The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1879-10-18
GRANTS C~ANDLDACI.

There have been many sensible things
said about the third candidacy o. Gen.
Grant, but the following from the st.
Louis Tmes-Journal Is exceptionally
good and we are constrained to publish
a large excerpt. 1t says: Becoming
a candidate for Office is a very harmless
thing. even if the office be the presi-
dency itself. The famous Henry Clay,
of Kentucky, was three times a andi-
date for the presidency. Lewis Cass
and James Buchanan were standing
candidates of their party every fourth
year for a hunber of presidential terms.
No complaint was ever made of such
candidates.. The inference is, then,
that the candidate does nothing wrong
in again and again seeking the popular
suffrages. The act Of becoming a can
didate is all that the candidate is
really responsible for. 2
II, then, Gen. Grant becomes a AN
didate the third time, he is only doing
what Mr.. Clay did, and he Is doing
nothing censurable or dangerous.
But suppose he should be elected for
the third term, urge the unhappy OBJ
~jectors. He cannot be elected unless
he receives a majority Of the electoral
votes; and for this latter fact,if it oc-
ours, the people of the states viii be
responsible, and not General Grant.
The constitution Of the United States
and the laws of the land provide that
the majority of the electoral votes
shall choose the president. How are
we to prevent a majority of the people
of the states from electing Gen. Grant
If they choose to do SOP Mr.. Lincoln
aptly said on a memorable occasion
that this is q government Of the peo-
pie, by the people and for the people"
Who, then, has a right to interfere
with the popular will in the choice Of a
presidentp Under what clause Of the
consultation Of the United States, or
under what pretense of state sover-
eighty can a rule Of the majority be
interdicted, even If it choose Grant for
a third term?l
But 1t will violate the example of
the fathers" Admit it-who is hurt
thereby Each generation has an equal
right to choose its own examples. We
can't thrust our view on the fathers
why should theirs be thrust on US?
1t is just possible that the great
American people Of the present day
feel as competent to choose their own
rulers as did their revolutionary fathers
Let General Grant be a candidate IL he
likes. There is no law, prescription or
usage to oblige the people to vote for
him. II the voters condemn his sell
hshness and ambition, they will not
elect him. They will let him severely
alone and thus defeat him. What a
beautiful example this will prove Of
the full liberty of the citizen and the
resolute patriotism of-the peoplel
The Times-Journal is utterly opposed
to the idea of making General Grant
president for the third term. 1t would
be a weak and foolish thing to do; be-
cause, If done, IL would imply that one
man can become a necessity to the safe
ty Of our government. We admit moth
ing Of the sort. General Grants cleo
ton on the ground Of necessity, would
be an admission that our government
is a failure-that a one man power
must be trusted rather than the con-
~stitution and the laws. But let 1t be
remembered that General Grant can
not elect himself. He may be a can
didate, but what of that? Geo. Fran
els Train is a candidate. SO is Victor
ia Woodruff. 1t is not the candidacy
for office, but the election to office, that
might hurt the country. But the cleo
ton to office Is the work OF the people,
and who shall stay their power or de-
nonnce them for exercising it at their
own sweet willp Clamor against pop
ular rights will hardly be sustained.