The news & observer., 1900-11-11
CHAMP CLARK 5 LETTER
One Term Enough For
the Chief Executive.
THEREAFTER INELIGIBLE.
Period of Office to Be Length
ened to Six Years.
THEREAFTER INELIGIBLE.
SENATORS AND REPRESENTATIVES

Former Should he Elected by Direct
Vote and Latter Have n Three Year
Term-Bad Features of Present
System-Some Peculiar Features OF
the Recent Campnign-ROOseve
sound and Tury-Campaigns Con-
trasted - John sherman's Career.
william l.. Wilson's Fame.
Especial Washington Letter.1
1t seems to me that this is fitting
occasion to suggest certain changes or
reforms in our political system. A
president ought to be elected for six
years and made forever ineligible for
reelection, representatives in congress
ought to be elected for term of three
years, senators of the United States
ought to be elected by direct vote of
the people, the election ought to be
held the 1st Of October, and represent
atiyes should begin their service on the
lst of November, congress conyening
on that day. In this way we would
have general election once in three
years. as there is no doubt that the
states would soon so remodel their con-
stitutions and electoral system SO as to
tit in with the general plan. A presi-
dent should have a six year term and
made forever ineligible, because, as
Mark Twain says, human nature is
very strong, and we have great deal
OF it mus" Presidents. being only hui
man. are no exception to the rule. The
love of power is the master passion of
the human mind. Every president ex-
cept Washington and Hayes has spent
large portion of his first term striving
to secure a second. Washington,
think. did desire second term. and
Hayes knew he couldn't get second
term. All the rest bent their energies
to so arrange matters as to be re-elect.
ed. Just wIy Il rational creature is not
satisfied with one election to the high.
est office in the world doth not appear,
but the fact remains as stated above.
would take away from presidents the
temptation to play politics for their
own ACKNOWLEDGEMENT and thus guaran-
tee to the people that to which they are
entitled---the hest and most exclusive
efforts OF their chief magistrates to
serve thcin for the public good.
AS to the election Of senators of the
United States by popular vote. the ben
etits of that plan over the present sys-
tenn are SO apparent that it is waste
of time to even state them.
Present System Poor.
The most ridiculous feature of our
present system is that representatives
are elected 13 months before they real
ly begin their services unless there is
an extra session Of congress. In this
electric age issues may change and
really sometimes do change radically
in 13 months. That happened only re-
Gently The congressional and presi-
Dental elections Of 1892 hinged entirely
on the tariff question. That was the
only issue discussed that year. Never
theless long before the congress elected
in 1892 began it's labors the issue shift
ed to finance and the great Democratic
majority was divided into two warning
factions even before the representa-
tives were sworn in. Representatives
should begin their service within 80
days OF their election. The most dam
aging part of our present plan is that
a house OF representatives utterly re-
pudiated by the people in November
has till the succeeding March in which
to legislate. and vast deal of bad leg
islation may be and frequently is fas-
tened upon the country by repudiated
congress in that length of time.
A Peculiar Campaign.
The recent campaign was peculiar in
several respects:
First.-In the sedateness of mind
manifested by the voters. 1t really
took on the character of listlessness or
apparent Indifference to such an extent
that it caused the leaders of both par
ties to set up lusty and warning
shout Of apathy" which in the end
had much to do with getting out the
vote.
Second.--Another unusual feature of
the campaign was the fact that very
few men OF national proportions mate
FlAlly lHCFedSeu lueIT FcpuIdtlOIlS elIUcF
as statesmen or orators. The number
who achieved added distinction was
unusually small. OF course it was i'm
possible-utterly so-for either Mr.. Me-
Kinley or Mr.. Bryan to gain much new
fame. for their names were familiar as
household words before the campaign
began. Henry Ward Beecher repre-
sented one Of his characters as never
looking older for the all sufficient rea-
son that she had always looked as old
as she could fook. BY something of the
same logic Bryan can never increase his
reputation as an orator, for since his
astounding performance in that line in
nominating himself at Chicago In 1896
he has been recognized as the greatest
living orator. perhaps the greatest that
ever lived. Even The Globe-Democrat.
which under its present management
has degenerated into mere organ
grinder not long ago conceded to Bry-
IN the first place among the campaign
orators this year.
From n critical standpoint Mr.. Nc