ELECTION OF PRESIDENTS.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXVIII, Issue 46, 15 November 1900, Page 19

ELECTION OF PRESIDENTS.

Me. McKinley has been again chosen for another term to fill the office of President of the United States, polling 292 votes against 13.) cast for Mr. Bryan, the Democratic candidate. The President lylec.ed by what is known as the Electoral College, consisting of 447 members returned by the various States of the Union in proportion to their respective population. In connection with the presidential election it is interesting to know how the chief magistrate is elected in other States where the republican form of government prevails.

Of the 27 republics in the world 15 elect their Presidents as in theory the United States do, by indirect vote. The Electoral College in two cases, those of France and Switzerland, is the Legislature of the country which meets in joint session of the two houses.

In the cases of 12 others, Mexico, Costa Rica, Argentina Brazil Huh, Colombia, Paraguay, p^ru, Uruguay. Venezuela, Liberia, and Santo Domingo— as wi the United States a special electoral body v chosen by the peopl* to elect the President. Six republics—Guatemala, Salvador. Nicaragua, Bolivia, Ecuador, and H ivti— ohooee their Presidents by direct vote of the people, though suffrage is not in all ca-es universal, and in many of the Central and S >uth American republics the popular election in ofteu little better thiu a farce. The Republic of Andorra, lying in the Pyrenees, between France and Spain, has no officer recognised as President, though there is a Pre-ident of the Council, as the little legislative body of the country ih called ; two officers, called Viguiers, one appointed for life by the 1 re-ident of Franc, the other for three >ears by the Spanish liishop of Urgel, have son.c of the powers of a President, and are at tlio same tune judicial officers.

The smallest and oldest republic of the world, San Marino, a httle country ot 8 2 square milep, lying in the Apennines, has two Presidents, each of whom exercises power for mx months. The mode of electing these officers i.s extremely curious. Every six months the members of the Chamber of Deputies, which is the popular House of the Legislature, nominate six of their own members ; three ballots are then given to every voter, each with the narmsof two of these six. The polling p,ace is the Cathedral of hau Marino, the capital of the country. The ballot box is placed on the high altar, and after the ballots have been deposited, a child draws one at random from the urn. A priest then announces the names on the ballot, and the persona thus named become Presidents of the Republic.

The terms of Presidents vary from six months in San Marino and one year in Switzerland to seven years in France. Only on© French President, however, has served his full seven years, and he was forced to resign i>i his second term. Three other French Presidents were forced to resign, and one was assassinated. In the Ceir* tral and South American Republics the term of the President is from lour to six yeara. In several the same person cannot serve for two successive terms, and in one two full terms must intervene before a President can be re-elected In Switzerland a President cannot serve for two successive terms. It is almost a fixed custom for the Vioe-Pre-sidrnt of Switzerland to be elected President at the expuation of hid term in the former office.