National Republican., 1878-03-06
Constitutional Amendment Before Congress-
as to the presidcpcy


constitutional amendment introduced by Mr..
Southland in the House of Representatives, TO
which is added brief of the grounds for the
measure now before the committee:
That the executive power Of the United States
shall be vested In three Presidents who shall
stitutc supreme executive council; these Prcsi.
dents to be elected by the qualified voters Of nll the
states one Of whom shall be taken from each Of the
three prominent sections Of the country known ~
the Eastern aud Middle States the Western States
and the Southern States, and no two OF the Prcsi-
dents arc TO be taken from the same section or dis
trCt OF country; the term Of Office To be six years
and no President having served a full term shall be
eligible for reelection.
By the hrst election held under this article Of the
Constitution, should II he adopted, the President
from the Western district is to be chosen for fuc
unnnl term OF two years the one from the Southern
one from the Eastern and Middle district for the
iull term Of six years Amer the first election
President Is to be chosen every two years.
IL Is also proposed 10 abolish the office Of Vice
President and to provide instead that once IN four
years the Senate shall elect President Of the Sen
ate, who Is not a member Of that body, and who,
now exercised by the Vice President. The com.
pensation Of each President Is fixed at not exceed
ing soOOa year, without any pcrquisites or emol
The following reasons for its adoption were
also submitted to the committee:
!. One of the plans proposed In the consti-
tutional convention for the executive branch
OF the Government was that OF three Prcsi-
dents, TO constitute supreme executive coun-
Gil, the members to he drawn from different
portions of the country. II was introduced by
Edmund Randolph (afterward the first Attor-
ney.Genoral of the UnitedStateS, under Wash
ngton), as the Virginia plan," and had nu-
mcrous advocates In the convention, and would
have received greater consideration but for
one fact prominent in the history of the coun-
try, and that is that all the people, including
the members of the convention, were in favor
OF placing Washington at the head Of the Gov
ernmcnt, as a matter Of gratitude for his illus
trious public services and his exalted patriot
ism.
2. The immense growth Of the country, from
population of 3,0O0,OO0 to 100000 and the
extension Of the territory through vast regions,
in different climates, Of varied productions,
and with diversified interests and views, have
made 1t not only important but necessary that
the three great distinctive section Of the coun-
try, the West, the East. and the South, should
be equally represented in the chief executive
councils Of tho nation.
3. The Presidency of the United States
which was characterized in the constitutional
convention rs monarchy in embryo, has in the
progress of events, by the exaltation of its
powers and the enlargement of the country,
become virtually an elective monarchy, espc-
cially when backed by political party, under
y
both branches of Congress aud in the Supreme
Court of the United States. So that rctrcnch-
mcnt and reform to relieve the oppressive bur
dens of the people have become wholly inn
practicable, without u change in the con-
stitutional organization of tho executive de-
partmcnt.
1. A unity in the executive :is the essential
foundation of monarchy, because the King is
deemed the source OF all authority, power, and
honor. But uuIpr n rpnuhlic fba noonln
the source from which all civil power and au-
thority originate, because the only lrgitimat g
object of government is the protection and
welfare of the people.
). The standing objection TO plurality in
the executive branch Is want of energy, dis
patch, and responsibility. This might be en-
titled to weight against large number. But
an executive composed of three members,
whose duty It is made 10 act promptly, will act
with rs much dispatch and energy as one per
son. Three can decide by q vote of a majority
as readily rs one man, and, after decision, the
three or a majority Of them will and can act
with more energy and confidence than one.
There may be objections raised TO any form of
any department of the Government The
possible objection might he raised that n single
executive might hesitate and be unable to de-
eide MS TO his own action. A court composed
of three judges is found to have no more diff
Guilty in promptitude of decision than a court
of one judge, and the action of tho three judges
gives more confidence, and therefore is carried
out with more energy And Us to rcsponsi.
bility, each one of the three is individually
responsible to the whole country so that the
country has in fact the security afforded in
the responsibility of ut least two Il not the
three executives, instead of ole. And three
or at least two, cOncurring can act with more
efficiency than one can possibly do. Three
heads are better than one. They can neccs.
sarily aid each other and act with better
comprehension of complicated transactions and
abstruse business relations. The adage that
there is wisdom in a multitude of counsel Is
not wholly obsolete.
q. A supreme executive composed of three
| persons taken from the three distinct section.
of the country will put an end to the prac
tices of Kitchen cabinet" or "the powe
behind the throne greater than the throne it.
SELF an invariable accom- pani iment Of a sin
gle executive. And, as each of the three sec
tions of the country will not only have an in
terest, but also pride in being represented il
the executive council by man of ability
equal, at least. to the other two, the degradin,
practice of running incompetent men for tn,
| Presidency on account of mere availability
will necessarily be abandoned.
!. This proposed change in the Presidenc,
| will not increase the public expenses. Tn,
President Of the United States at present re
ceives an annual salary OF $4,000, and tn,
pcrquisitcs of the expenses Of the Whit,
House" rs residence, including its repairs
servants and other expenses amount In nj
! to at least $4,000 year. So that his saar,
and perquistcs at this time amount to at leas
| $l2j,OoO year. This enormous salary, witt
such emoluments and perquisitcs, was mani
fCstly given to the President with view t,
his regal character. The change proposed Law
aside monarchy aud substitutes republican
executive of three Presidents, with nm anuua
salary Of $4,000 for each, without any per
quisites or cmOluments whatsoever Thi
would make Il reduction in the expenses of th
Presidency of $4,000 u year, and substitute
the services of three first class men for the ser
vices of one.
X. The three Presidents selected from tn,
three distinctive sections of thcicountry would
undoubtedly engage in the discharge of thciI
high functions with an elevated regard loI
the public interests and the dignity and re
spOnsiblity of the position. When public
men are brought together from di iierent part
of the country upon any high commission
Or in the Supreme Court Of the United States
their public duties are always discharged witt
dccOrum aud the highest sense of prOprictv
and neither differences of political Opinion
nor diversities of interest are allowed to inter
lerc with the discharge of their duties
8. The change in the Presidential term iron
four to six years, with incligihility after fIl
term Of six years, has the sanction of some q
the prOioundcst statesmen of tho country il
past times and the election of a Prcsidcn
from One Of the three districts every two year
would simply make the changes in tho Prcsi
lpupy gradual and n pnrrCgnnn1 with IA r,u