Download or read book The Electoral System of the United States, 1878 written by David A. McKnight and published by . This book was released on 2015-07-08 with total page 438 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Excerpt from The Electoral System of the United States, 1878: A Critical and Historical Exposition of Its Fundamental Principles in the Constitution, and of the Acts and Proceedings of Congress Enforcing It The ensuing discussion of the Electoral System of the United States, it may be at the outset frankly acknowledged, owes its origin to a belief that the country requires it: - not that its style, its logic and its argument are of value, these being matters of minor importance; but that its facts and figures, the principles involved and their attested resultants, impartially examined and thoroughly developed, are demanded by a nation whose government is peculiarly representative, and the conduct of whose civil polity must therefore exactly conform to the intelligence and enlightenment of its people. A book is intrinsically valuable, not because of the thoughts it presents, but in proportion to the thought it evokes. This volume was not made, - it grew, naturally and rationally; it does not seek to sustain a theory, - it establishes a System. A consideration of the subject was first suggested by the issues raised in the recent Presidential election. In their determination, there were a palpable and a lamentable confusion of opinion and lack of knowledge; intrigue, excitement, and passion were regnant; and it seemed that this diversity of sentiment, this want of decision, this reckless warfare of party and faction and clique, must have their foundation in an ignorance of the facts and a misapprehension of the principles underlying them. The truth of that supposition has been amply demonstrated during the progress of the investigation. So many new and important facts have been unearthed, so many doubtful principles have been firmly established, the authors pre-existing opinions have been so completely reversed, and the electoral scheme is now so clear and simple and beautiful a System in his own mind, that he feels it incumbent on him to invite the public as well to a view of its harmony and perfection. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.