The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1871-12-28
Mr.. Summers Proposed Amendment.

| On the 2lSt, Senator Sumner intro
duced in the Senate a proposition for
SO amending the Constitution as to
make the President Of the United States
ineligible tor a second term The pre-
amble to his resolution recites that An
drew Jackson, President Harrison. Hen
ry Clay, the Wing National convention in
| 1874, Benjamin +. Wade and De Tocque-
vile had all declared in favor of such a
restriction-and that the Chief Mags-
trate should be above all suspicious of
using the powers Of his position to pro-
mote his personal aims. The resolve is as
| follows
| Be it Resolved by the Senate and House of
Representatives etc, That the following article
| is hereby proposed as an amendment to the con-
stltutlon OF the United States, and, when rati-
fled by the Legislatures of three-tourth 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
once held the office of President of the United
States shall thereafter be eligible to that office
| SECTION .. This amendment shall not take
effect until after the fourth of March, 1878
The Senator remarked upon his view of
the importance and necessity of the meas
ure, and a brief debate ensued, as fol-
| lows
| Mr.. Sumner-This is the era of civil service
| reform, and the President of the United States
| in his message has already called our attention
| to that important subject and made recommen-
datons with reference to it. 1t may be remem-
| bered that l hailed that message at once as it
was read from the desk. l forebore then to
state that missed one important recommends
| tlon-one without which all the other recon-
| mendations, | fear, may be futile; missed the
recommendation-of amending the Constitution
| in conformity with the best precedent of our
| history and with the recommendations of illus
trious men. limiting the person holding the Of
flce OF President to one term. Sir that is the
initial point of civil service reform, that is the
first stage in that great reform. The scheme of
the President is the play of 'Hamet" without
Hamlet. ! propose by the amendment offer
| to see that Hamlet be brought into the play
Laughter
Mr.. Sherman-Does the Senator propose to
postpone the play of civil service reform until
we adopt the amendment?
MIR. Sumner-No. But propose to put Ham
let into the play 1t need not take long to do it.
The joint resolution was read and laid over.
1t may be that the Massachusetts Sena-
tor has taken advantage of the opportunl-
ty offered to plant an arrow in the Presi-
dental mark at which he shoots so much,
and that the measure suggested has no fur
Their significance. If SO, no one on the
Democratic side will object that the COM
bat between the two radical archers shall
90 on. The time at which the provisions
of the proposed amendment are to take
effect will deceive no one as to the pur-
pose with which it is offered. But if, I'M
der that there exists belief on the part
of Mr.. Sumner, that such u change in the
conditions of the Presidential office would
be salutary, there will be very many who
will demur upon the sober second thought.
Provisions of the kind should have a
wide and general scope, and not be made
to fit particular cases. 1t is tickle, undig-
nified and irrational to tinker so grave
and important an instrument as the Con-
stitution of the United States for a transit
tory purpose. There has been quite too
much of it in the last ten years. The
question should be, not how it will effect
this candidate ,or that measure in the
near future, but how it will operate up
on the welfare of the country and the
people IN all coming time. The idea of
limiting the Presidency of any one man
to single term is not new one. 1t
was advanced at the time of the forma-
ton of the Constitution, and Mr.. Sum-
ner's preamble shows that it has been
considered at various periods since-but
never with any show of success. 1t
would be difficult to assign suffi cient
reason why, if a President has filled one
term acceptably, he should not stand
equally with his fellow citizens as can
didate for a second term. The experience
acquired, like that in all other positions,
may be often invaluable. So, too, may
be the carrying out of measures of impor-
lance to the country, begun and unfinish-
ed under one term, which require another
one tor their perfection. If those meas
ures have the sanction of the country,
and the incumbent has won the confidence
of the people, great harm would ensue
from an enforced change by which the
measures in Indifferent or unskillfulhands,
might perish.
The purpose of securing purer and
more conscientious discharge of the du-
ties of the Presidential office by limiting
it to one term would prove tallacious.
Certainly the inducements to good be-
havior would be removed in great de-
gree The candidate for second term
must know that upon his good record
in office depends to certain extent his
hopes of success. An avaricious man
who knew that his opportunities must
pass away at a certain fixed period, would
be likely to make the most of them while
they lasted. If the amendment were in
force to-day, would President Grant be
content with taking here house, there
farm. at one place seaside palace, at
another pair of horses and coach?
Should we not have San Domingo pur-
chaseS IN all the Islands OF the sea, Sen
AGA stone quarries wherever rocks grow,
and armies of relatives where now are
only battalions?
The present provision has not, upon the
whole, worked ill. Several excellent
Presidents have served second terms I'M
der it. The exception will be if it should
chance to make possible another term of
the present incumbent. But we can live
through that, looking to better and
brighter days beyond. The civil service
measure is capable, if honestly carried
out, of removing many serious objections
! to the present system. by cutting off from