The Saint Paul globe., 1900-12-31
EXTENDING THE PRESIDENTS
TERM.

Grover Cleveland has never been dis
tinguished by his ability to state his
convictions on paper In manner which
commeuds itself as either terse or di-
rect. His literary style is awkward and
cumbersome and deters the reader. But
underneath the polysyllabic monotony
of his style Of expressing himself there
is sure to be found always a nugget of
pure good sense. This is clearly the
case in relation to his latest appearance
in public print. His statement of the
objections existing to the present method
of selecting a president and to the short
ness of. the presidential term is hard
to read. But it nevertheless touches the
core Of a question which is bound ere
long to secure the attention of the Amer
| lean people.
| The duration of the presidential term
| is one of the weaknesses of our con-
| stitutional SYSTEM while the manner of
selecting the national executive is
standing reflection on the intelligence of
the nation.
|
to result in an entire reformation of the
constitutional provisions relating to the
executive department of the government.
| If it is attended by corresponding re-.
| formation touching the method Of choos-
| ing senators, it will be all the more
! acceptable to both the conscience and the
good sense Of the American people.
If Mr. Cleveland, as his communication
indicates, believes that enlightened stu
dents of the American system will ever
/ submit to having the president chosen
through the aggregate popular vote,
and without regard to the right of the
several states to participate as politi-
cal entities in the selection, he will
learn his mistake ere he proceeds much
further in his quest.
The Democracy viii never give its as
! sent to any plan which is based on the
! assumption that the executive of the gen
eral government is to be chosen without
regard to the rights of the states as free
and Independent commonwealth In all
respects save alone in the directions in
which they have yielded sovereign pow
ers to the general government for the
common good. To advocate any plan
which looks to the selection of the pres
ident by the majority of the votes Of all
| the electors of the several states would
be IN violation of the compact from
which the American Union grew. If Mr..
| Cleveland, on the other hand contem-
plates such a reorganization of the pres
ent plan as will recognize the autouo-
nous rights of the states, while changing
| the present cumbersome system of an
! electoral college, he will have the cordial
| cooperation of every intelligent voter,
no matter what his party predictions
| may be.
But it is after all in the matter of the
| duration of the presidential term that
the country will find itself in most com
plete agreement with Mr.. Cleveland. The
/ practice Of re-electing the chief magis-
trate after one term is well described as
| demoralizing. 1t ought to be done away
| with The best way to do away with it
| is to lengthen the term. The readiness
!
| with which presidential incurnbents are
regarded as entitled to their party's re-
nomination shows the disposition of the
voting public to regard the term of four
years as too brief.
The latest public appearance of Mr..
Cleveland may or may not indicate dis
position on his part to reappear in the
presidential arena In any event he has
touched responsive cord in the intel
ligence Of the country. and the question
which he has thus brought into prom
inence will hardly pass away from the
public attention until some effective ac-
| ton is taken on it, looking to the adop-
ton of the necessary constitutional
| amendment.