The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1871-07-07
SHALL A PREs1DENTBEREELEor

L is now evident that a great mis-
take was made by. the trainers, of the
Constitution in not providing that no
President should be candidate for
re-election.Thc rapid growth of our
country and the consequent inegease
of appointed federal officers through
out the various. States and districts,
thus giving the President ponderous
lever to be used in securing his re-
election, even against the viii of the
people, is a sufficient objection initself
against the two-term law. If the
Constitutions makers could have fore
seen what sort of characters would
be called TO administer the Govern
ment in the days TO come, they would
undoubtedly have provided against
this evil. Evidently it did not
occur to them that asman upon whom
the choice of the people should fall
for an Office so important and drespo1fsi-
BILE could SO far forget what was due
to his election as well as himself, as to
intrigue for denomination. And the
idea that he could use the power of
the administration to promote his own
aspirations to the neglect of the pub
lie service and the interests of the
country. would have struck them as a
monstrous impossibility. Hence arose
the gravest mistake, or omission, into
which the fathers of the republic We're
betrayed. For the last thirty years
the power and patronage of the Fed
eral Government has been used to Sc
cure the reelection of the incumbent
of the chief executive Office. That
has been the paramount consideration,
and everything else was subordinated
thereto.
The most fragrant, disgraceful ex-
hibition of this kind is that of Grant.
His man9uvers and intrigues are
shameless and indecent, and he has
not the grace to affect disguise or con-
eealment. His radical dependents
avoY and defend this turpitude, and
boast that the game is to be won by
this prostitution of the executive
power. Generalization and corrup-
ton prevail in every department of
the government. Complaints flow in
from every section of the country
There is no security for life or prop
erty on the frontier. In one place the
Indians are numbering the settlers; at
another, bands of armed Mexicans in
wade the territory of the United States,
drive away the cattle of the inhab-
itants, and perpetrate outrages of ev-
cry description The army furnishes
no adequate protection in either of
these cases. Regiments of troops
are ordered to the South on pretence
of suppressing social disorders. Ev-
cry carpet-bagger and scalawag, by
tabrieating tale of persecution or
oppression, can have soldiers sent into
that region; but hundreds of men.
women and children may be murdered
by the Indians, and no relief furnished
from Washington. The Radicals have
always run the machinery of the gov
ernment in party grooves, and We
shall never have a wholesome or hon.
est administration until we elect "a
Democratic President. And the peo-
pie will never be permanently pro-
tected against the prostitution of their
public servants to personal aggrand-
izement until the Constitution be so
amended as to preclude the possibility
of the reelection of President. The
evils that have fallen upon our country
in these latter days call loudly for
such a remedy, and We believe the
people will soon apply it:
NOT ONE CHEER FOB GRANT.