Evening star., 1961-07-14
1860 Bolt of Oklahoma EIector
Spurs Move for Election Reform
By j. A. O'LEARY
Star Staff Writer

Electoral College, or at least to
bind the electors in future
elections. appeared to have been
strengthened today by the
story unfolded to a Senate sub
committee yesterday by one
elector who exercised his own
judgment last December.
Henry D. Irwin of Oklahoma,
q former Army officer, voted
in the Electoral College for
Senator Harry F. Byrd, Demo-
crat of Virginia, for President,
and for Senator Barry Gold
water. Republican of Arizona,
for Vice President, in prefer
ence to the Nixon-Lodge ticket,
which carried Oklahoma.
There have been several
cases in recent years of indi-
vidual electors boiling a party
ticket. but Mr.. Irwin described
in detail to the Constitutional
Rights Subcommittee how he
polled other Republican elec-
tors and consulted with one
Southern Democratic official in
an effort to round up a ma
jority in the Electoral College
to substitute a coalition ticket
for both President Kennedy
and Mr.. Nixon.
Members of the subcommit-
tee conceded that Mr.. Irwin
had a legal right to vote as he
pleased in the Electoral Col
lege. as the Constitution now
stands.
Different Plans
Senators Kefauver, Demo-
crat of Tennessee, and Keat- /
ing, Republican Of New York,
who conducted the hearing.
both favor doing away with the
Electoral College, although they
advocate different substitutes.
= Both told reporters after Mr..
lrwin's testimony that if moth
Ing more can be put through,
q constitutional amendment
requiring electors to vote as
their States go would be some
improvement.
:. Senator Kefauver. chairman
Of the subcommittee, would get
rid Of the electors but keep the
electoral vote for each State
and apportion it according to
the percentage of the popular
vote cast for each party. Now
the party which wins a ma
jority of the popular vote gets
the entire electoral vote of the
State.
!. Senator Keating has joined
Senate Democratic Leader
Mansfield of Montana in a res
olution that would wipe out the
Electoral College completely
and provide for the direct elec-
ton of President by popular
vote.
Senator Kefauver said the
subcommittee may report some
conclusions to the full Judiciary
Committee before adjournment.
But he indicated he does not
expect any action by the House
and Senate this year.
Mr.. Irwin insisted that his
action was not a bolt from the
Republican Party because he
let it be known when he be-
came a candidate for elector
In the spring of 1860 that he
would not support former Vice
President Nixon. if Mr.. Nixon
won the nomination.
Reminded Of Pledge
Later, subcommittee counsel
James C. Kirby asked the wit
ness If he recalled the docu- /
ment thtat he filed to become a
Candidate included statement
requiring the candidate to
pledge support to the principals
Of the party and to vote for
the candidates of the party.
The witness admitted that
perhaps there was such state
fnent, but contended that it is
not properly in the Oklahoma
law and has never been tested.
{, The witness made it clear he
does not like the course that
both major parties have been
following for the last 80 years
and that he was trying to bring
about the election of a conserv-
ative ticket.
: He told of working with r.
Lea Harris of Montgomery,
Ala, to bring about such a
conservative coalition, after
Mr.. Harris wrote to him on the
subject.
Mr.. Irwin described in detail
how he sent kilograms to all
the Republican electors in the
States carried by Mr.. Nixon
after the election, and said
their replies indicated to him
that 200 of them would leave
Mr.. Nixon and vote for the
conservation coalition if assur-
ances could be obtained that
go Democratic electors would
do likewise. He said these
numbers, plus the independent
electors in the South. would
have put over the coalition
ticket.
But the plan fell through,
and when the electoral votes
were opened in Congress in