The Dallas weekly herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1885, 1878-03-09
THE SUPREME COUNCIL or THREE.

ne proposition 10 substitute "A tfiufIl-
virate for single president is oceupy7
ing its full share of space in the news
papers Tho proposed amendment pros
yides that the members of this supreme
council are to be chosen by the qualified
electors in each and all the STATE, bat
one Of tine three are to be chosen FROM
the eastern and middle states. another
from the western states, and the third
from the southern states. The first
tional terms, so that new man may
be elected every two years. The Office
of yice-president is to be abolished altos
gether, the senGte being empowered to
elect presiding officer who is not a
member of that body The fact that
this bill was INTRODUCES. IN the lower
house of congress by Mr. Southland of
Ohio, chairman of the committee on
revision of the laws regulating the
counting of the electoral vote for presi-
dent and vice>president, has caused it
to assume, through the omission of the
words by request" in the report OF the
associated press, an Importance that it
would not otherwise have, the press hav.
ing been lead thus othe conclusion that
the measure WAS the deliberate result Of
that important committee. In his PERI
sonal explanation on the floor of the
house, Mr. Southard, says:
The resolution was introd uced "by
request, as stated by me at the time,
and feel it due to myself and TO the
committee to now further state that the
resolution as offered was not intended
10 express either my personal views or
the views OF the committee. The guess
tisn, In the form presented, had never
been considered before the committee,
nor, SO far as know, by any member
OF the committee The resolution was
prepared by one whose high character
and attachments entitle his opinions to
most respectful consideration and as
has been the custom in the house, ] in
troduced il by request and referred it to
the committee for the purpose of per-
mitting the committee TO consider il.
do not desire TO deprive the author OF
the resolution of the credit of whatever
merit 1t may possess. and take pleasure
in sbsolving myself and the committee
from all claim to it.
I It is quite needless 10 dwell upon the
details of the scheme. The fatal ohjec
ton to the supreme council of three
is that it raises sectionalism which
has been the curse of the country from
the beginning of its history aud which
happily is now nearly dead The war
at a cost of half million of lives ant
three thousand millions OF treasure
: was fought for national unity anC
, struck death blow to seetionalism
! The country is one, and cannot be ii
, yided. The south reaches to the Cana
, d1 liue. the north the Gulf Of Mexico
G and the west from Alaska TO Yer
+ mont, and from Florida to Cali
r fornia--they belong together. an
$ are essential to each oiher an
o to the prosperity of the Who'll
c country. Everything that tends /
. raise sectional issues. to revive sections
C jealousies and passions, to remind tt
j; people of sectional boundaries, is ba,
1t and ought to be discouraged A coul
+ Gil of sectional presidents would NAL
es chronic disorder in nation th
to would be one. The aim of the dem
es cratic party has been since the war
le abolish sections as quantities in O
c. politics. President Hayes has adopt,
IN this as policy, and by restoring sc
ne government to the southern states,
be taken . long step towards this resa
We The country il in the midst of a m.
m important process Of integration q
III consolidation. Its various interests /
.. becoming every day more ideutife
An It's states are bound more closely
Of gethsr by commercial interssts and
ciAl ties; its people intsrEningle v