The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1871-12-22


Try. When a single candidate seeks
success by intrigue, his maneuvers car
operate only over a circumscribed space
When, on the contrary, the chief Of the
Government himself enters tho ranks oI
the candidates he borrOws for his oWu
purpose the force OF the Government. In
the first case 1t Is one man with his feeble
means; in the second 1t is the Govern.
ment itself, with its immense resources
which intrigues and corrupts." And then
again, the same great writer who had stud,
led our country so closely, testities: ut Is
impossible to consider the ordinary course
OF affairs In the United States without
perceiving that the desire to be reelected
dominates the thoughts of the President
that all the policy Of his administration
tends to this point; that his best move.
uCnts arc subordinatGd TO this object; that
In proportion as the movement OF o crisis
approaches, individual interest substitutes
itself In his mind for general interests =
and WHEREAS, all these concurring voices,
whose patriotism, experience and reason
bear testimony and have additional value
at the moment when the country is look
Ing anxiously 10 reform of the civil
service, for the plain reason that the peril
from the Chief Magistrate, so long as
he is exposed 10 this temptation surpasses
that from any other quarter" and this Is
the first stage Is this much desired reform
as to the one term principle, to the end
that tho President who exercises tho ap.
pointing power, reaching into all parts OF
the country and holding in subordination
mulLitudinOus army Of offlCe'hOlders
shall DO absolutely without motive or in
ducement to employ 1t for any other pur.
pose than tho public good; and WHEREAS,
the character of Republican institutions
requires that the Chief Magistrate shall be
above ali suspicion Ofusing the machinery
of which lie Is the official head TO promote
his own personal aims; therefore.
DO IL rGSOlUei By tho Senate and House Of
Representatives. Dc, That the following
article Is hereby proposed as an amend.
ment TO the Constitution Of the United
States, and when ratified by the Leglsla.
lures Ofthree.quarters Of the several States
1t shall be valid TO all intents and pur.
poses as a part Of the Constitution, tO.wit:
'.r ARTICLE XVI.
"SEC. 1. No person who has held once
tho office Of President Of the United
States shall be- thereafter eligible to that
Office
NSEC. 2. Thisamendme shall not take
effect until the 4th Of March, 1873"
Mr.. SUMNER, In introducing the amend.
ment, said II shall content myself with
brief remark. This Is an era Of civil
service reform, and tho President Of the
United States, In his message, has already
called our attention 10 that important
subject, and made recommendations with
reference TO II. 1t may be remembered
that hailed that message at once as II
was read from the desk. l forbore then
to state that | missed IN important rec.
ommendatiOn-a very important recOm-
mCndation; one without which all other
recommendations, l fear, may be futile.
/ missed q recommendation Tor an amend.
ment to the Constitution in conformity
with the opinion Of tho best President In
our history, and with the recommends
ton OF other illustrlous men, limiting the
person holding the Office Of President TO
one term. Sir, that Is tho initial point Of
the civil service reform. That Is the first
stage in that great reform. The scheme
of the President Is the play OF Hamlet
without Hamlet ! propose, by the
amendment that offer, to see that Ham.
let be brought into the play. Laughter
Mn. SHERNtAN-Does the Senator pro.
pose to postpone tho play OF civil service
reform until we adopt this amendment
Mir. SuMNER-No; but l propose TO
put Hamlet in the play. 1t need not take
long to do 1t.
The joint resolution wa. read and laid
over.
MIR. SUMNER called attention to the
fact that tho amendment was not to 60
into effect until March 4, 1873, and there.
fore would not interfere with the prefer.
ences of any OF the Senators for any par.
ticular candidate next year.
Mir. THURMAN offered q resolution to
admit Mr.. GOldthwaito, and pending the
discussion Of It the morning hour expired,
and the unfinished business on tho House
amnesty bill was taken up. The pending
amendment was motion providing
that tho action should notbe construed so
as 10 validate the election Of anybody to
an office under the United States govern.
ment who was at the time OF his election
ineligible by law. The amendment was
rejected. .u....
Mn. SUMMERS amendment supplement.
ary 10 the civil rights bill then came up.
Mr. THURMAN made point that It was
not in order because II was q measure
which, If II stand alone; could be passed
by a majority vote while the pending bill
required q two-thirds vote.
Mr. TRUMBuLL raised tic point that the
amendment was not in order, because II
would require tho approval OF the Presi-
dent In order to become q law, whereas
the amnesty bill could beComea a law with.
out tho Presidents approval. ....
Both points were Oyerruled by the
CHAIR. ... IaJr. I... .I4.
Mr.. TnuRMANRppealed from the deCls.
lon OF the Chair upon his point Of order,
and the decision was sustained.
Mr.. SUMMERS amendment was then re-
jected. .r.-.
Mr.. EDMUNDs offered an amendment
which would exclude all members Of Con.
gress succeeding the 85th, who partiCipa.
led in the rebellion, which was lost, the
vote being ayes97, nays 81. e..
Mr. PRATT offered an amendment pro.
viding that the removal Of disabilities
should not give persons so relieved any
status in Court which they do not now
possess in asserting claims against the
United States. Lost Yeas %, nays 81.
Mr.. WILSON moved TO amend by strik.
ing out the exceptions in the bill and eX-
cepting instead only members of the 30Lh
and 37th Congress who aided the rebel
lion, Judges OF the Supreme Court OF the
United States and heads Of the Executive
Departments of the Government In 1860
and 1901 who joined the rebellion. Lost.
Mr.. MORTON offered in different Ian.
guage substantially the same amendment
offered by him yesterday and rejected
this morning. 1t was adopted by a vote