Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1950-03-09
The Political Mill
Lodqe Amendment Plan
Facing Defeat in House
Republicans Fear Action
Will Kill Election Chances
By Gould Lincoln


By Gould Lincoln
Unless Senator Lodge Massachusetts
Republican, can beat down the idea that
the Lodge Gossett constitutional amend
ment doing away with the Electoral
College will prevent for many years to
come, If not forever, the election of a
Republican President, the amendment
cannot conceivably be adopted by the
House.
With characteristic energy and per-
sistence, Mr.. Lodge is going about the
business of reducing and eliminating
this fear among the Republicans of the
House. The amendment already has
run the gantlet of the Senate, success
fully. It has been reported by the House
judiciary Committee and awaits action
by the Rules Committee.
To the argument that the Republican
Party cannot win election without get
ting 100 per cent of the electoral votes
of the large Northern States, Mr.. Lodge
replies that this is a gamble which the
Republicans have been making in the
last five electierls-and have lost. The
Lodge-Gossett amendment would split
the electoral votes of all States among
the candidates for President In proper
ton to the vote cast for them in each
of the States.
Points to Record.
The Massachusetts Senator points out
that eight of these Northern States,
Massachusetts. New York, Pennsylvania.
Ohio, Michigan, Illinois, Missouri and
California, with total of 1,O55 cleo
toral votes in the last five elections,
have given the Democratic presidential
candidates 1872 electoral votes (84 per
cent? and the Republican, 173 electoral
votes Q6 per cent?.
The opponents of the Lodge Gossett
amendment contend, too, that the great
preponderance of the Democratic vote
in the States of the Solid South" will
give Democratic candidate for Presi-
dent tremendous edge and assure the
defeat of Republican candidate if the
electoral votes of the Northern States are
divided in proportion to the popular
vote between the two parties. Mr..
Lodge replies that this argument as
sun1es the voting habits of the people
of the South will remain unchanged and
Interchangeable. The statement has been
made that one electoral vote in the
South represents an average of 10000
popular votes, while an electoral vote in
the North represents 10000 popular
votes. The record shows that whereas 40
per cent of the population voted in the
East. North and West, only Is per cent
of the population voted in the South.
Mr.. Lodge argues that if the Lodge
Gossett amendment is adopted, the per-
centage OF the voting population in the
South will rise to the national level-and
he maintains stoutly that the Republic
cans will gain thereby. If Mr.. Lodge IL
right, it would be of great advantage to
the South doing away with one-party
government there. 1t would also help
the Nation and the Republican Party.
Sectional Party Now.
The Democrats hold on the South
developed out of the race issue there.
The Northern and Western wing of the
Democratic Party has split violently with
the Southern Democrats over this issue
and is seeking to force the abandonment
of segregation and an FEPC law on the
South. What happens If Democratic
Congress and a Democratic Congress
finally puts through this program? In
view of the 1948 election returns, when
four of the Southern States actually
voted against the Democratic presi-
Dental candidate, it is not too difficult
to guess.
In the opinion of Mr.. Lodge the Re-
publicans who turn their backs on the
Lodge-Gossett amendment are missing
a great chance to make the G. o. P.
truly national party-it is now Sec
tional, since it gets nowhere in the States
of the South, and rarely in the border
States.
The Lodge Gossett amendment, how
ever, is in serious difficulties, not alone
because of the fear of some Republicans
that if adopted it would prevent Re
publican national victory, but also some
of the more radical Democrats are OPP
posing it because they fear the South
would become too powerful politically
and the special groups which now aid the
radicals at the polls would be less potent.
In addition, there are some conservative
Democrats in the House who fear the
inroads the Republicans might make
in the South-that Democratic strong
hold. Even should it get to the floor and
out Of the clutches of the Rules Com
mittee, the Lodge-Gossett proposal could
not now command the necessary two
thirds vote for the adoption of a con-
stitutional amendment.