Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1897-01-15
Give Us a Six-Years' Term
Says Senator Proctor, and Make the
President Ineligible FOR Recollection.

Says Senator Proctor, and Make the
President Ineligible for Recollection.
Senator Proctor has placed in practical
form the much discussed proposition to ex-
tend the term of the president of the United
States from four to six years and to pro-
hibt reelection, by introducing into the
United States Senate resolution embody-
| ing this change in the constitution of the
| United States. The bill also makes the
term of representatives in Congress three
years instead of two. Senator Proctor
supported his bill in carefully prepared
speech delivered on Monday. His argu-
ment was in support of these several prop
ositions:
First. A longer presidential term and
ineigiblity for reelection are more in ac-
cord with the ideas and purposes of the
trainers of the constitution than is the
present system as it has developed in prac-
teal results. 3
Second. The proposed change is not
radical or revolutionary, but is in the line
of true conservatism. II is a change of
the letter to preserve the spirit of the con-
stitution.
Third Reeigibiity is wrong in theory
and vicious in practice, for it results in the
use of the patronage of his office by the
president for the promotion of his chances
of reelection, or else subjects him to the
imputation of such use.
Fourth The change will more thor
oughly divorce the legislative and eXecu-
tive branches of the government, an end
most strongly desired by the constitutional
convention.
Fifth. Even if the present system was
wise in the beginning the changed condi-
tions, the growth of the country in popula-
ton, especially in cities, the great increase
in our territory, and the growing danger of
sudden popular revolution make the change
now desirable
Sixth. Thereby the business interests
of the country will be saved from such
frequent disturbances, and the time and
expense incident to campaigns will be pro-
portionately reduced
Seventh BY lengthening the terms of
representatives to three years, laws will be
better considered and will have longer
and fairer trial before their friends go out
of power in Congress.
Senator Proctor made an elaborate con-
sttutiona argument, tending to prove
that from the very foundation of the gov
eminent many OF our aDlest ana most
thoughtful public men have favored an
amendment to the constitution prohibiting
the reelection Of president. All the va
rious plans at the outset crystalized into
two, election by the national legislature
with a long term and inelgibilty, and
choice by popular elections through the
electoral college with short term and re-
eligibility, as finally adopted. One of the
most effective parts of his argument was
that in which the senator dwelt upon the
disturbance to business, the loss of time,
and the heavy expense for campaign man
agement, which our presidential elections
have come to involve.
Probably Senator Proctor has no eXpec-
tation that his bill will be enacted, but he
has done the country good service by
putting in tangible form the arguments in
favor of reform which SO many thought
full men have come to recognize as desir-
able, and for the best interests OF the coun-
try both financially and politically.