The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1877-03-27
The Extra Session and the One.Term
Amen dment.


The extra session Of Congress having been
decided upon il is natural to inquire what
other business besides the Army Appropria-
ton bill may properly be considered. The
President. and even leading Congressman OF
both parties. would gladly have avoided
called session. But since it is inevitable
we hope the most will be made of it for USE
full purposes. The Army Appropriation bill
will 60 through in few days after the or
ganization, if on the 4th of June the troops
shall have been Withdrawn from South Caro-
lima and Louisiana; otherwise it is not likely
to pass at all. Assuming that the troops
will be withdrawn and the Army Appropria-
tiou bill be passed without any delay. and
as June is not a very sultry month. we hope
that at least one other important subject will
be acted ON before the adjournment We
refer to the constitutional change recon-
mcnded by President Hayes in his inau-
gural address,
The summer session is likely to be short.
because Congress will want to avoid the
extreme heats of the capital. but it might
be made very useful to the country. We need
some reforms for which preparatory meas
ures are necessary, and there are points
of policy which would be the bet
ter for preliminary discussion, which
would facilitate wise action in the long
winter session. There is one reform which
Congress- in the extra session, could per-
feet so for us it is concerned and for the
snke Of which alone we could wish that it
might be called. We mean the passage of
constitutional amendment prohibiting the
reelection Of President and making the
term hereafter six years President Hayes
very wisely regarded this in his letter OF ac-
ceptance an important measure toward
permanent reform of tho civil service. He
meant that by such a one-term amendment
the President would be relieved from the
temptation to scheme in his appointments
for reelection. He was quite right, and
the public was pleased to see the same
thought reappear in his inaugural message.
We need not say that he has the support OF
the HERALD in this matter. We have been
urging this rs vitality necessary reform for
several years, and we believe "if itwere done,
when It's done, then 'twere well it were done
quickly" It cannot be done too soon.
French philosopher gave it as his opin-
ion, after long and careful study of
mankind, that ''most men are mortal" and
we can imagine that even President Hayes
would feel freer in his dealings with public
affairs if the subtle but powerful temptation
to manage for himself second term were
n
matter how he might avert his own gaze
from il, his friends would not fail to sue
cumb to it, and his opponents would in
evitably accuse him or them of such
schemes and thus probably embarrass him
and fix wrong Interpretation upon acts in
themselves blamelesr.
We repeat therefore, if there were no
other object to be attained by the call of an
extrS session, it would still be desirable in
the hope that the new Congress, fresh from
the people, very nearly equally divided as to
politics, and containing in both houses o
larger number of able men than the last,
would confer this benefit on the country of
proposing to the legislatures of the States
one-term amendment. The friends
of this measure may as well take notice
that it will be much easier of adoption now,
in the beginning of new administration,
than later on, when fatterers and syco-
plants shall have gathered about the White
House, and when, perhaps. political exigen-
cies and changes may make this needed re-
form less welcome to some of the political
leaders on both sides.
Nor ought it to be forgotten that the one
term amendment is important not merely
for future, but for present reforms. 1t
is part and an essential part of that refor-
nation of the civil service which the Presi-
dent promises us and which all the interests
of the country demand. That reform must
be made by the present administration; if it
is to last it must be so firmly fixed in the
next four years that no President and no
political party hereafter shall dare to 60
back to the old and vile system which has
degraded the public service in oil its
branches, and whose abuses but lately threat
ened us with a new and terrible civil war,
which was averted only by the common
sense and self-restraint of the people and
the moderation of the democratic leaders.
The new President has started out we'll; he
has gained his first victory over the ina
chine" politicians has got about him
Cabinet mainly, if not entirely, in
harmony with his views on this vital ques-
ton has driven the political cormorants
from Washington, and has, seemingly, sub
dued the Senate. But he doubtless remem-
bers what the opponents of the reform do
not forget-that he is still only in the first
month of his administration. He effected a
very clever surprise and certainly routed
the army of place hunters in brilliant style.
But the campaign is not over; it has not
fairly begun, and he needs all the fortitude,