The Rutland weekly globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1876-02-11
THE VOTE ON THE PRESIDENTIAL
TERM

TERM.
The national house of representatives, as
our readers are aware, voted, Tuesday, on
three several propositions to amend the
constitution of the United States
relative to the term of office of the presi-
dent and vice-president. We have but
Just received the statement of the votes
thereon, by yeas and nays, and, therefore,
propose to call attention to the peculiari-
ties thereof as disclosed by the votes, par
ticularly of the representatives from Yer
mont and the other New England states.
The first proposition was one by Mr..
Reagan of Texas, limiting the term of of
fee of president and vice-president, after
March 4, 1881, TO six years, and providing
=" that no person who has held ormay here
LATTER hold the office of president shall
" ever thereafter be eligible to said Office
1t will be seen, at a glance, that, although
the proposition Is speciously worded and
fair on its face, it is Objectionable in seve-
raj respect. Only two of these objection
able features need be noted. If adopted,
its effect would be that the president,
elected this year, would be Ineligible to re-
election and he, alone, would be singled out
and limited to term of four years-all of
his predecessors having been eligible to, at
least, two terms of four years each, and
his successors to term of six years. BY
it u vice-president, succeeding to the office
of president a day before the expiration of
his term, would be forever ineligible to the
presidency.
So manifest is the injustice of this, that
the proposition could never receive the IA
vorable endorsement of the states, and il
would seem worse than useless to submit
constitutional amendment to the several
states, for hle mere purpose of submitting
it, without the least probability of its rati-
flcaton. The proposition secured seventy
one votes one hundred and eighty-four
representatives voted against it; and thirty
four were recorded as absent or not voting.
Charles H. Joyce, George w. Hendee, and
Dudy G. Denison of Vermont voted in the
negative, and with them were the entire
New England delegation, except Chaplin
and Warren of Massachusetts, and Phelps
of Connecticut-both democrats-and
Banks, independent" of Massachusetts,
who voted in the affirmative and Jones,
democrat, of New Hampshire, Burleigh
and Hale, republicans, of Maine, and Hoar,
republican, of Massachusetts. who did not
vote. Randall, democrat, of Pennsylvania,
voted in the affirmative and Fernando
Wood, Holman and Morrison, democrats,
IN the negative.
The second proposition was that of Mr..
Frye of Maine, fixing six years as the term
of office of president and vice president of
the United States after March 4, 1885, and
providing as follows "And any person
" having been elected to and held the office
of president, or who, for two years, has
"held such office, shall be ineligible 10 a
'' reelection" We believe that the people
desire such an amendment to the constitu-
ton, and that, if the opportunity was pre-
sented, it would be ratified. Such was,
substantially, the opinion of the conven-
ton which framed the constitution relative
to the presidential term. Seven times that
convention adopted a provision fixing the
presidents term of office at seven years,
and once at six years, and each time pro-
viding that he should be ineligible to re-
election-and only two votes were given
against the proposition for term of six
years coupled with inelgibility. The pro-
position for a term of four years, and
silence on the subject of ineligibilty, was
adopted, with batch of other propositions,
near the close of the convention, and
Luther Martin explains that the party who
attempted to have the president appointed
during good behavior, "endeavored to have
him re-eligible without any restraint, ="
and "by never losing sight of their object,
=" and choosing proper time for their pur-
pose, they succeeded at length in obtain
ing the alteration"
Such was the opinion of the founders of
the republic, and such, we believe, is the
opinion of the great majority of the people
to-day. Yet the congress has refused to
submit the question to the decision of the
states, who alone can ultimately determine
1t. The proposition of MIR. Frye was de-
feated by vote of one hundred and seven
In its favor, one hundred and forty-three
against 1t, and thirty-nine not voting The
democratic majority are responsible for its
defeat, as only forty-two out of one hun
dred and seventy-nine democrats voted in
Its favor. Talk about "third term" will
i'll become them in the future.
Let us look at the Vermont and New
England vote. Charles II. Joyce and
George W. Hendee voted in favor of the
amendment, and with them were Blaine,
Burleigh, Grape, Frye, Frost, Harris,
Pierce and Plaisted, republicans Phelps