Evening star., 1950-01-31
1t Needs to Be Changed

The Senate is scheduled to vote to-
morrow on proposal that ought to have
the support of every American interested
in strengthening our democratic political
system. The proposal is for constitu-
tional amendment to modernize the So
called Electoral College in such way as
to provide that it's votes for President and
Vice President will henceforth be counted
in proportion to the popular vote.
Sponsored by Senator Lodge and strong
bipartisan group, the amendment adds up
to a much-needed, common-sense reform
aimed at doing away with an anachronism
that has been bad for us in the past and
can be worse for us in the future. What
the reform would do away with is the
candidate, If he wins in any given State,
receives all of that States electoral votes,
regardless of the fact that his opponent
may run close second to him.
evidently, as long as this system
continues to operate, there will be present
in our political life two quadrennial pos
sibilities of a potentially dangerous nature
an election in which no candidate succeeds
in winning an electoral-vote majority, with
the result-as has happened before-that
the House of Representatives will then
name the President on a partisan basis.
The second possibility is this: That man
who has won only minority of the
popular vote will win majority in the
Electoral College and thus enter the White
House even though the American people
have cast more ballots for his losing op-
ponent. This has happened three times
in our history adams in 1924, Hayes in
1875 and Harrison in 1889, and if we do
nothing about it now, it can happen again,
perhaps even in 1882
No great Imagination is needed to Wis
ualize the partisan tensions, the bad feel
ings, the disunity and the political unrest
and instability that could be generated in
this country if in 1852, or in 1856 or
1860 or 1864, the thoroughly outmoded
machinery of our present voting setup
placed in the White House man whose
popular support was less than the losers.
Yet, unless and until we effect the reform
that is clearly needed, this very real
danger will remain inherent in our system.
That is why the Senate, the House and the
individual States should feel kind Of
compulsion to amend the Constitution as
speedily as possible to give all candidates
in future presidential elections their fair
share of electoral votes, apportioned &C
cording to the number of ballots cast for
them by the people.
Further, wholly apart from its virtues as
a safeguard against the danger OF electing
a President who lacks popular majority
or plurality, the proposal awaiting the Sen
ate's action has numerous other highly
desirable aspects. Thus, when and If it is
finally embodied in the Constitution, it
will tend, among other things, to have the
salutary effect of breaking up one-party
areas like the solid South and of removing
the baneful influence of demagogic poll
ticking designed to win the favor OF
minority pressure groups who hold the
balance of power in pivotal States with
big and decisive blocs of electoral votes.
In sum, everything considered, there can
be little doubt that the proposed amend
ment, besides bringing about genuinely
fair and democratic balance between the
electoral vote and the will of the American
people, would fortify our political system
against some of the flaws that now weaken
it. If the Senate votes favorably on the
proposition, it will be doing fine days
work, and its example should be followed
by the House and all forty-eight States.