The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1879-10-02
Third Term Talk.

\ correspondent oil the New YORK
Herald had an interview with General
John Nj. Palmer Democrat) the other day,
an account Of which is published in the
Herald coming to hand yesterday. Palmer
thinks that Lyman Trulnbell would
make a great President and that Judge
David Davis would make good Presi.
dent" He was asked II the revival Of bust
ness did not help the Republicans, and
he thought very likely it did" He was
asked ''if reviving business should meet
with some accident between this time and
the Presidential election, what then2n He
replied:
II don't think such thing at all likely
to happen, but II it should 1t would un-
doubleday revive the currency discussion
in all its force, and might make the ideas
OF the Nationals very powerful and even
dominant. a great many men are theore-
tlcally for hard money who would not be
willing to submit to new pressure upon
their business II the present situation
should be seriously disturbed. But I
don't think that at all likely to take place.
think we are settled rs respects the
money question"
lie was asked about Grant (whom he
seems to like personally and third term,
and replied:
Grant does not want the Presidency for
third time. l am perfectly sure am
correct in saying this. But he would take
i principally because he is poor, and $780,
COCA year is worth having, and because
he thinks the country ought to do some
thing Tor him-that is, make some previ-
sion for him which would secure his old
ago against poverty. General Grant
would prefer to see John Sherman in the
Presidency. He Is a Sherman man. His
relations with General Sherman are very
intimate, and the Shermans could do a
great deal for him."
"How would General Grant run in this
State Sllllnois) for third term?'
II don't believe he could carry itagainsj
agood Democratic candidate. He would
doubtless get some votes that any other
Republican candidate would get but he
would lose a great many that another can.
dldate would be pretty sure to get. After
NIL the third term, a good deal talk.
ed about, but so far not attempted, is an
innovation that would lose Grant q great
many votes in the most unexpected quar-
tiers, and so heavily that l have no ques.
ton this State would 60 against him.
This view expresses our own view in a
veFyfew words-the.view we have held for
long time as to nt's'availability. He
is apparently available, but in reality he is
not so, and the Republicans may make a
great and perhaps a fatal mistake II they
nominate him. All the settled traditions
ofthe country against a third term, from
the days of Washington to tho present,
would be against him. Thousands Of men
who might be even strongly for Grant at
the start of the canvass, would weaken
under the appeals and arguments against
third term. II General Grant is nomi.
mated it will be by the influence Of dele.
gates in convention representing South
ern states states that cannot give him a
votein the Electoral College. They would
thus throw the load Of the campaign on
the Northern States, and q very heavy
load it might turn Quito DO: In view OF
this danger itseems to US that the Republi.
can press Of the country ought to speak out
now. The prospects for success next year
ought to be carefully .husbanded and not
jeOpardized by such an unprecedented step
rs third term nomination. The cry Of
the enemy would be that fourth term
would soon follow Us political necessity,
and then finally an election for lie per.
haps might be demanded. Once the
charm OF two terms only is broken there
isno telling where we might DRIFT. The
attempt to do more for Grant than was
done for Washington would be shown up
in such variety otphases as to make
themOvemeutt the most serious one ever at.
tempted in the history Of American poll
tics. No sincere friend OF the Republican
party ought to be willing to countenance
such a risk as this at such critical juno.
ture in our national affairs.