Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1894-12-21
CONSTITUTIONAL AnEHDNEaTs.

Aoo ouOAuAGVoO u JUluG T0SO1uClOu IOr III
amendment to the Federal Constitu-
ton, making the president ineligible to
reelection. This is an old story more
than twice told and makes the ears
drowsy. The question was thoroughly
considered by the trainers of the con-
stitution. The trainers had the mat
ter of the executive chief of the Nation
al government to be established before
them in every possible view. There
we're no precedents that could be used
in the work they had marked out. An
executive department of government
apart from a Legislative branch was a
new conception, and unknown to the
Federal governments in Greece, in
Holland or in Switzerland. The cleo
tive monarchies of Poland, of Germany
or of the Papal states we're described
as a matter of course. Now the con-
stitutional convention made a commit
tee of detail to report on the various
plans brought forth relating to the
executive. Should the executive be
one, two OF more? Should it be chosen
by the people? or by electors? or by the
state legislators? or by the executive of
the state? or by n house of congress-?
or by both? by joint or concurrent bal
lot? by lot? How long should be it's
term? Should it be ineligible for re-
election? How removed? Should it
have the exclusive power of making
war and peace? Should it have an alb
solute or qualified veto on the acts of
legislation, or none at all? These were
the questions asked and answered by
the members of the convention, and in
the language of Bancroft, the "Con-
vention marched and countermarched."
But they finally agreed, and it may now
be affirmed after the lapse of more than
one hundred years, that no amendment
to the constitution touching the eXecu-
tive branch will be adopted in time of
peace by the American people. Nor
will any other amendment be adopted
in time ofpeace. The American nation
will live or die under the present fed
eral constitution. Public opinion must
be looked to for relief, if relief is
needed. Public opinion may, in the
way of executing the provisions of the
constitution, make what in effect is
equivalent to a new amendment, or by
its silence suppress parts of the con-
stitution. Political institutions are a
growth; they are not made to order,
and with a free people the organic law
will yield to the fixed populardemands.
In short, public opinion is government.
AS to the second term of the eXecu-
tive, the example of Washington made
it possible for his successors to serve
two terms but no more, n~otwithstand-
ing the federal constitution permits
three or a dozen. The tendency of the
popular judgment is now to defeat a
sscond successive term-as in the case
of President Cleveland. But there may
occur a crisis which can only be met by
re-electing the same person to q second
term, and if the crisis does not occur,
he will be set aside. The electoral col
lege, a a machine for electing a presl-
dent and as devised by the trainers of
the constitution, has been long since
practically overthrown, so far as it was
meant to be an independent body.
The amendment advocated by Mr.
Bryan has beenproposed before. Pres.
ident jackson, in his first message,
urged that the constitution prohibit
the reelection of the president. But
such is the frailty of man and the in
sidious influence of power, that Jack
son was an avowed candidate for a
second term, and elected. Not content
with that he dictated the person to
succeed him.
But our country is too great 10Y for
any M man to dominate. Even Gen
eral Grant failed to get the nomination
for the third term though the plaus-
able excuse for such a movement was
that he did not aspire to succeed him.
self.
Nothing new has been said on this
subject since the days of the debatesin
the convention that made the national
constitution. The people will not
bother about amendments, which are
of great Importance only to a political
student full of vigor and love of fame.
Moreover, the marvellous men who
made the organic law of the American
nation made the work of amending it
very difficult so that the spirit of inno-
walton would perish on the way.
KIND WORDS THAT ARE MER1TED.
We have personally known Captain
Lucas for ten years, and know him to
be the peer of any man in the state, in
integrity, honor and genuine republi.
canism of the western type.-Chamber-
lain Journal.
ma