m the Worcester district, which
I then represented in Congress. In the other three I was
at the head of the delegation at large. I presided over that
of 1880.

The history of these conventions is of great interest. It
shows the rudeness of the mechanism by which the Chief Executive
of this country is selected, and what apparently slight and
trivial matters frequently determine the choice. As is well
known, the framers of the Constitution, after considering
very seriously the question of entrusting the power of choosing
the President to the Senate, determined to commit that function
to electoral colleges, chosen in the several States in such
manner as their legislatures should determine, all the electors
to give their votes on the same day. It is generally stated
that the President and Vice-President cannot be from the same
State. That is not true. The Constitutional provision is
that electors in their respective States shall vote by ballot
for President and Vice-President, one of whom, at least, shall
not be an inhabitant of the same State with themselves.

It was intended that the choice of the President should not
be a direct act of the people. It was to be committed to
the discretion of men selected for patriotism, wisdom and
sobriety, and removed as far as might be from all the excitements
of popular passion.

The Constitution further provides that no Senator or Representative,
or person holding an office of trust or profit under the United
States, shall be appointed an elector. It was undoubtedly
the chief object of this last provision to prevent the perpetuation
of power in the same hands, or under the same influences,
by removing the choice of President wholly from the control
of persons wielding National authority. In a considerable
measure this purpose has been defeated. The elector, in practice,
is a mere agent or scribe. He records and executes the will
of the nominating convention of the party to which he belongs,
in which the real power of selection is in fact lodged. In
these conventions members of Congress, and holders of National
office, take frequently an active and influential share. It
is remarkable, however, how often the nominating conventions
have discarded the candidates who were favored by the holders
of executive office or the two Houses of Congress. And where
such candidates have been nominated by the convention of either
party, they have often been defeated at the polls.