The Portland daily press., 1881-02-09

worth while now TO discuss If an evil. we
are in the negative on that vote, on the right
side of the record No matter, it was a make
shift; it was purely and entirely make-shift
1t settled nothing and unsettled everything
and in the most important crisis that can con-
front any people or any government-tie law
OF successon-the people OF the United States
are to-day without law. There is no rule by
which this system is settled. The chairman of
the Judiciary Committee tells us it looks to
him like an impossibility that we can get
law on this subject.
| do not know what may possibly be the po-
htcal complexion of Congress for the next
four years. We are going to start out with a
Republican House, but if anybody can tell me
what the Senate will be after the 4th of
March he is wiser man than 1 am. How
ever, l hope there will be at least a show of
divided power which will not give the as
surance to either political party that they
will have the undisputed sway in 1884, or
in any subsequent year, over the electoral
votes, and that the patriotism of both parties
will come to see that taxation and tariff and
funding bill and public debt are all of
Ibordnate character compared with this
great question, which may involve a civil rev.
olution at any moment Fortunately the pres
ent election was conclusively settled in the
electoral college, but / ask, without intending
the slightest offense, what chance would Gen
eral Garfield have of being inaugurated on
the 4th of March If there was doubtful cleo
toral vote which came up here, which counted
one way would elect Hancock, and counted the
other way would elect Garfield?
Mr.. Farley. Has the Senator come to that
conclusion from the action of the Republicans
in 1876?
Mr.. Blaine. 1 have come to that conclusion
from things have seen here and from the
common frailties and common instincts of hu-
man nature. have come to the conclusion
that If this were Republican Congress they
would decide for their candidate, and being a
Democratic Congress they would decide for
their candidate. am imputing nothing to
the Democratic party that do not also i'm
pute to the Republican party I will not ini-
pute anything to either of them not inherent
in the weakness of human nature. With that
crisis staring us in the face, quadrennially re-
turning here, and with that wonderful inclina-
ton or destiny which divides people about half
and half on any given issue, the question re-
mains undetermined You can assemble the
people by blowing horn on the east front of
the Capitol and state any issue to them and
ten to one they will divide about equally upon
it. OF the thirty-eight States in this Union
nineteen voted for Hancock and ninet"en for
Garfield. The nineteen for Garfield had few
more electoral votes than the nineteen for
Hancock.
Mr.. Eaton. And the other nineteen had
few more thousand votes.
Mr. Blaine. Upon that subject 1 will not
enter. The popular vote, 1 believe, as shown
on the record, after depriving three or four
hundred thousand American citizens of their
right OF suffrage, gave three or four thousand
popular majority for Hancock. Another count
gives three or four thousand for Garfield; but
L am not bringing that into discussion. The
popular vote was very nearly equally divided;
and to-day whether there be nine or ten mil
lion voters in this country, speaking in rough
and equal phrase, they are about one-half Re-
publican and one-half Democ-a attic, as the
States are about the same. This even division
seems to be the natural outgrowth of re ppbli-
can institutions based on free discussion and
seems as clearly predestined almost as that the
world should be peopled one-half of one sex,
and one-half of the other. 1t so comes, and
we are not escaping this contingency except
for four years. No man knows what four
years or one year may bring forth in the tides
OF political fortune.
Therefore say it is the first duty of common
patriotism that both parties should devote
themselves toa constitutional, comprehensive
remedy, and not have us present the specta-
Gle every four years of going through some
extraordinary contrivance by which we shall
prevent anarchy from enguling the country. 1
think the severest strain to which the country
was ever subjected, outside of the war of the
Rebellion, was in the incidents connected with
the settlement of the Presidency in 1876, and
doubt whether if the term had been for pc
Rod OF ten years, this country could have
found an entirely peaceful solution. 1 say that
for the benefit of the gentlemen who think we
ought to have a longer Presidential term. If
that had been for ten years settlement of the
Presidency do not believe we could have had
as peaceful an adjustment as we happily
reached. We got the advantage of short
term OF four ye, rs, giving period in the near
future in which it might be tried over again
before the high court of the people. The
shorter the term the more content the people
are to submit. That is why the States that
have had annual elections have had the most
peaceful administrations in this country, and
why they have had the most peaceful contests.
believe the honorable Senator from Connec-
ticut and myself will both live to see with re-
gret that the New England States are giving
up their old system of annual elections and re-
sorting to the biennial period. 1 believe the
annual election of Governor and Legislature
In those STATES has conduced very largely to
the peacefulness and harmony and success of
their administrations, as well as the general
readiness and heartiness of submission to the
result by the defeated party. If beaten this
year, IN only twelve months you can try it
again, and with one or two notable exceptions
there has been but very little excitement cou-
sequent upon the result. 1 am very sure at all
events that there has been less of unhealthy
and dangerous excitement in States that have
had annual elections than in any other States
ia the Union, and believe that just In pro-
portion as you elo lgate and lengthen the term
of service of President of the United States,
just in the same proportion will there be ex-
citement and extraordinary agitation atten-
dant upon it. If it were a two years term,
elected as the House of Representatives is,
bearing the imprint, as the Executive ought,
of that popular branch of Congress, there
would be less excitement than there is now.
Make the term six, eight or ten years and you
increase the excitement exactly in the same
ratio. Now we have four years term; it is
not likely to be changed, certainly not within
the lifetime of this generation, bat four years
to men who have reached forty and fifty and
sixty years of life comes around very rapidly.
It VIII be mere soon again, and it will be re-
proach to that side of the chamber and to this,
to the Senator from Ohio and to myself, and to
all of us, if there be not something done to re-
lieve the country from the apprehension of
what occurred in 1876, and what may occur
again if no wise forecast is taken to prevent it.