. Indeed, they go
further and insist that had the plan been
in operation for a half century or more,
several Republicans who did become Presi-
dent would have been defeated. Second,
opposition comes from people who. like Nor
man Thomas, Socialist candidate for Presi-
dent. believe that presidential elections
should be decided by straight popular vote.
without resorting to the electoral vote"
count. The electoral vote of each State iS
arrived at by totaling the number of Repre-
sentatives and Senators.
Lodge Sees Aid to Party.
Senator Lodge of Massachusetts, Republic
can. who sponsored the proposed amendment
in the Senate and got 10 other Senators to
attach their names to the resolution, takes
no stock whatever in the argument that its
adoption would be political pitfall for the
COP. On the contrary, the Massachusetts,
Senator takes the view that if the plan we're
carried through, the Republican Party would
have great chance for a real rebirth Fur
ther. in the opinion Of Mr.. Lodge, 1t would
60 far to build up the two-party system
throughout the country-in Democratic
Texas, for example, as well as in Republican
Vermont. Those who look at the matter as
does Mr. Lodge argue that If the popular
vote in each State becomes effective in
settling a presidential election, there would
be greatly increased activity In the so-called
"one- party" States.
Also, if the Lodge Gossett amendment had
been in effect last November and the elec-
tion figures had been the same as they were.
Gov. Dewey of New York, Republican, would
have received 221.4 electoral votes to 258
for President Truman, with the SIS other
electoral votes divided between Gov. Thur
mond, States Rights candidate; Henry Wall
dates. This is better showing for the Re-
publicans than under the present system.
which gave Truman 303 electoral votes and
Republican Dewey only 189, while Thurmond
had 80.
Direct Vote Backers.
The direct popular vote election Of Pres
idents is proposed in resolution sponsored
by Senator LANCER and Representative
Lemke of North Dakota. They. like Nor
man Thomas. claim that is the truly demo-
cratic way of choosing a President Of all
the people. The fact Of the matter is. how
ever, that it disregards State lines altogether
and abandons the equalizng effect sought
by the trainers of the Constitution.
The most glaring defect of the present
system is the unit rule, which gives all the
electoral votes of State to a candidate.
even though that candidate have but one
vote plurality-one vote more than his
closest competitor. In the recent election
Gov. Dewey received in the 16 States he
carried total of 8,644,000 popular votes.
These States gave him 189 electoral votes.
In the 80 States he did not carry there were
cast for him total of 13,326,000 popular
votes, but this great mass of votes did not
net him single electoral vote. The Lodge
Gossett amendment would change all this.
1t would break down also the familiar cry
that a major party must choose its presi-
dental candidate from one of the large.
pivotal" States