New-York tribune., 1874-09-21


THE PARTY AND THE THIRD TERM
The Republican party cannot afford to treat
with indifference the agitation OF the question
of third term for President Grant. Ii 1T be
said that it is not the province OF state or
Congressional Conventions to express opinions
with regard to Presidential nomination two
years away, it will be answered that this Is
not question of candidates or preferences
such as are within the immediate scope or
National Convention. 1t relates utterly and
entirely to political principle, doctrine OF
politics, an essential feature in the accepted
theory of democratic form OF government
No ono is so blind as to be unable to see
in the light of the citations from au-
thorities lately published in The TRIBUNE
that the reelection of President for third
term would be a radical departure from the
ideas upon which the Government was founded,
a confession that so far as the Government
which the fathers of the republic intended to
establish is concerned, it is failure. 1t Is
question which once agitated must be met,
and met fairly, and the Republican party
which is so much in the habit of pointing
"vith pride to its achievements in preserving
and perpetuating in its integrity the Govern
ment founded by the fathers, cannot evade the
plain question which the very exigency OF the
time thrusts upon it, whether after all 1t Will
consent to abandon the fundamental principles
of the Government it boasts Of having pre-
served.
1t cannot be coughed down as an imperti-
nence, derded as an absurdity, or set aside
as having no vital connection with present
politics. If it is an absolute delusion that
such thing as third term is possible, it Will
be no derogation of dignity to make answer
to that effect, since the discussion has become
general and there are so many circumstances
to give foundation and consistency to the be-
lief that it is seriously contemplated. A suf-
ficient number of voters have been impressed
with sense of peril from it to warrant the
party in recognizing it as proper subject OF
discussion and action. The party Is not so
strong that it can afford to be indifferent to
the fears OF laugh at the doubts OF so con-
siderable number of citizens who hold ballots
in their hands. If all these fears are idle and
these suspicious groundless; if there Is convic-
ton amounting to certainty In tho minds OF
those who are looked up to as the party leaders
that President Grant does not desire third
term, or that, whether he desires it or not, the
strong good sense and patriotism of the party
will quietly and firmly put him aside, there can
be no earthly harm in saying so In its official
utterances.
If. on the other hand, there is the least
shadow of doubt in the minds OF the party
leaders as to Grants ambition for renoml-
nation, or the policy of the party in that re-
gard if there is not so positive and absolute
ha ha rQDOmlnatp0. that
anv convention may safely say so without
division upon the vote; If, indeed, 1t Is not
question upon which there can be no argu-
ment, then we say, what thousands OF clti-
zens believe to-day, that it is the most
important question in current politics. In the
midst of the great issues which relate to
finance and currency, civil rights reconstruc-
tion. reform in the civil service, the relations
of capital and labor, railroads. transportation,
internal improvements. and all the rest II
rises above and dwarfs them all. For these,
after all, are but questions of policy under
settled government; the other is question
of unsettling the foundations of government
itself. To put it aside is to say that the party
does not consider it of consequence enough TO
call for an expression of opinion, and such
course must necessarily insure forfeiture of
the confidence of that large body of citizens
who have observed with alarm the disposition
TO tamper with so grave and serious subject
To postpone. its consideration is to
give time and opportunity to those whose
interests lie in that direction to famiharize the
public mind with the possibility of the event,
and lead the party slowly up to first endure,
then pity, then embrace" the dangerous prop
osition.
The issue is VITAL present, pronounced. 1t
cannot be evaded 1t must be met fairly and
frankly or the people will not be satisfied.
Pennsylvania, by the nomination of -Hartranft
! in her Republican State Convention, has set a
precedent for linking the elections of this sea-
son with the Presidential succession; Kansas
has recognized the third-term issue by pro-
nouncing positively against it in her Repub-
lcan State Convention; some of the Congress
sional Conventions have done the same, and
south Carolina, in her Republican state Conyen-
ton the other day, boldly unfurled the flag
for a-third term, making further con-
cealment aud evasion useless. By all these
official acts of the party, as well asby the less
important though no less significant action Of
many Administration newspapers. some OF
! which sit close at the feet of the President
and enjoy his confidence, the question is lifted
| entirely ont of the realm of distractions into