Evening star., 1950-02-21
The Political Min
Coudert Pushes Plan
For Electoral Reform
System Seen Giving
6. O. P. Better Chance
By Gould Lincoln

As substitute for the Lodge Gossett
constitutional amendment to do away
with the Electoral College for the election
Of Presidents and Vice Presidents, Repre-
sentative Coudert. Republican, Of New
York. will press an amendment to the
Constitution to reform" the Electoral
College.
Under the present system, presidential
electors are chosen in each State by
plurality vote in a State wide contest.
Mr.. Coudert proposes to choose the presi-
Dental electors just as members are
elected to Congress, one for each member
OF the House In each congressional dis
trict, and two from each State at large
as Senators are elected. To be elected
Presidents candidate, must have a
majority Of the total electoral vote, or
the election would be thrown into joint
session Of the House and Senate.
The Lodge Gossett constitutional
amendment has already passed the SEN
ate by the necessary two-thirds vote It
awaits action by the Rules Committee of
tho House. Its proponents are hopeful.
This amendment not only does away with
the Electoral College, but provides that
the electoral votes of State be divided
among the presidential candidates in
proportion to the number of popular
votes cast for these candidates.
System Held Fairer.
It provides, too, under the so-called
Lucas amendment which Mr.. Lodge ac-
cepted in the Senate, that unless one Of
the candidates receives at least 40 per
cent Of the total electoral vote, the elec-
ton shall be thrown into Congress, with
all members Of the House and Senate
participating and each member having
one vote. 1t is Senator Lodges conten-
ton that the system he proposes, with
Representative Gossett of Texas. is much
fairer and more representative of the
popular will than the present manner Of
electing Presidents.
MIR. Coudert, for his part, fears the
Lodge e-Gossett amendment might be
appalling in practice" 1t could, he in
sists Gas does Senator Taft of Ohio be
decisive step in the establishment Of
one-party government, because it's i'm
mediate effect would be to increase the
weight OF the one-party. Democratic
States of the South.
Senator Lodges contention is that, un-
der his plan, Republican voting in the
South would increase greatly, breaking
down to considerable extent the one
party system prevailing in that section.
This, MIR. Coudert replies. is to build
dangerous Illusion"
Better Chance for COP.
Mr.. Coudert. like Senator Lodge, de-
sires to get away from the system under
which the entire electoral vote of a State
shall be given to presidential candi-
date. even though he has only a bare
majority or a plurality of the total vote
cast In that State. Under his proposal,
he contends, Republican would have a
far better chance of winning presiden-
tial race than under the Lodge plan.
Senator Lodge, however, argues that
the Coudert plan fails to do away with
the Electoral College and would take the
election of a President even farther
away from the popular VOTE Senator
Taft Is inclined to support the Coudert
plan. but insists that there should be
further study. He points out that since
the State legislatures fix the boundaries
OF the congressional districts-and fire.
quently resort to gerrymander tactics to
strengthen one particular party - and
frequently do not change for years-dis-
proportionate results might still be OBJ
tanned.
The Constitution leaves to the State
legislatures the manner in which presi-
Dental electors are to be appointed"
No uniform plan existed in early elec-
tions. The three most usual methods,
however. were: Cd election by legisla-
lures, CD election by the people in dis
tricts. Cd election by the people on a
general or Statewide ticket Only the
third is now practiced. The second plan
Is the Coudert method and presumably
I. u
stitutional amendment, but would not.
The Coudert amendment would make it
mandatory on the States to do so.