Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1874-11-04

President Wilson regarded the result
as extremely doubtful, with the chances
In favor of the election of the Demo-
cratic candidates. To these efforts, TO
wrestfrom the control of the Republican
party their political organizations must
be charged most of the disasters OF the
past year. To this persistent purpose
must also he attributed Whatever hold
the third term agitation has had upon
the public mind. People who read the
papers felt that the control of their
conventions and even primary meetings
were being seized by an influence hav-
ing its headquarters at Washington,
and ramifying 1t to every election dis
trict In the whole land. Those who
were thus obtaining possession and
control of the nominating machinery
Of the various States were all IN favor
OF a third term. Their interests all
centered in that direction, and they
are known to be mostly gentlemen who
are not distinguished for very self
sacrificing spirit.
We have maintained from the first
that if a majority of the people of the
United States desire to elect a Presi-
dent for third term they have the un-
doubted right to do so, and would not
be tainted with CesaIism or imperial
ism by so doing. But nomination
made by a national convention. largely
controlled and influenced by the Ad-
ministration through its public officers,
would as undoubtedly bring defeat to
the candidate and destruction to the
party they assumed to represent.
Whilst, therefore, it may not comport
with the dignity of the President OF
the United States "to make state
ment upon this question IN response to
the clamors of newspaper" we do
think that both the dignity and honor
of the President is involved in the ad-
ministering of a rebuke to those who
profess to officially represent his adj
ministration in the various States.
There are thousands Of disguised Re-
pubicans. even IN the State of Mary
land, who are to-day as earnestly de-
voted to the principles of the party as
they ever were, who would rally strong
" and enthusiastically to the support
of the party if they were satisfied that
the President did not approve all these
acts and proceedings which have been
executed in his name. They still have
a strong belief in the prebity, honor
and fair-dealing of the President, but
if al that has been done to destroy Re
publican organization and to disgust
the best men in the country with
the administration, has been done
with his sanction, then we
candidly believe that there will be
difficulty in electing a Republican
successor at the close of the present
term. AS to who holds offices is a mat
ter of secondary consideration, but
that officeholders should ride rough shod
over the people, making and control
ling their nominations, and not allow
ing them at other times to make any
nominations, is entirely another mat
ter. If officeholders obtain possession
of the party machinery by authority of
the President, to await instructions
from Washington as to the use of it,
then We can see the end OF Republican
ascendencT rapidly approaching, with
all the disasters TO the credit, character
and prosperity Of the country we con-
scientiously believe Will follow such a
result.