Fort Worth weekly gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1888-11-23
SIX YEARS.
universal QUERY for Longer
Term for the President and
One Term Only.
Copying After the Confederate STATES
Csrst:!usisu With Reference 70 Ghs
Presidential Term OF Six Years.
LoEsss IL cssd Upon Every Four Years
Through Apprehension and Distraction.
Hundreds of billions wasted.
New York Herald,

eVerybodT's mouth yesterday Was tn
proposal to extend the presidents term
of office, to which the Herald devoted O.
entire page.
Men who had been for months COM
planning that the apprehension snd excite
ment brought On by the great nations
struggle ruined business with one accord
indoraed Chsuncey NJ. Depew's declara.
ton that the last election caused logs
to thu internal commerce Of the country
Of something like $500, 900, O00-a stop-
page Of 10 per cent. Of the whole COM
merce for four months.
| WCrkmen who had been on short hours
or idle altogether during grest psrt OF
the presidential campaign, sld who won-
Gered II 1t WAS net time TO make these
gigantic political contests less frequent,
were ssSopished to read IN the Herald
that President Smith Of the chamber CT
commerce, Samuel SloGp, Russell Ssge,
| George G. Whiting, Henry q. H0guef,
Sidney Dillon, WillismC S.urges. Fran
cis B. Thurber, John CIEti!n and repre-
sentative men in every branch OF CON-
merce and finance, without regard TO poll
tica, we're ESQ in favor Of the change.
Il is not question CT party.
Il is s question OF good g0VeTnmen!
and CONN ercizl prosperity.
President after president, statesman
after Statesman, have urged that the
| term OF the executive should be made
longer, and that NO citizen who hiss held
TIE otfice once should be eligible for re-
election.
This seemed TO be the almost grani-
nous view taken OF the great question
yesterday. That the fathers of the repub-
| lie, the frsmers OF the c0nstitu ion, hesi-
tsted between six year term aud seven
year term for long time-monthsinfa fact
was shown by tbs summary Of the debate
in the Federal convention of 1887 which
the Herald gave In its big story. And
that even these wise men could not fores
see the tremendous cost to the country OF
s national election was indicated by the
fact that the ensire internal commerce Of
the United States az that time Was not
equal to the gross earnings Of single
railway company 10 day.
ACTION OF TIE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE..
Business men hail the movement with
Joy. Indeed, the Chsmoer of Commerce
or January 8, 1884, after Wesks Of patient
Investigation, adopted the following re-
| port CT lis executive committee:
| "Wheress, the frequency with which
presidential elections occur, with tdeir
attendant excitement and the frequent
! change ef governmental policy recruiting
| thereirom, seriously derangas and i1ters
ieTes with the business Of the country. :
| "ResolVed, that in the opinion Of the
chamber the commercial and busiut IS
interests c; his city AID county would
&c subser7ed by extending the presiz
! Dental term two years and making tAs
president Ineligible for re-elec ton tshA
second term; ond We respectfully csth'
mend this subject to the consideration Of
congress and recommend the adoption OF
such an amendment Of the constitution SIS
will accomplish this end"
| Merchants to whom the Herald has sent
for fsc.e, soy that their sgenrs have come
| back after months Of effort 10 SUR up
trade during the presidential csnVAss
only to report that it WIS almost useless
to try until thei election WAS over. Great
mills and factories have been closed IN
every state in the Union, partly through
apprehension Sc t. the result Of the con-
t st ard partly through the dullness Of 6
| period when business men became too
much absorbed in politics 10 devote their
time TO trade. Values Of all kinds have
fallen and IN some cases collapsed. En-
| terprise has been checked and industry
! halted.
How could It be otherwise, when thou
sslGs Of orators were scattered sll over
the republic mou hing dreadful predic-
tioas of the disaster and ruin that would
overteke the country il either party got
into power?
Men who had money to Invest saw the
storm coming end SO simply sat dcRn
GGd waited.
Meantime everything relating to manu-
f4CtuTe, trade or transportation l4E~
gusAed.
AID the cost Of tie election In This way,
so business men estimate, was $500, 000,-
OCO,
ONE TMRM ONLY.
But this general cutlery from COM
marce, csFitSl and labor alike is not sins
ply for az extension OF the Presidents
term alone. 1t is also for Z provision in
the constitution that shsIl make the
president ineligible for g Sc
coDd term. This is urged On the
ground thst /. would teke the executive
Of the nation ous CT the clutches CT ma
chiCe politicians, 20 whom he must now
deter II he desires 5ecend term. II is
said thst the present system, with lis
temptation 70 intrigue for reelection snd
pander to temporary mooGs Of the masses,
brought on BY sppesls to bigotTy, race
hatred and passion, results in VECillG-
ting, unreliable national policy which
seriously in ssiferes with the prosperity
of the people. To this necessity for max
ing the presidency "one-term- only"
cffi3e several presidents hGve called the
attention Of congress and the Country.
Tildsn laid stress upon i, end
Thomas Jefferson saw weakness
n the present system CT re
eligibility. President CiGvelsud eclemns
" declared il 20 be g national Danger.
President Arthur sI5o desired 10 see s
charge in that Toepect. The queation CT
the eligibility Of the president beg
never been party question. Those who
hsve studied the mEtter say inst The oHlY
reason why the constitution hes no: been
modified to this extent is simply that
great reforms are taken up slowly sitter
prolonged discussion, snd that there has
never been vigorous egitstion of the
Egsent s1ssLlcn.
q al s9aM T9 AGREE ON SIX YEARS.
q TeeessA y5foIity o. those Who have
8seean Intel VIRGO by the Heisld ssy th,E
ak Yeas would be ssEficiently long term
for tae executive. In the convention
which adopted the constitu-
ton every one OF the States |
forming the original republic except
Delaware voted for six yexr term. Even |