Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1900-11-23
r,,p PRESIDENTIAL TERM.

"a
tention of a large number OF thought
full people is the extension OF the Pres
idential term from four to SIX fears'
with the proviso that the incumbent
of the Office shall be ineligible To- re-
election. There is a general recognl-
ton of the fact that the present term
of four years, is too short. On the otner
hand the ten-year term of France Is
too long, while the possibility OF uh-
limited succession, as in Mexico, where.
Diaz has held Office for twenty-four
years. is not desirable. Diaz is an ideal
President, a statesman man of great
ability and a conservative patriot, wise,
SPACIOUS and careful In his every act.
and beloved by the people of our SIS
ter republic to a degree and extent no
American was ever accorded, not even
Washington or Lincoln. But If he hao
been the reverse of what he is, he
might still have held office, and have
become a national calamity instead OF
a blessing. In France the ten-year term
is Questionable, if for no other
reason because it is too long lease OF
power, and takes from the people for
a decade the opportunity to rectlfy
mistake, to correct possible abuses or
to give expression to change or
modification in public sentiment. Upon
the other hand, our American elections
are too frequent They disturb business,
keep the people in a political turmoil,
and, equally if not more important,
there is not the opportunity for a full
and conclusive test of policies and leg
slation Six months of a new Presi-
dents term, at the very least, is past
and gone before some measure he be-
lieves in can be put in the form of law
and made effective. In two years and
a half more the country is entering
upon another campaign, and the swirl
of politics robs the experiment of the
necessary quietude demanded for a fair
test. Then, perhaps, new President,
with radically different ideas, goes in
to office, and some other expedient is
tried with a possibility of the same
result The inevitable end is lack
of stability, a ceaseless agitation, and
the almost constant threat OF something
different.
An increase in the Presidential term
from four years to six would be dis
tinct step toward a better state of af
fairs. After each election We would
have at least five years of quietude,
affording ample time for the proper
coupled with that would be the assur-
ance, now lacking, that a new man
would take the helm, with a CORE
spending opportunity for the correc-
ton of undesirable or unpopular con-
ditions.
1T may be said that now we have
an opportunity for correction every
four years, which is much better than
six, because of the shorter interval.
In reality we have no assurance of a
change for eight years, because of The
probability that President may be
reelected. We have just had such an
instance. Mr.. McKinley's term of Office
in reality is eight years, which is too
long, and there is no statute law 10
prevent third term or any other num-
Der, which places us upon par
with Mexico. The door is open to an
unlimited term of Office, won, i. may
be, through coercion, intimidation, 2ur-
chase or fraud, and that chink in the
national edifice ought to be stopped up.
A six-year term, with ineligibility to
succession would be much better from
many points of view, and the idea has
many powerful advocates.
Another change which should be
brought about is the election of United
States Senator's by direct vote OF the
people. The present method OF Legs
lative selection is too prolific of scan
dial and too often results in an injudi-
cious choice. The original idea was
that the Senators should represent the
States in their sovereign capacity I'M
der the general government, but time
and changed conditions have materially
modified that proposition. The United
States are no longer a confederation OF
colonies as the term was understood
a century and quarter ago. The the
DRY is present, but the fact is absent.
The theory is. The United States are;
the fact, The United States is" The
tendency is towards the elimination of
the States as factors and the aceentu-
alton of the power and supremacy of
the general government. The evolution
has been so gradual as to be scarcely
apparent, but nevertheless the tendency
has been constant for more than 4
generation. and at no time has been