Dougherty, John Hampden. Electoral system of the United States; its history together with a study of the perils that have attended its operations; an analysis of the several efforts by legislation to avert these perils, and a proposed remedy by amendment of the constitution. **$1.50. Putnam.
Mr. Dougherty’s book “deals with the counting of votes for president and vice-president of the United States. Mr. Dougherty tells the story of debates over the question and of the settlement of the dispute between the Senate and House of representatives in 1877; he reviews the judgments of the Electoral commission in Florida, Louisiana, Oregon, and South Carolina, and criticises the law of 1877. There are also discussions of the dangers of the electoral system and the ‘evils’ of the general election ticket system. The book closes with a remedy and explanation of it.”—N. Y. Times.
“While we cannot but think that Mr. Dougherty’s work would have profited by condensation, particularly in its summaries of the opinions of members of Congress, its historical merits are both sound and considerable. So far as he has gone, his work is not likely to need doing over again.” Wm. MacDonald.
+ + – Am. Hist. R. 12: 154. O. ’06. 750w.
“Invaluable as a historical treatise.”
+ + Dial. 41: 70. Ag. 1, ’06. 400w.
“The one adverse criticism that can be passed upon the book is that the author’s rigid ideals of historical exposition have led him to employ such wealth of detail that only the trained scholar will be able to keep a clear notion of what is essential in the work.”
+ + – Ind. 60: 1435. Je. 14, ’06. 310w. Ind. 61: 1170. N. 15, ’06. 30w.
“It is a searching review and criticism of the electoral system now in vogue, and altho it undoubtedly fails to take sufficient account of the obstacles in the way of radical reform proposed, it is a critique of no small value in reference to a subject which has hitherto received too little attention considering its importance to the Republic.”