The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1886-08-05
Shall the Presidency be Abel
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The United States constitute a repub-
lie, but the chief official of the federation
is quite monarch. Our president is, in
deed, an emperor. This might be well
enough if 3 Cleveland was always the ex-
ecutive, and the authority vested in
him could remain no greater than it is.
But its increase is inevitable, and the CEN
tralization of power is the menace of the
republic. History shows that republics
are short lived. Switzerland has existed
in republican way for an unusual period
and with the promise of long life-prob-
ably because she is free from one man
power, a Council of State being vested
with executive authority. Our republic
has lived but little over a century, and
not life of harmony. There has been
one desperate war, and the quarrel be-
tween parties is often as bitter as it can
be without actual fighting. Perhaps it
would be better to abolish the office of
President. Perhaps it would never have
been created by the wise fathers if the
republic had not been born of battles and
they had seen no surer way to quickly es-
tablishing safe government than by con-
tinuing in authority in peace the illus
trious patriot who had commanded in war
Conditions are entirely different now.
The national elections convulse the ma
ton, embitter the people, and train them
in temper and impulse for armed revolu-
ton. The President yields powers incon-
sistent with the theory of republicanism,
which might be better reduced to practice
without President. But there must be
executive authority in any system of
government-yet it need not be vested
in one man, any more than that the pow
ers of the Supreme Court of the United
States should be in one Judge. Let us
suppose Presiding Council in the place
of the President, to be constituted as
fellows: the Union to be divided into
say FIVE electoral districts of States-the
Northeast, Northwest, Southeast, South
west and Pacific States; each district
would elect its member Of the Presiding
Council once in five years, the cleo
tions in different districts in differ
ent years. The first election Great
ing the Council would be in all the
districts at the same time, and the cleo
ton being held in one district each year
after that to fill short terms, at the end of
four years each annual election in dis,
trict would be for full term member, thus
making it permanent body, like the Sen.
ate. A majority of this Council would ex-
press executive authority in any matter
that is now acted on by the President
The advantages of substituting Pre-
siding Council made up from different
sections of the Union for President Sc
lected from one section would seem obvi
GUS. We would refer to the avoidance Of
the dangerous one man power; to the prob
ability that there would be more wisdom
in five men than in one to the relic
from national elections TO the weaken
ing of partisan lines; and to the diminu
ton of i'll feeling between the two grca
Northern and Southern sections of tn,
Union. The South would not be angered
by Northern Republican President no.
the North by Southern Democratic
President The parties in each of thu
five Districts of States would have thei
own electoral contest once in five years
and send their own member to the Pre-
siding Council-a Democrat or Republi
can as the case might be, if, indeed
these parties maintained their distinction
as at present.
1t would really seem that the abolition
of the Presidency and the substitution
of a Council elected by districts of States
would do much to harmonic sectiona
differences and cement the Union, max
ing our system of government more es
sentially that Of a democratic republic
while the Congress of the States wouid
remain as now constituted-a body rep
resentative of all parts of the Union.