THE WASHINGTON
WATCH By Congressman
John W. Wydler
This might well be known as
the year in which the American
people finally learned how U. S.
Presidents are chosen - and decided
they didn't like it.
Following the long and exhausting
night of November 5 and the
early morning hours of the next
day, when the American voter
elected a new President, Richard
Milhouse Nixon, there must have
been a universal feeling of relief
that the voters had been able
to reach a clear decision and
that a constitutional crisis was
thus averted.
The election predictions having
alerted the American public
that the contest would be a
close one, a realistic fear existed
during the weeks preceding the
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election that neither of the two
major candidates would receive
the 270 electoral votes needed
for election, throwing the decision
into the House of Representatives
and possibly, in the
event of a deadlock, delaying the
election of a President for many
months.
The average voter was
shocked to learn he couldn't really
vote for Richard Nixon, Hubert
Humphrey, or George Wallace.
He had to vote for " electors"
whose names most voters
did not know - and whose politics,
wisdom and integrity was a total
mystery.
Despite the vote of November
5, those electors could meet in
their respective state capitals
on December 16 and, on a collective
whim, elect John Jones
as the next President,
Only 17 States give legal instructions
to their electors, and
only three specify penalties for
electors who ignore the mandate
of voters in that State.
I must express my conviction
that a constitutional amendment
is needed to reform the electoral
system and to further modernize
our presidential and vice- presidential
election process. The
change is urgently needed and,
in my judgment, is required to
correct the serious deficiencies
in the existing constitutional
framework governing the election
of President.
It has long been my position
that our electoral system of
voting is outdated and should be
replaced by a modern system
of straight vote counting, with
the person receiving the majority
of votes becoming the
President. The direct popular
vote is practical, reasonable,
modern in concept and should
be adopted. This would eliminate
the danger of a popular vote
loser entering the White House
and would put the choice of the
President squarely where it ought
to be - directly in the hands of
the people. It is the only decent
democratic alternative to the
danger- ridden system we have
today.
There are differences of opinion
as to how we can best reform
our electoral system. I think,
broadly speaking, everyone feels
that some changes are in order.
We have to consider two things.
We have to consider what votes
we can get in Congress for a
plan and, most important, how
we can get three- quarters of
the States to agree.
Before any constitutional
amendment can become part of
the law of the land, it must be
passed by a 2/ 3 vote in the
House and Senate and also reach
a consensus of 3/ 4 of the State
legislatures.
The central lessons of the
1968 presidential elections are
unmistakably clear. The verdict
that is being delivered after so
anquishing a delay promises to
re- order, and perhaps permanently
alter, the American electoral
system.
I am hopeful that the new
Congress, scheduled to meet on
January 3, will approve and send
to the States for ratification a
constitutional amendment to remove
the long- existing flaws in
our presidential and vice- presidential
election process.
Massapequa High School
Hit by Fire
Shortly a f t e r 2: 30
a. m. on the morning of
November 11, two fires
in different area of the
building were discovered
by Mr. Gormley of
the Penner Guard Service.
He immeidately r e ported
the fire to the
Massapequa Fire Department
and the Nassau
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County Police Department,
7th Precinct -
Seaford.
The following is a
resume of the pertinent
facts regarding the incident.
1. The fire emanated in
two general areas of
the school. The larger
and more extensive
fire was discovered in
the General Office of
the Massapequa High
School. A second fire
was found on the stage
of the Auditorium. In
order of discovery —
1/ stage
2/ General Office.
2. At the present time,
there is no estimate
as to the cost of the
damages. District officials
and insurance
investigators are tabulating
these figures.
3. Damage of the Building
The main office, including
the vice principals'
offices and the
attendance office were
completely gutted.
The damage on the
stage was contained
due to the automatic
spriniler. Portions of
the flooring are charred
and some of the
back- drops are burned.
The second floor library
suffered from
secondary heat damage
in that a portion
of the radiator enclosure
was removed
to prevent the fire
from spreading.
4. The investigation of
the fire is being conducted
by the Nassau
County F i r e Marshal's
office and detectives
of the Arson
Squad.
5. The Nassau County
Police Department
has determined that
the Massapequa High
School was entered illegally
in the Science
Chairman's Office.
Investigations are
now in progress to determine
if the fire is
related to the break-in.
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Page 4 FARMINGDALE OBSERVER - Thursday, November 14, 1968
