New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1871-12-28

| operate only over circumscribed space.
When, on the contrary, the chief OF a gov
| ernment himself enters the ranks of can
| didates, he borrows for his own purpose the
| force of government. In the first case it is
| one man, with his feeble means; in the sec
| ond, it is the government itself, with its
| Immense resources, which intrigues and cor
rupts;' and then again the same great
writer, who had studied our country so
closely, testifies: 1T is impossible to con-
slider the ordinary course of affairs in the
United States without perceiving that a de-
sire to be reelected dominates the thoughts
OF the President: that all the policy of his
administration tends to this point; that his
best movements are subordinated to this
object: that, in proportion as the movement
in a crisis approaches. individual interest
substitutes itself III his mind for the general
Interest," and
Whereas, All these concurring voices,
whose patriotism, experience and reason
bear testimony. have additional value at
moment when the country is looking
anxfousIy to a reform of the civil service,
for the plain reason that the patronage
from the chief magistrate, SO long as he is
exposed to temptation, surpasses that from
any other quarter, and thus the first stage
is this much desired reform as to the one
term principle, to the end that the Presi-
dent, who exercises the appointing power.
reaching into all parts of the country and
holding in subOrdination a multitudinous
army OF Office holders, shall be absolutely
without motive or inducement to employ
1t for any other purpose than the public
good: and
Whereas, The character of Republican
institutions requires that the chief magis-
trate shall be above suspicion Of using the
machinery of which he is the official head
to promote his own personal aims; therefore
be it
Resolred by the Senate and House of Rep
resentatives. etc, That the following ar
ticle is hereby proposed as an amendment
to the constitution of the United States
and, when ratified by the Legislatures of
three-fOurths of the several States shall be
valid to all intents and purposes as part
OF the constitution, to wit:
ARTICLE /.
. SECTION !. No person who has held once |
the Office of President OF the United States |
shall be thereafter eligible to that Office
SEC. =. This amendment shall not take |
effect until after the fourth of March, 1873. !
REMARKS OF SENATOR SUMNER.
Mr. Sumner, in Introducing his amend
ment. said: shall content myself with
brief remark. This is an era of civil SER
vice reform, and the President of the United
States in his message has already called our
made recommendation in reference to it,
1t may be remembered that hailed that
at once as it was read from the
desk forebOre then to state that missed
one important recommendaton-a very i'm
portant recommendatiOn-One without
which all other recommendations, | fear.
may be futile. l missed recommendation
IF an amendment to the constitution in con-
formity with the best precedents in our his
,ory. and with the recommendations OF il
ustrlous men. limiting the person holding
he office of President to one term Sir,
hat is the initial point Of civil service re-
'orIn. That is the first stage in that great
'etorm. The scheme of the President is the
)lay of Hamlet without Hamlet l propose
~ the amendment that offer TO see that
Hamlet be brought in play. Laughter.
MIR. sherman: Does the Senator propose
% postpone the play of civil service reform
lntil we adopt this amendment!
Mr. Sumner: No: but l propose to put
Hamlet into the play. 1t need not take
ong to do it.
The joint resolution was read and laid
'yer.
Mr.. Sumner called attention to the fact
hat the amendment was not to 90 into
fleet until March !. 1873; therefore it
would not intertere with the preferences of
enators for any particular candidate next
ear.