National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1874-06-16
THE Presidential QUESTION
AGAIN.

An article upon the Presidential question
in these columns some eight or nine days
ego has attracted the attention and called
forth an expression of opinion from many
of the leading pspers of the country. By
some of DUB contemporaries the article has
been misunderstood; BY others 1t has been
misrepresented The most serious misrep-
.resentation, and the only one which we
bare to corecA-which, in fact, we have
already coEected-is that we declared for
y third term foJ General Grant We did
nothing of the kind. Mr.. Watterson, Of
the Louisville Oourier-JoUrRGl, who was
In this city about thirty days ago, reviewed
: the political situation from the capital, and
gave it as his judgment that if the Presi-
DENTAL election were to take place this year
General Grant would undoubtedly be re-
elected. We did not even go as far as to
say that Mr.. Warerson dipped deeper
into the future, and saw between the
sherry and champagne" the spectre Of
NCasarism in 1876-General Grant as mill
tary or civil dictator. Many Of our CO.
temporsries have attributed to US the same
sentiments and ideas. If they win refer
to the article in question they will see how
little foundation there is for the construc-
ton which has been placed upon IL
We have nothing to add to or subtract
from what was then said. After reviewing
the list of Presidential candidates in the
Republican party we simply asked some
queries concerning General Grant, which
General Grant himself will not answer,
simply because the time to answer them has
not come; because the great mass Of the
people do not care to have them answered;
because nobody is interested in their being
answered, except some curious editors who
are ever on the lookout for a sensation, and
q set OF politicians who are dying" to dis
cover the coming man" that they may be
on the winning side The nomination for
the next Presidency will not be made in all
probability for two years to come. At the
present hour the next Presidency is, except
to the classes we have mentioned, one of
the least important Of the great questions
before the country. In good time it will
bring its own solution. If, when it does
come, the people should demand any Of the
leaders we named-Mr. Carpenter, Mr..
Conkling, Mr.. Blaine, Mr.. Butler, Mr..
Morton, Mr.. Logan, &c.-we suppose he
will be ready to point the way to victory.
The possibility of Gen. Grants candi-
dacy, upon which we expressed no opinion
one way or the other, and upon which We
do not express one now, occupies a large
share of the discussion for which our article
has furnished the text Take, for instance,
tho three leading journals of the three
leading cities. The Tribune in Chi
cago, the GdsetG' in Cincinnati, and the
American in Baltimore The frst-named
Journal "can imagine one contingency in
(Which the traditions of our politics may
''yield to the third-term idea," viz: ''If, in
'the campaign of 1876, Gen. Grant repre-
scents gold, and his opponent, or opponents,
''rags, then he may win the race. The in
dependent conventions of Illinois and In
''diana have done their best to make this
contingency fact" This is a significant
note from the Chicago Tribune Office. That
journal, 1t will be remembered, has been
endeavoring for the last year and q half TO
build up and consolidate an independent
party in Illinois and the West generally
The conventions just held in two or three
of the Northwestern States show that n ha,
succeeded; but the Tribune is evidently
disguised with rs own work, for the reason
that the party it has called into existenct
has repudiated its hard money teachings
and doctrines, and accepted the imitation
and nag money" heresies Of its rival,
the Inter Ocean. Where will the
Tri0aHs stand in 1915 in the contingency
to which it refersf The Cincinnati Ga
Eette, which occupies the same financial
ground as the Chicago Tribune, scouts the
idea of third term, and can see no contin.
gency in which third-term party "would
'fbe successful. 1t declares that II is impos.
'tsible to invent policy, either domestic
''or foreign, which win make the election
''to a third term popular necessity, or will
'isileacs sbe popular Jealousy ct such VIC