Eaton weekly Democrat. [volume] (Eaton, Ohio) 1866-1875, 1872-02-15
ONE TERM

LhaJoIiLy VI tHo peOp1c VI Lnls
country, that many of the evils
which are complained of in our
National politics, have sprung
from efforts to secure the renomi
nation and reelection Of those
who have occupied the Preslden-
tial chair. Those who have stud
led our system of Government
most closely, and seen its defect 6
most clearly, have become assur-
ed that the President should be
limited to one term of Office
The distinguished French phil
osopher, De Tocqueville, por-
trayed very forcibly the evils and
dangers of our present system, in
one OF the strongest and most
forcible passages of his celebrated
work. Many of the clearest
thinkers of our country have held
similar views. In his second an
uual message to Congress, Gen
eral Jackson uttered these sig
nificant words: ser
ain order particularly that the
appointment of the President
nlay, as far as possible, be plac-
ed beyond the reach of any i'm
proper influences; in order that
he may approach the solemn re-
sonsibilities of the highest Office
in the gift of a free people un>
committed to any other course
than the strict line of Censtitu-
tionali duty, and that the securi-
ties for this Independence may
be rendered as strong as tho ma
ture of the power and the weak
ness of it's possessor will admit, /
cannot too earnestly invite your
attention TO the ~propriety Of pro-
noting such amendment to the
Constitution as will render him
Ineligible after one 2ne term ef95 SER
vice. 70 ge..@g I'D ~ i 10 - q;
AT the time the above para
graph was written the patronage
placed In the hands of the Presi-
deut had not reached anything
like it's present magnitude, and
corruption had not become the
order ofthe day. General Jack
son fore-saw the evils which have.
sprung from snch efforts as that
which is now being made to BE-
cure a reselection of the Presi-
dent, aud this warning
sounds like a prophecy fulfilled
when read in the light of the.
present. And it is deprived of
none of its force and Significance
by the fact that a high political
necessity imposed upon General
Jackson the duty and the neces>
sity of becoming a candidate for
a second term. 'H i'i'o i..',.
The hone. Of securing a second
term of office is. dangerous in this
that it engenders pernicious prac-
tees which are at war with the
best interests of the Republic.-
1t leads to the formation of cor
rupt cabals and a continued use
of all the vast patronage con
nected with the office to strength
en- and advance the aspirations
incumbent. It has led Cen
eral Grant to a complete aband-
onment of the position which he
took when he declined to recog-
Mise euch politicians as Simon
Cameron. 1t has caused him to
in the end to all the de-
mands of the most corrupt wire
pullers in the Republican party,
because he sees that they are
men who are likely to control the
of delegates III the Nation
al Convention. Low as Grant is
in intellect he would nnquestion-
ably have made a better Presl-
dent if he had not forsaken the
promise which he had made to
be content with one term. He
has come to look upon the office
as a species of property out of
whose opportunities lie has the
to realize the largest pc
cuniary returns. Government be
regards rather as a means of pro
noting individual interest than as
an instrument created solely for
the interestsyof the people. lie
expects to secure a re-nomina
ton through the agency of the
army of Office holders whom he
has uuder control, and he is not