Year: 1875

vote for particular persons for president
and vice president. These implied
pledges public opinion has made bind
ing. There has been no instance of q
violation OF these pledges in three-quar-
tiers of century.


While, however, it was fortunate that
the theory of the independence of the
electors in the matter of of voting-un-
restricted and uninfuenced by pledges
had not been carried out in practice, this
pledge in advance defeated one of the
main objects, if not the main object, to
secure which the plan of an electoral
college was adopted; for in practice the
electors are converted into agents to car
ry out instructions given them before
their selection. The electoral colleges,
or the system, had proved to be useless.
While the system had proved to be use
less it might be potent for evil. The
system has not only proved to be useless,
but it is not in harmony with the Amer
lean theory annouced by Mr.. Madison
that, CIT is indispensable that the mass
of citizens should not be without voice
in making the laws which they are to
obey, and in choosing the magistrates
who are to administer them" Ours
being government of the people, for
the people, and by the people, each voter
entitled to have his voice heard in the
selection of the highest as well as the
lowest elective officer in the country
should be permitted to vote directly for
the men of his choice for president and
vice president. But under the electoral
college system very large number of
| voters had been deprived Of the privi-
lege of voting for their choice for presi-
dent and vice president and are thus
practically disfranchised. In 1860, in
most Of the states in the southern Sec
tion Of the country, electors who were
pleged to vote for Mr.. Bell, Mr.. Breck-
enridge, and Mr.. Douglas, were nomin
ated and voted for, but no voter in that
| large section could have his vote for Mr..
| Lincoln counted, however anxious he
may have been to vote for him, because
no convention or patty had nominated
electors on the republican ticket.
The vote of each state being cast Or
! counted solidly, it was the same IN eff
feet as if the people of the states, giving
in the aggregate a majority of the elect
oral votes, had voted unanimously for
the same man, which was never the
case.


THE INJUSTICE OF THE PLAN.





There was an inherent injustice and
unfairness in the present plan. It had
It's origin IN the idea of preserving the
equality of the states In the selection of
chief magistrate, and Of protecting the
smaller states IN their rights. A famil-
iar and forcible illustration of the truth
of the proposition that, instead of pre-
serving and securing an equality of in
fiuence among the states, SO far as the
smaller states are concerned, the elect
ions may be controlled by some of the
larger states, was found to be the case in
the election for president i'll 1914, when
the small vote of 5000, given in New
York to Mr.. B1rney, resulted in giving
the whole electoral vote of that state to
Mr.. Polk, and elected him over Mr.. Clay.
The influence of the states in the presi
Dental election was secured at the ex-
pense of a principle Of fair representa-
ton. There is now no tribunal by
which, or law under which, contests
growing out of these elections can be
decided. All of the states now, by the
enactment of their Legislatures, pro-
vide that electors shall be chosen at
large by the qualified voters of the state,
but in none of them was there any pro-





any contest that may arise out of such
election. Besides, the omission to pro-
vide for settling contests in the election
of electors, If any, in the states, it was
claimed that there is no provision under
which the two houses Of congress can
make any determination uf any ques-
ton which may arise upon opening the
certificates and counting the votes.


THE PROPOSED AMENDMENTS.


To remedy the evils above described,
the committee recommended the adop-
tion of the amendments now reported
back to the house on these grounds:
The amendments proposed to secure the
election of the president and vice presi-
dent by direct vote of the people, SO
that the voice of each citizen of the
country, entitled to vote, shall be heard
and have its weight in determination
who shall fill these high positions. The
proposition is in harmony with what has
become fundamental principle in our
theory of government, and that is, that
this being government Of the people
every citizen should have voice in Sc
lecting the magistrates who are to exc
cute the laws, and that the people must,
and are entitled to be, trusted In the de-
cision of any and every question affect
ing their interest, safety, and welfare.
The people voting directly for president
and vice president, the danger of cabal,
intrigue, and corruption, which may be
brought about by the use of executive
patronage and influences, and which
tempt electors and electoral colleges,
Will no longer exist, unless a majority of
the whole people could thus be corrup-
ted or influenced, which is improbable,
if not impossible. And, lastly, the pro-
posed amendment in this respect Sc
cures the adoption of the only mode by
which the will of the people can be ef-
fectrlally and certainly carried into effect
in the important question of the selec-
ton of president and vice president.


THE VOTE BY DISTRICTS.


The proposition embraced in the
amendments looks, says the report, to
vote of the people by districts, equal in
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