The New York herald., 1876-07-16

intrust the Presidency to a candidate who
who does not explain the measures by which
he proposes it shall be established. 1t is a
very essential thing to know whether Gov
ernor Tilden, if he is elected, will harness
reform to the democratic party coach, to
drag it successfully through eight years Of
power for himself as President, or whether
he means to make reform blessing to the
entire Union. He has said nothing
of the one term principle, and what
makes this silence the more significant
is the fact that the democratic party has said
nothing. 1t pledged itself four years ago to
that principle when it nominated Greeley,
and wanted all the weapons within its reach
TO fight Grant But ever since it swept the
country in the State elections of 1874 we
have heard not word about limiting the
tenure Of Office upon the principles which
Jefferson proclaimed and jackson affirmed
again. The St. Louis Convention was dumb
on this matter, and yet it had no just reason
for its silence. 1t is in Mr.. Tilden's power
to compensate for this neglect of the democ-
racy, as General Hayes atoned for the error
of the republicans. If he fails to say as a
Presidential candidate that he will follow
the advice Of Jefferson and Jackson, the
founders of his party, and that he will profit
by the example of Grant, the people will in
evitably suspect that he is even now looking
to a second term to be secured by his infu-
ence in the first The temptation is very
great. The democrats have been SO long
out of power that if they should elect
Mr.. Tilden it would be hard for them to
give up the immense partisan advantages OF
having q President ready and able to use all
the resources Of the administration to per-
petuate his own power But if Mr.. Tilden
is really reformer, he will say to this
dazzling and treacherous vision of second
term, ''Get thee behind me, Satan" He will
place himself where Hayes stands-above
his party, on heights Of craftsmanship which
conventions are too timid to ascend, where
the pure air of patriotism would be too fine
for the selfish politician 10 breathe.
Why should not Governor Tilden pledge
himself to single term? The one term
Hayes, but is almost as old as the Republic,
and Mr.. Tilden could not be accused Of
initiating his rival in bid for popular votes.
If General Hayes should be converted at q
fashionable seaside camp meeting. and the
next day Governor Tilden should also expe-
rience a change Of heart, it would be absurd
to accuse the latter of stealing the re-
charge would be no more unjust than the
other. The HERALD years ago, when Gen.
eral Grants third term ambition first as
sumed definite shape, declared the principle
upon which General Hayes now stands, and
made what was previously ON abstraction of
secure government practical issue in our
politics. Caesar was ghost to Jefferson, but
to us he was a man. The idea of Cmsarism
was strange then to the short-sighted politi-
clans; they ridiculed the very term-the
third term-till Grants military policy and
proud personal rule became .'the swelling
prologue to the imperial theme" and no one
not entirely blind could doubt the aim of
his ambition. The HERALD, by opposing
this dangerous ambition, revealed the prin-
ciples of true government in democracy
and the safeguards with which q republic
should be hedged. 1t undenably created
the specific platform upon which General
Hayes has placed himself; for although it is
true, rs We have already said, that he was
not bound by any precedent, nor by any in
structions of his party, he was bound by
the power of that public opinion which
the HERALD had aided to form. Therefore
Mr.. Tilden, in pledging himself not to
accept second term, would not follow
General Hayes, for there can be no real pre-
cedence in the matter of an established
truth Let him come up to the one term
platform bravely, then, knowing that his
right to stand on it is as good as that of Mr.
Hayes. 1t is strong and broad enough to
hold not only the two Presidential candi-
dates but oil the people of the United
States If Governor Tilden will make
this pledge to the country his gilt
tering generalities will become plain
acts, and we shall know what he
means by reform. For the one term prin-
ciple in the Presidency is the basis of all
other reforms, for it strikes down the motive
for executive ambition, which is the root of
nearly all our evils. Victor Hugo tells MS
that the devilfish cannot be slain by cutting
off it's far reaching and powerful arms. but
that when its head is amputated they fall
around it, paralyzed and dead.