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Show PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS. The cougre8sioDaI electoral committees com-mittees are trying to devise Bomo plan for the election of president and vice-president vice-president of the republic, that will net be open to the objections put forth against the present Eyetem. The senate committee ia disposed to hold to the system now in force, but to provide some belter way for definitely j settling disputed returns. The house committee proposes an amendment to the constitution fixing the presidential term at six years, making the incumbent incum-bent ineligible for rtiHection, . the abolishment of electors and giving the candidate receiving the majority of votes in th state the total electoral vote of the state. This latter proposition appears to be popular, and it ia probable that if it were submitted to Ibo people they would adopt it. The term of,office is sufficiently long to give interest and official responsibility to the occupant; while on the other hand it is not bo long as to occasion the idea of permanent perma-nent possession. It both encourages and checks ambition which was the evident intention of the framers ol the constitution. A new president every four years ia thought to encourage encour-age the idea of instability. But a belter feature of the proposed amend ment is the one making the preaident 1 ineligible for reflection. Whether the term be four or sir years this should be done. The experience of recent years teaches tht the occupant of the office spends the chief portion of hia first term in laying plans, setting traps, and pulling wireB for election lo the second. The office has been sub ordinatcd tj thia end, and the usefulness useful-ness and efficiency of the president depreciated in proportion as his ambition ambi-tion was increased and more work for re-election was developed. The president presi-dent Bhould know that when he reaches the exalted position he can hold it ODly a certain defined period. He would then have no occaiion for scheming lo lengthen the period of hia power, and hence would have no olher object in view than to attend to the duties of the office, and devote bis time and abiliti ea to leaving a good record of bis administration. The proposition to give the election into the hands of the people should be carried into effect. The original idea in creating the electoral college was to afford as H; tie opportunity as possible to tumult and disorder in making so important a choice. This id one of the few features of the constitution con-stitution not strictly republican. The voice of the people does not rule. This was forcibly demomtrated in the election of '76 when the defeated can didate received 200,000 votes more than Mr. Hayes, even taxing the returns upon which the latter was counted iu. It ought to be arranged so that such an event could not transpire. trans-pire. The whole theory of our government gov-ernment is that the majority rule; but w have the lie given to this to-day, in an administration elected by the minority. But, in fact, whatever what-ever danger there ia in such popular contention as waa feared, has long baeu discounted, .for many years the presidential elections have been popular elections, and the doing away of the electoral college would only be ' dispensing wilh what has come to be mere form. Iu the last election it was on iti face a fight over certain electoral votw; but in pDint of Net it was over the popular majorities behind those votes. We know the result of the presidential presi-dential election so soon as the popular vote for electors is cast and counted, and the actual eloction by the college weeks thereafter is a mere form that has lost significance and interest. But in considering the amendment of the constitution in this matter the important question is more as to how the popuiat vot shall nave effect, than wbethsx the college shall be aboliahed whether in the national aggregate the vote ct each state shall be apportioned among the candidates receiving it, or whether a majority in a state shall give the candidate receiv ing it the whole vote of the state in the grand aggregate. The republican way would be to give the candidate receiv ing the majority of the national agreate the election, and the opposite op-posite course would in a measure continue con-tinue the leading feature of the pree-1 ent system. Some change ought to be made before another presidential election comci around. |