150 



OONGEESS, UNITED STATES (1875). 



another punishment for the parent that he 

 shall not be registered as a voter, 174 ; a small 

 smack of Know-nothingism, 174 ; vote first to 

 fill the children's bellies, 175 ; the compulsory 

 system is not for the rich, 175 ; the interfer- 

 ence coercively by the State with the natural 

 duty of the parent, 175 ; what is the object of 

 this compulsory system? 176; these inquisi- 

 torial, prying, coercive regulations contrary to 

 the spirit of our institutions, 176 ; amendment 

 agreed to, 176 ; motion to strike out lost, 177 ; 

 further amendment agreed to, 177. 



In the Senate, a joint resolution to amend 

 the Constitution reported, 177; relates to the 

 method of electing President and Vice-Presi- 

 dent, 177 ; threatened danger from the imper- 

 fection of the pending system, 177 ; the propo- 

 sition, 177 ; the election of electors is placed 

 absolutely under the control of State Legisla- 

 tures Congress has no power over the elec- 

 tion, or to determine any question in regard 

 to their election, 177; with two exceptions 

 everything is left to the States, 178 ; Congress 

 has no power to provide for contesting the 

 election of electors, 178 ; the States have made 

 no provision for contesting the election of elec- 

 tors, 178 ; the law of 1792 in effect prohibited 

 any contest, 178 ; they vote by ballot, 178 ; 

 how is the vote to be counted ? 179 ; the pow- 

 er given to the President of the Senate, 179 ; 

 how completely the theory of the electoral col- 

 lege has failed ! 179 ; how has it turned out in 

 practice ? 180 ; dangers and difficulties attend- 

 ing this system, 180 ; its unfairness, 180 ; four 

 Presidents have had less than a majority of the 

 popular vote, 180 ; better elect the President 

 by the people, 180 ; the electoral college has 

 never come within ten per cent, of represent- 

 ing the popular vote, 181 ; compare the dis- 

 trict system with the general-ticket system, 

 181 ; illustration of the dangers of the system, 

 181 ; a large fraud in a city controls the elec- 

 tion for Governor and for President, 181; 

 when you elect by general ticket, no man can 

 vote unless he has a party in the State large 

 enough to hold a convention and put a ticket 

 in the field, 182 ; the danger of the present sys- 

 tem, 182 ; in 1857 the electoral vote of Wis- 

 consin was not cast on the day fixed by law, 

 182 ; the danger was escaped because the vote 

 was not needed to decide the election, 183 ; 

 consideration of the twenty-second rule of the 

 two Houses, 183 ; the rule, 183 ; it is grossly 



unconstitutional, 184; it enables either House 

 to throw out the vote of any or of all the 

 States, 184 ; the vote of Arkansas objected to 

 at the last count, 184; the case of Texas, 184; 

 vote of Georgia lost, 184 ; action in the case of 

 Texas, 185 ; by this rule either House, against 

 the other, may throw out the vote of every 

 State in the Union for President, disfranchise 

 the people and throw the election into the 

 House of Representatives, 185 ; what is an elec- 

 tion by the House? 185 ; it is full of danger, 

 185 ; summing up of points, 186 ; no method 

 now of contesting a fraudulent election of elec- 

 tors, 186 ; the original theory that the people 

 could not be intrusted with the election has 

 failed, 186 ; this question is too important to 

 be passed over, 186. 



The dangers have not been exaggerated, 

 187 ; the report provides no sufficient or safe 

 mode of counting the electoral vote, 187 ; Con- 

 gress can dispense with the twenty-second rule, 

 187 ; not willing that Congress shall have pow- 

 er to provide for counting the votes, 188 ; the 

 resolution proposes a sweeping change in the 

 mode of electing the President. 188 ; what are 

 the words of the Constitution ? 188 ; they go 

 to the ultimate result, 188 ; some better mode 

 than this rule should be devised, 188 ; Congress 

 may provide by law a tribunal which, in case 

 of a dispute, after the Constitution has ex- 

 hausted itself, of this opening and counting the 

 votes, shall decide who is legally elected, 189; 

 the subject considered in reference to the 

 smaller States, 189; the case of Polk, 189; 

 that of John Quincy Adams, 189 ; the election 

 of Jefferson, 190; the existing system is an 

 acknowledged failure of the expectations with 

 which it was adopted, 190 ; it restricts the 

 choice of the people, 190; it makes necessary 

 the caucus or convention, 191 ; the machinery 

 is an obstacle rather than a facility, 191 ; the 

 amendment proposed secures the rights of in- 

 dividual selection, 191 ; a plurality, next to an 

 absolute majority, presents the roost natural 

 and fairest mode of election, 192 ; the present 

 system gives immense power to majorities, 

 192; the danger of a disputed election for 

 President, in a State whose electoral vote would 

 decide the contest, is a most serious one, 192. 



A joint resolution offered to repeal the 

 twenty - second rule, 193 ; the constitutional 

 amendment reported cannot be adopted before 

 the next presidential election, 193 ; the exist- 



