Presidents -- United States -- Messages; United States -- Politics and government -- Sources
After a full test of other methods, without important division or dissent
in any State and without any purpose of party advantage, as we must
believe, but solely upon the considerations that uniformity was desirable
and that a general election in territorial divisions not subject to change
was most consistent with the popular character of our institutions, best
preserved the equality of the voters, and perfectly removed the choice of
President from the baneful influence of the "gerrymander," the practice of
all the States was brought into harmony. That this concurrence should now
be broken is, I think, an unfortunate and even a threatening episode, and
one that may well suggest whether the States that still give their approval
to the old and prevailing method ought not to secure by a constitutional
amendment a practice which has had the approval of all. The recent Michigan
legislation provides for choosing what are popularly known as the
Congressional electors for President by Congressional districts and the two
Senatorial electors by districts created for that purpose. This legislation
was, of course, accompanied by a new Congressional apportionment, and the
two statutes bring the electoral vote of the State under the influence of
the "gerrymander."
These gerrymanders for Congressional purposes are in most cases buttressed
by a gerrymander of the legislative districts, thus making it impossible
for a majority of the legal voters of the State to correct the
apportionment and equalize the Congressional districts. A minority rule is
established that only a political convulsion can overthrow. I have recently
been advised that in one county of a certain State three districts for the
election of members of the legislature are constituted as follows: One has
65,000 population, one 15,000, and one 10,000, while in another county
detached, noncontiguous sections have been united to make a legislative
district. These methods have already found effective application to the
choice of Senators and Representatives in Congress, and now an evil start
has been made in the direction of applying them to the choice by the States
of electors of President and Vice-President. If this is accomplished, we
shall then have the three great departments of the Government in the grasp
of the "gerrymander," the legislative and executive directly and the
judiciary indirectly through the power of appointment.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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