, 1875-01-28

a1ow that the Executive il practically divestcd
Of the power of appointment, under penalty
implied, If not expressed, of tho rcraonal
hostility of tho members Of tho Legislative
branch. lie has, however, corresponding
control over tllcir action. As their tenure Of
Office depends largely upon tleir nbiEity to
control tho distribution Of office. they nro
dependant upon the Executive for tho reten-
.ion Of their own seats. As n rule, they aare
not, openly at lenst, array themselves againHs
the recollection of tho President and thus the
whole official machinery Of tho Government
is operated to rcnonlinata aud re-elcct tho
President in Office.
The whole evil of the Ciyil-seryico system
l,as its origin in this eligibility Of tho Presi-
don't to recollection, md there can be no
thorough reform of that Civil Service until
the President Is en1nncipated and lnndo iutle-
pendent Of the members Of the two Houses
Of Congress, and they, in like manner, aro
relieved Of special feaity to him purchased
by the delegation Of patronage.
Tile reasons urged in Congress on Tuesday
for not voting to submit this amendment to
tho people were peculiarly wcnk md so-
phistical. Gentlemen, claiming to 10 states
men, insisted that the people should not bo
restrained in tho choice Of President, but
should DO ut liberty to vote to re-clect a mRn
whom they Ind found faithful There might
be somo force in this argument if tho nction
Of Congress- on the question was tr,al but
the proposition was merely to submit the
question TO the people for their ratification
or rejection. II tho people think proper to
waive the right to rc-elcct in order to get rid
Of tho dagraceful and dcmoralizing efforts and
intriguos Of An incumbent to use tho powers
Of tho Government for his own promotion
ing out tho appointing power to members Of
Congress, by what right does Congress- MS
sumo to deny them TINT right ? This idea
that tho whole wisdom Of tie milton is con-
ccntrated in Congress, and TINT that body
must tAke cnro that the people do not vote
to their own injury and to deprive them
selves of their own liberty, is m assumption
TINT betrnys consciousness that the people
arc keen for reform. The refusal to submit
this amendment to the people is too evident
ly the result Of a fear that they would ndopt
it. It is therefore dcnial by tho House Of
Representatives of IN opportunity to the
people to reform the greatest aud most
scandalous abuse pertaining to our system
of government This lrcnd lost the people
should to wrong, and this zeal to prevent
them having m opportunity Of doing 20, is
illustrated in the vote. OF the 1u4 Repub-
|icans and Democrats who voted against let
ting tile people have the opportunity Of
adopting this amendment, only twenty-six
have been reelected to Congress; tho others
have boon retired, and have naturally but q
poor opinion ot tho intelligence Of the
people.
This amendment, however, cannot be thus
stiaed. The country has demanded this al-
most from the beginning. Tho arguments
Of Gen. JACKSON in favor of the single
torn, aud TINT term heightened to six
years, have never been answered, and
emit be-. There is ITO question
more thoroughly understood by tho people,
nor one which meets greater universal favor.
The reason given for refusing to submit tho
amendment to tho people is one that would
apply equally to any amendment whatever,
and when TINT reason ia supplemented by the
apprehension that the people would adopt it,
the refusal becomes m impudent abuse OF
numerical power by few men whose political
existence has already been cut Oft by an indig-
naat end outraged people.