Carson daily appeal. [volume] (Carson City, Nev.) 1873-1877, 1875-01-28
TIE PRESIDENTIAL terry.
Interesting Congressional Debate.

In the House. on Tuesday, Nr. Potter
from the Judiciary Committee, reported
Joint resolution proposing an amend
mrnt to the Constitution. fixing from
and after the next Presidential election
the term oi the President and Vice
President at six wears. and making the
President and Vice President. when the
office has devo,ved mon him. ineligible
fo- reelection. He said the amendment
wosId rot effect the next Presidential
term. and IL owed the previous question,
which was seconded: the main question
was recousiderrd. and the question
opened for debate.
Hear. while questioning whether there
would be any occasion when he should
favor. or believed the American people
would favor. the continuance ni any
person in the Presidential office beyond
two terms. was opposed to deprivins the
people of the ri. bt TO elect a person as
often as they chose.
kasson offered an amendment to the
resolution so rs to make the ine!igihiilty
ONLY applicable to the next succeeding
term Of Office.
Butler. of Massachusetts,. said the
proposition was simply offered to the
people. and if they did not want the
am. ndment they could vote il down.
He agreed that the people ought to have
the right to elect "a man Just as many
times US they chose. but they also ought
to have a correlative night to say they
will not elect man more than once. lie
showed the benefits 10 be derived from
having one session of Congress which
could attend to business, insteod Of be
ing. as Is charged. engaged In seeing if
it can make n new President so As TO get
the offices under him; the amendment
would take away the temptation which
now beset the ice-Prssident who sue
ceeGei to the Presidential chair of tsur-
ing for reelection. He, however, be-
| lieyea that circumstances might he such
that the re election Of President for a
second and :or third time would be
necessary. as in time OF commotlon or
time of rebellion: u time when thousands
and thousands are being murdered in one
| section Of the country without any pun
| ishmen: for their murders. and people
| feel doubtful as to what will be the fu-
/ ture of the country. without re-elec-
| ton. Then" said be. Il can conceive
the possibility of the people coming up
as one man to the election Of strong
| hand that will hold the Government IN
| the futbre as ii has been held III tie
past"
f. II. Roberts said: 'As l read his
tory. republics are overthro~n by the
| plea Of necessity and in times OF great
excitement: and declare in cold blood
| that the American people shall have An
| opportunity to say whether or rot they
| are willing in an emergency to re-elect
| President for third term A l read
| history. the dangers to- republics come
| not as tie gentleman from Massachusetts,
! (Bu,lsrl suggests-from below-but al
wavs from above. Always the pretenss
, is thai the country needs - strong man.
or the pretense is that there is disturb
ance somewhere-thatt there il need OF
an armv and a military chieftnin. He
declared that even in the case Of the re-
election Of Lincoln, it would have been
better to have elected another rather
than have established the principle Of .
continuous Executive. He could not
conceive Of any contingency in which
he would be willing for . continuous
Executive Of this Republic. and he
| called upon gentlemen of his side of the
chamber to consider whether they were
wiling to be put upon the record -
willing to invite . contingency in future.
when they shall be called upon to meet
the question Of disturbance with con-
tipuous Executive. His faith was not in
strong men; it vas in the American
people.
Ward Of Illinois argued against the
amendment and moved to lay 1t on the
table. Nsgstived-ayrs. 80: noes l38
! He then moved to recommit to the Judi
eiary Committee. Lost-aves. 100;
noes, l23 The joint resolution was
then rej-cted-ayes. 1874; oss, 1Oi-less
than two-thirds. All the Democrats
voted for it.