olicy"
and to stimulate him to personal firmness in the execution of his duties,
yet not so long as to free him from a sense of responsibility. It was
thought that a term of four years would cover both of the conditions
mentioned.

[3] The purpose of having a vice-president is to provide a successor for
the president in case of his disability or death.

CHOOSING THE PRESIDENT AND VICE-PRESIDENT.

_Clause 2.--Number and Appointment of Electors._

_Each state shall appoint, in such manner as the legislature thereof may
direct, a number of electors equal to the whole number of senators and
representatives to which the state may be entitled in the congress; but no
senator or representative, or person holding an office of trust or profit
under the United States, shall be appointed an elector._

Three plans for the election of president and vice-president were proposed:
First, election by congress; second, election by the people; third,
election by persons chosen by the people for that special purpose.

The objection to the first plan was, that it would rob the executive
branch of that independence which in our plan of government it is designed
to possess--it would render the executive branch in a measure subordinate
to the legislative.

The objections to the second plan came from two sources. Some of the
delegates feared that, inexperienced as they were, the people could not be
trusted to act wisely in the choice of a president--that they would be
swayed by partizan feeling, instead of acting with cool deliberation. And
the small states feared that in a popular election their power would count
for little.

Then the compromise in the organization of the congress was remembered,
and it was resolved that the election of the president and vice-president
should be placed in the hands of persons chosen for that special purpose,
and that the number of the electors from each state should be that of its
representation in congress. This satisfied both parties. Those who thought
that the people could not be intrusted with so important a matter as the
choice of the president, hoped that this mode would place the election in
the hands of the wise men of the several states. And the delegates from
the small states secured in this all the concession which they could
fairly ask.

This matter being settled, the next question was: How shall the electors
be chosen? There being much difference of opinion on the subject, it was
thoug