The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1870-06-02
The Two.Term Rule.


nomination in this districtis is growing
exciting, seeming to be chiefly be-
tween Hon. w. Loughridge and Ex-
Gov. VIM. Stone. One Of the chief
arguments used by the friends OF
Gov. Stone is, that whom Mr.. Lough.
ridge was nominated, he used the
two.term rule to defeat Mr.. Grinnell
the sitting member. This is sort
OF er.parte statement, and conveys
On entirely wrong impression, as we
shall endeavor to show. Tho Union
of this county has already denounced
the bringing forward Of this bug
boar, but it will not be superfuous
for US to speak of some facts within
our personal knowledge, which
directly bear on the casc. A certain
anonymous and probably irresponsi-
bio letter-writer in the journal, says
that this rule was successfully used
by Mr.. Loughridge four years ago
to prevent Mr.. Grinnell's nomination
for third term. This. we happen
to know, is entirely false, as to the
inference naturally drawn from it,,
1t is one of those half-truths, which
are far more difficult to meet than
downright lie. This much of truth
is in the charge: At the time Mr..
Grinnell was nominated for his SEQ
ond term, he publicaily, and without
being urged or required to do 80,
announced that he would not be o
candidate for third term. Having
made such gratuitous promise, It
was very naturally used against him
by his opponents when he was a
candidate for a third term. That is
all the truth there is in the charge
that "Mr Loughridge used the two
term rule to beat out Mr.. Grinnell's
brains." There never was any
"two.term rule.' The arguments
used against Mr.. Grinnell were
simply those he furnished himself,
and not importations from any other
district. In fact, as to there having
boen any rule adopted in any district
Of the State, fixing tho number of
terms the same person should hold,
there is no foundation for any such
statement. The application OF such
. rule has never been attempted in
the State, except as to county off,
GERS. In 1862 this State was divided
into six Congressional Districts. The
first Iowa delegation to Congress
under this new regime, was composed
of James F. Wilson, Hiram Price. w.
B. Allison, Josiah B. Grinnell, John
A. Kasson and Asahel w. Hubbard.
OF these, Wilson, Price and Hubbard
held Office for three terms, and ALI
son is now serving a fourth; Kasson
was defeated for third nomination
on the grounds of following after
Andrew johnson; Grinnell was only
twice candidate, according to his
own promise.
That is how the "two-term rule"
has obtained recognition in tho Con.
gressional nominations. The true
rule is, no man has a right to any
office for even second term. The
people have the right in this matter,
but they have too often surrendered
it to the hungry politician, who cries
out that it is his turn at the public
crib. The people are the judges in
this matter, and if they find q public
servant fitted for his place, they
have right to keep him there just
as long as his course meets their ap-
proval, and they should, in wisdom,
do so. In the old ante-war times,
tho South always had an advantage
over The North in keeping their ex,
perienced members in their seats,
and to that policy they owed much
Of their undoubted prominence in
the legislative councils of the nation.
The idea that one man has claims
to scat in Congress because another
man has occupied four years, is in tho
highest degree absurd, besides being
q rotten and pernicious theory, that
we believe the upright and patriotic
people of the State of Iowa will be
slow to adopt.-Vinton Eagle.