THE New Zealand Herald AND DAILY SOUTHERN CROSS. FRIDAY, APRIL 14, 1916. AMERICAN POLITICS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIII, Issue 16204, 14 April 1916, Page 4

THE New Zealand Herald AND DAILY SOUTHERN CROSS. FRIDAY, APRIL 14, 1916. AMERICAN POLITICS.

The movement in favour of the adoption of Mr. Elihu Root as a candidate for the office of President of the United States has reminded the belligerent world that the constitutional absolutism of Mr, Wilson is drawing to a close and that a more representative American may change as by magic the policy of Washington. Tho Republican party is already committed to a challenge of Mr. Wilson's neutrality, and it is apparent that the attitude of tho United States towards the belligerents, and particularly her relations with Germany, are likely to dominate all other questions at the November elections. Mr. Root has admittedly been one of America's greatest Secretaries for Foreign Affairs; in language as vigorous as Mr. Roosevelt could wish to employ he has protested against Mr. Wilson's conduct of these affairs, and has sounded the keynote of the Republican campaign. Mr. Root agrees entirely with Mr. Roosevelt in maintaining that the violation of Belgian neutrality was a matter in which America was concerned, because the law protecting Belgium was the law of America and of every other civilised country. He has declared that the diplomacy of the United States is in contempt. Ho has pledged the Republican Party to a foreign policy which is "frank, fearless, honest in its assertion of American rights and leaves no doubt anywhere in the world of America's purpose and courage to protect and defend her independence, her territory, find the lives and just rights of her citizens under the laws of nations."

That the Democratic Party should bo challenged on an issue of foreign policy is the more natural because its last two presidents, Mr. Wilson, and Mr. Cleveland, his party predecessor, both drew severe criticism on their conduct of foreign affairs. Mr. Cleveland's administration was notoriously lacking in dignity and caution; during his terra the Venezuelan dispute threatened to precipitate war between Britain and the. United States. Mr. Cleveland displayed an antagonism to Britain of which Mr. Wilson has never been accused j indeed by comparison the present president is friendly and sympathetic. The quarrel which Mr. Root, Mr. Roosevelt, and Americans of their type have with their chief magistrate is not that he is anti-British or pro-German, but that he lacks the virility and strength which may be expected from the head of a great nation, and is,' by his weakness and timidity, doing less than justice to the selfrespect and moral purpose of the American people.

The theoretical ideal of the American electoral system is that the best citizens in each Stato should be entrusted with the task of choosing, in tranquility and deliberation, tho man they deem most worthy to be the head of the nation. The number of electors of each state is equal to the number of its representatives in Congress. These presidential electors meet in each state on a day in November fixed by law, and give their votes in writing for a president and a vice-president. The votes are transmitted to Washington, and there opened by the president of the Senate, in the presence of both Houses of Congress, and counted. A majority of the whole number of electors is required, failing which the president is chosen by the House of Representatives, voting by states. Tho Constitution leaves the method of choosing electors to each state, and in practice they have become anything but detached and judicial reviewers of the merits of presidential candidates. By universal custom they are now everywhere elected by popular vote, and all the electors for each state are voted for on a "general ticket." The electors are invariably pledged supporters of one or other of the presidential candidates. Early in the summer preceding an election each party holds a national convention which nominates candidates for president and vice-president. Candidates for the office of electors are also nominated by party conventions; electors being chosen by strict party vote, are naturally pledged to the party's nominees. The election is virtually an election by states, New York with 45 votes being thus very much more valuable as a party gain than New Mexico with three votes. The polling for electors takes place early in November; the world will then be able to judge of tho American temper as revealed by a war eloc-J tiom