Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1871-09-14
golhifat.
s-The One Term Principle .
Horace GreeIey's Article on the
Galaxy for November.

Horace Groe1ey'S AIIlcle Oh Tit
Galaxy for November.
Horee Greeley will open the Presi.
Dental campaign with an article in the
forthcoming November GALAXY on ''The
One Term Principle. The following
summary is made from advance sheets
Starting with the idea that civil ser
vice reform is essential and demanded
by all thoughtful citizens, Mr.. Greeley
contends that the desire and hope OF
the President to secure reelection, and
his efforts to that end, effectually pre-
vent the reform. Civil service reform
means the selection of the fittest men
for Office, instead of the most effective
Cor noisy politicians of the dominant
party. The fruits of the present system
are widespread incapacity, ineficiency,
dishonesty and peculation. A postmast-
er-not to be too exacting-ought to
know how to read, which some do,
while others do not. All will admit
that such ability is desirable in his vO-
cation, but if one who lacks it is the
most efficient partisan, and has done
the most toward the Presidents cleo
ton, his ''claims" cannot well be over
borne. Will not his services be wanted
four years hence? And how are they
to be retained if his 'sclaims" are post
poned to those of one who can read,
but has no skill in manipulating voters
or votes.
Mr.. Greeley asks, chow much better
is this than the absurdity of hereditary
| Legislators? If our Federal and local
functiOnaries were chosen by lot, would
they average worse than they now do?
| That the King can do no wrong if
taken literally, is irrational; if under
stood to mean only that he is elevated
above all temptation to misrule; that
his doing wrong would argue moral, if
not mental insanity-that he cannot be
presumed to have acted within his pre-
rogative under the sway of any un-
worthy fnotive-then the maxim be-
comes Ineligible. The justification of
royalty is itself ruler of a nation above
all temptation to regard and pursue his
own interest at the expense of the pub
| Jic veal. ueS-
Mr.. Greeley then discusses the the
ton historically-the growth of
patronage of the President; the efforts
to restrict the President to one term by
constitutional amendments; the selfish
reasons for the defeat of these latter,
and the rapid accumulation of evils
growing out of the power of patronage,
and the temptation of the President to
use that patronage for his reelection.
Mr.. Greeley concludes his historical ar
gument thus:
'The Wings in due time took up the
one-term principle, and Mr.. Clay gave
it his powerful support. He failed to
achieve the Presidency, and did not
succeed in engrafting that principle into
the Federal Constitution; but Van
Buren, who was first chosen in 1895 bv
a decided majority was left in a meager
minority at the close of the canvass for
a second term. He tried again in 1874.
and was badly beaten in the National
Convention of his party by James K.
Polk, of Tennessee, who, though then
elected, declined even to seek a second
term. General Taylor, who succeeded
him, died early in the second year of
his term; and Millard Fillmore, who.
! being Vice-President, succeeded him.
was beaten by Gen. Scott in the Whip
National Convention of 1852. General
Franklin Pierce, whom the Democrats
then elected, tried to be erenominated in
1856, but was beaten in the Convention
by James Buchanan, who did not seek
denomination, knowing well that such
quest would be vain.
"Mr. Lincoln, who was then chosen
by the Republicans. was reelected by
them in 1865; the civil war was then in
progress, ,impelling many to support him
in defence of the law that discourages
the swapping of horses" while in the
act of crossing raging torrent. Mr..
Lincoln thus continues the sole eXcep-
ton to the failure of so many efforts to
re-eIect President since 1895. Mean
while, these efforts have undoubtly
cost some sia nal defeats to either party.
Had Mr.. Van Buren gracefully retired
at the close of his first term, his party
might, very possibly, have avoided
their defeat in 1910: had Fillmore done
likewise in 1910, the Whig party might
have been defeated, but could not have
been crushed by its defeat in the tfi-
umph of Pierce that year. Time and
again, since the Federal disaster of
1900, has first one and then the other
party, run or tried to run President
for second term; for quarter of CEN
tury these efforts proved successful; of
late they have very generally proved
disastrous. 'Can ye not discern the
signs of the times?'
That change has been real and based
neither upon personal nor partisan con-
siderations, is evinced by the gradual
adoption of the contested principle in
the other, yet kindred spheres. Wit
ness the post of Governor, which was
formerly filled in nearly or quite every
State without restriction on this head!
whereas at this time in the States of
New Jersey, Virginia, Georgia, In
diana, Illinois, South Carolina and
Kentucky Governor is not eligible to
reelection while in Office or for the
term succeeding that for which he was
elected in Arkansas, Texas and Oregon
he may serve but eight yerrs out of
any twelve; in Maine, North Carolina,
Alabam and Mississippi he may serve
but four years out of any six; in Penn
sylvania six years out of any nine; in
Tennessee six years out any eight
The intent in each case however i'm
perfectly developed) is to check, if not
overbear, the tendency to use patron
age for the indefinite perpetuation of
power"
Mr.. Greeley concludes by saying:
"All that is needed is an intelligent,
earnest, widespread conviction that
the practice of re-electing chief mag
istrate while in Office is fraught with
evil and peril; that it distracts his at
tention from the proper cares and duties
of his station, and impels him to con-
slider, not who are fittest and most
worthy to fill the offices in his gift, but
what choice will be most likely to i'm
prove his chances of denomination.
We shall yet achieve a civil
service reform. Nay, we must. Office
seeking is our national vice, depriving
our workshops of apprentices, and our
farms of half the intelligent, energetic,
aspiring youth, who make our agricul-
ture of the next thirty years exhibit a