The Farmville herald. (Farmville, Va.) 1957-current, 1960-11-29
John Temple Groves
Plan Changes In Electoral College
The Sixth Weapon

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COME SENATOR Mike Mans
field, of Montana, likely majority
leader in Lyndon Johnson's place,
who looks like composition Of
Spanish irquisitOr and something
done by Grant Wood, avoWing
that the electoral college system
for electing Presidents must be
changed to a straight and simple
popular vote.
Would he, perhaps, be interest
ed in turning the states into
straight and simple Federal de-
partments?
REPRESENTATION partly by
population and partly by political
unit is as old as the Constitu-
tons first dawn and as eternal
as time to come. The South, as
the Senator foresees, will never
consent to dropping it. And the
South. as he doesn't seem to
foresee. can stop the drop--inas-
much as a constitutional amend
ment would be required.
Under the present system each
state has as many electors as it
has senators and representatives.
And each state. whatever its size,
has two senator's. An election
based on population alone would
augment the influence of great
population centers like New York
and California, diminishing the
South and Midwest.
MANY PLANS FOR ALTER
ING the system are sure to be
offered in the coming Congress.
Mr.. Kennedy will have one him
self. But before Southerners sign
for any they should stop and look
hard.
Their last remaining weapon is
involved.
Some would keep the electoral
college principle but let a simple
plurality elect. The present pro-
vision for a majority is what
makes it possible to deadlock the
college" and throw the election
to the House. The possibility can
sometimes be exploited by the
South, even though not often and
not now.
Any change in the elector syS-
tenn would require a constitu-
tional amendment, of course, and
interests are too conflicting for
one to pass.
A PROPOSAL WHICH makes
more sense and which would re-
quire no amendment because
what would be changed would be
custom rather than constitutional
provision, would be abolition of
the practice Of giving each state S
entire electoral vote to the party
or candidate with the biggest
popular vote. even if the plur-
atty is only a single vote. This
is what makes the vote of the big
doubtful states worth even more
than they should be and makes
possible Negro control of them
through. bloc voting.
No state is required to allocate
its electoral vote this way. Each
can give it proportionately to the
popular vote if it chooses. But
unless all did so. the South would
suffer, not gain. by going ii
alone And to force all states to
do so would require a consti.
tutional amendment which
would be too strenuously opposed
by the NAACP and other bene
benefited parties to have much
chance Of adoption.
There is more danger thar
hope in the situation. The amend.
merit that would help the South
couldn't be passed. The one which
would take away its few remain
ing minority weapons could be
passed - unless a constant guarC
and readiness are preserved.
I THE SIX HISTORIC WEAP
ONS of the South have been the
Constitution, the Two-thirdS Rule
the filibuster, the Coalition, the
electoral college rule for ma
jority rather than a plurality tt
elect. with state as well as popu
lar representation in it's makeup
Enough Of the weapons have
been taken or blunted not to sur
render any of the others.
"Where is my wandering boy
tonight?"