The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1876-02-11

ing an amendment to the Constitution
limiting the Presidential office To a sin.
gle term of four years. This was reso-
luton proposed by the Judiciary Com
mittee, minority of which, however,
advocated an amendment for term of
six years. The proposition of the COM
mittee received the approval of a major
ity of the House Q44 to 1867, but failed
for want of a two-thirds vote. The sub
Jet will come up again on a motion to
reconsider.
There are good many proposed con-
stitutional amendments pending, some
OF which would be of value, while others,
though well enough in theory, would not
amount to much practically. Mr.. Spring
er, of the Springfield GIL district, some
ten days ago proposed an amendment
which Is much talked of here. It is de-
signed to abolish special Legislation by
Congress III thousand and one instances
where such laws are now enacted at every
session. Special Legislation was abol-
ished by constitutional provision in Indi-
ana some twenty-five years ago, and since
then similar provision has been incor-
porated in the fundamental law of many
of the States, in every instance with
beneficent results. The want of such a
provision as is contemplated by Mr..
Springer's amendment is the cause of
gross abuses and many expensive evils
To this may largely be attributed the
existence of "The Lobby" here, sort
OF close and loose corporation (un-
imited) which thrives on corruption,
blackmail, confidence games, the re-
duction of deadbeatism to science,
or rather its elevation to fine art pat
ronized by the ton, and such like re-
spectacle peccadilloes. The support of
this lobby has cost the people of these
United States from fifteen to fifty mill
ions annually during the last fifteen
years. It's minor and it's major raids on
the Treasury are in eternal connection or
operation. 1t has men of great talents
for commanders, ana others of cunning,
strategy, and pluck for drill-masters.
Fine orators, persons of the highest CON
versational powers, distinguished Off
cials, State and national, of the past
| first-rate gamblers with large diamond
breastpins; brilliant women, as beautiful
and as virtuous as Venus the blest, and
some newspaper men" make up the
Washington lobby. Just how many
downright rooberies and corrupt jobs
they have helped to engineer through
Congress it would be difficult to tell.
But that they have been the prime means
OF the wrongful expenditure of at least
two hundred millions since the begin
ming of the war, and Ct the infection of
great evils upon the people by getting
patents extended which ought not to
have been, and in other like ways
that are dark, no honest man
who knows about the inside
OF things here will deny. If Mr.. Spring
er's amendment shall prevail, the occu-
patton of the lobby viii be gone. The
measure is one of very great practical
importance to the people, but as there
is no orifamme" in it, and no maudlin
gush of any kind, do not propose to
bet my bottom dollar that it will be
adopted. Nevertheless, if people knew
how much it would benefit them and aid
honest craftsmanship they would stir up
Congress lively on the subject, and keep
on stirring till the measure had become
success. l.. M. n.