The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1872-12-06

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Senator Erewnlow. T.. Tennessee. In i
recent letter to the editor oil The New
York Times. submits the .oiiowing iiv.
pothesis in regard to General Grant:
"ifth popularity OF the President shall
contiunc, a. l doubt not il will. il i,
mere than probable he will DC reelected
Tor a third tern"
The "one-tcrm" men who think that
because "A President has served The p.u.
pie once, he should not be permitted "a
do SO twice. viii naturally look upor
the Tennessee Senator rs one of the mos,
venturesome OF Radicals. Already q
Democratic paper has declared that q
third term for The same Incumbent would
be a violation OF '~precedents. which thi.
people regard rs more sacred than any
thing in their fundamental law /,
thinks that 1.-THE Republican party must
a notice OF this proposition" and
that the proposition itself is such n pc
litical iirebraud that it will not 90 to 10.
more ii, since THE word had been spoken
and words are things in these DAYS
Senator Brownlow's hint mus, be re-
pudiated or adopted" Republicans. un-
less they are fools" will promptly re
sent and protest against the idea.
1t is altogether too soon to discuss tile
question which refers to Presiden,
Grants successor after the close of his
second term. The people will attend Ia
this business. aid elect the man of their
choice. when ii becomes a practical mat
ter. Yet there is nothing in the idea OF
electlng the same man three or four
times to the Presidency which need IL
disturb the equanimity Of sensible
nerves. The same persons have fire.
quently been reelected as representa-
tives or senators in Congress some hall
a dozen times or more, without anv
harm TO the public interests. 1t is quite
true that Washington, who was the first
President. was elected but twice: but il
is equally true that the only reason WHY
he was not chosen for a third term was
his " peremptory declinature. owing
mainly to The condition OF his health. 10
hole the office for a longer period. But
for this the precedent furnished by his
example would have been that OF three
terms. at least. The Constitution wisely
leaves the question Just where it should
be left 10 the choice OF the people at
each pesidentia! election !: and. hence,
they may ~re-elect the same man AS MANY
times as they please. The usage derived
rom the Ease of Washington is nothing
but usage. and as such very far from
being regarded by the people "as more
sacred than anything in their fuuda-
mental law The people are perfectly
competent TO Change the usage when
ever they see good reason for 80 doing.
We are by no means advocating a
third term for General Grant. Yet. if
his second term should be what we ex-
pect ant earnestly hope that it will he,
and if the popular judgment should at
the proper time point 10 him az the best
man for the place, for any reasons aris-
ing from his official conduct, or from
the peculiar condition of the country.
then The fact that he had twice accepts
bly, filled the Presidential Office would
he no objection 10 his reelection for a
third term. The question oil terms is !.
matter OF no consequence, when COM
pared with that OF qualifications and
public necessity. The Office was not
made for any man. The main thing is
have the right man in it. whether lie
been elected but once or q half a
dozen times. Senator Browniow's sug-l
requires neither adoption nor
rejection, since it is perfect. harmless,
since the people will be abundantly
able to take care of the point 10 which
it refers when the time comes. While
we have 10 wish now to discuss the
point, we entirely object TO the staighr-
theory OF the "onc-term'' men
and, if they Il .nsfer the same theory to
two term , then we equally object there.
We b.lieve in the rigAt and capacity of
the people wisely to choose their own
President, without any restriction as to
number of times in which they may
elect the same man.