The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1868-06-18
THE OTTUMWA COURIER
Rotation in Office.

| Rotation in Office.
Wo are glad to see a determined
effort being made to pass Wade'l
Constitutional amendment, which
renders q President Ineligible for re
election.
IF this rule was applied to Sena
tors, and Representatives, at any
rate beyond the second term, and
absolutely disqualified Judges of the
Supreme Court from becoming can
didates for the fascinating Executive
bauble, it would be conducive to pub.
lie honesty, decency, and the general
welfare. .ss
Poor fallen, depraved, unrecon
structed human nature, is as gen.
eral rule, unable to withstand the
corrupting influences and seductive
appliances Of public plunder, for q
long stretch, without surrendering
= j
to it's Establishments, os too many no
ted instances almost daily transpiring
testifies. In nine cases out of ten
you lose in honesty, simplicity, and
incorruptible Ropublicanism of a
public servant, much more than you
gain in experience, by retaining him
in Office long series Of years, until
he really imagines himself the mas
ter Of the people rather than their
servant, and supposcs the governs
ment very little tail to his big kitc.
When James w. Grimes was cleo
ted Governor Of Iowa thirteen years
ago, he was fully in accord with the
blood and brains of the giant young
state that was proud to honor him,
SO long as he remained a true ex-
ponent and representative of her
principles.
. The thwarted schemes of person
al ambition, and the dry rot of self:
ishness, and the debasing effects of
fawning sychophants, and all the cor
roding influences Of power, had so
entirely metamorphosed this plain,
bluff, simple unaffected Republican Of
the people, that in 1864 We find him
interposing his puny arm against
the reelection of the peoples idol
Abraham Lincoln, and from that
day to this, as little in accord with
the great party that elected him as
if he lived in Timbuctoo. Compare
the James W. Grimes who used to 60
around the country delivering his
agricultural speeches, who delighted
to meet and talk with his fellow
citizens on the great political ques-
tions Of the day, and who during the
first years OF his official life regarded
the peoples will as the supreme law,
and q man Of most approaceable re-
publican simplicity, with the patri-
clan James w. Grimes of to-day, who
turns up his nose in infinite disgust
at the applause Of the rabble in the
Senate chamber, over which he
takes conniption paralytic fit, and
who votes to aequit the greatest po.
litical criminal this country has ever
produced, over the protest of the
press of the entire State, and at least
nine hundred and ninety-nine out
ofevery thousand of the people, who
elected him, and who insolently
snaps his fingers in the face of his
constituents, and you can see an
alarming example of the demorali-
zing effects of long continuation in
Office. not to say its criminal folly.
Before the war the example of the
Southern people in retaining their
men in power, when once found able
and adroit, especially in defending
their peculiar institution, was held
up to our people in terms of commen-
dation by Greely and other public
journalists. We never met an intel
ligent Southern man, during the war
who didn't attribute it, with all its
woes, to the suicidal policy of keep.
ing their leaders in power until they
became their blind bloated, pampered
masters and, who, after binding them
hand and foot, prccipitated the Soutt
into the bloody maelstrom Of civi
war.
Had the G alhouns and Davis,
been rotated out of Congress aftel
serving say two terms, and been sue
ceeded by men fresh from the people
we should never have had Bull Run
Shiloh, and the Wilderness, as way
marks in our history pointing to fv,
hundred thousand untimely graves
or had tho oppressive incubus o
three thousand millions of publi
debt hanging about our necks, as
constant reminder of a great ant
bloody democratic war against tn
government. In Gods name let u
profit by these examples in due time
by Incorporating constitutional limi
to the tenure Of these important off
ccs, so that our boasted Republic ma,
cease at the earliest moment, to affor'
tho world tho mortifying spectacle Q
its Chief Magistrate bartering ava,
the federal patronage to debauch tn
people into re-electing him; that ou
eyes may never again behold a Chic
Justice ofthe United States bedraq
Cling his official robes in the ces
| pool of party politics, and running
muck with the political manipula
tiors cheek by jowl with the late arm
ed enemies of his country, that woul'
do credit to the most veteran politics
shyster to be found in Capt. Rhyn
ders band of sixth ward plug uglics
thai will enable us to avoid the expe
riment Of training by . long series q
| years of the Fessenden's, Trumbull'i
| and Grimes, into accomplished an
skllful statesmen, and diplomats