Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1880-02-20
casarisrn, And So Forth.

commemorative
casarism, And So Forth.
From the Christian Cnion.I
Mr.. Joseph Cook has undertaken in a re-
cent prelude TO give the reasons why Ameri-
cans should deny themselves the liberty to
vote for President who has already proved
his capacity by eight years of faithful ser
vice. Mr. Cook is generally clear; but We
have read this prelude twice, with care. and
we are still puzzled to understand what are
the supposed reasons for thus limiting the
right of suffrage. We therefore try to put
Mr.. Cooks reasons before our readers in his
own words
l. Plotting for spoils by party managers and
placemeu would be immensely stimulated by the
opportunity a third term would offer for the con-
tnuance In Office of the 900 200 coo appointed
subordinatcs of the renominated President
Civil service reform has been demanding
that the 100. 900 men shall remain in office.
Now civil service reform objects to third
term because that will continue them in Office.
Our 100, 900 appointivc officers ought to he
permanent says Mr.. Cook therefore the
President ought to be ineligible. We must
make all subordidates life officers by chang
| ing the man who has power of removal and
appointment every four years Gentlemen,
we ought to have a stable and efficient corps
of conductors, engineers and brakcmen on
our railroad therefore decree that no board
of directors shall ever be reelected. South
America at this moment says MIR. Cook,
sis full of republics more than half wrecked
by scramble for spoils every time partisan
greed and fraud change their hold on the
central go 7ernment." Therefore we must
preserve our ship of State from wreck by
giving partisan greed and fraud a clean field
60 ,l.;r Al, 1., Sppils ut lpaG
eight years.
2. "a third Presidential term would be iwig
cast into a salt sea and as. in Titan, when bOuSh
hangs over and dips into the great alkaline lake
there, it gathers out ofihe apparently crystal
| line water massive wrapping OF heavy SAT-, SO u
YOU dip third term into the sweet and molly sea OF
our American politics you Will very soon hhd II
laden by alka so bitter that You cannot desove 1t
and drink II without death III every drop lap
plause.l
Boston understood this or it would not
have applaudcd; we do not. Does NJ. Cook
mean us to understand that pcrmanence will
make our political sea Il dead sea, and that
change is specific for corruption? Well.
we have tried constant changes for half a Gen.
tury in the custom house and permanent ten
ure in the army for the same length of lime
Let any American answer, winch IL the
purer?
s. THE Judgment of the fathers of the Republic
was Against lulfl tAGcHA AL
cies'
Mistake. Has Mr. Cook read ex-senator
Howe's recent paper in the North american
Of course he has nothing so notable ever es-
Capes this marvellous reader, who devourS
books without pause and digests them with
out rest. II Mr. Howe has misrepresentcd
the early history of the Republic he ought TO
be set right if he has not misrcprcsentcd II,
then every State and every prominent states
man, without an exception, WAS IN favor
of the continuous rc-cligbility OF the Presi-
dent
The proposition to make the President in
eligible was indeed made when it was con-
templated to elect him by the House OF KEEP
resentatives But when the plan OF an cleo
toral college was devised the lneliglblllty was
abandoned, and the records OF the National
Convention do not preserve the name OF
single statesman who advocated lis retention.
In the subsequent State Conventions. called
to act on the Constitution. the purpose 10
make the President ineligible had not the
support of any one of them, and only TWO
individual supporters in them all. The ira
ditions of the fathers are not conclusive on
this subject but whatever weight they
possess is on the side of continuous re-ell5i-
billy.
does not suggest he gives no echo TO the cry
Of Cgsarism He is too good an historical
scholar to he scared by that ghost: and too
candid and fair-minded man TO attempt to
scare other people.
Crsarism Why il should make school
boy laugh to hear men soberly propose TO
guard our Nation against Casarism by anti
third term law, written or unwrltten.
The Roman constitution provided Tor
an annual election Of consuls; 1t dlvid-
ed the executive power between two con-
suls. and gave each veto power on the other:
it prohibited the election of Il consul Tor Tour
years after his term of office had expired
and when his term was expired 1t gave INN
a province and sent him or from Rome INTO
a profitable and honorable exile. But when
the country rot tired Of Democracy gone mad
it welcomed C,esarsm as relief from
anarchy, and the prohibition OF second
term went into thin air in Il puff of smoke.
The French Republic made its president in
eligible for four years after his first term had
expired; il denied him the personal COM
mand of the army, or authority 10 dissolve
the Assembly, or to grant pardons. But
when the time came Louis Napoleon put his
sword through the paper constitution and
held ii up for Europe TO laugh al, and France
ratified JUS coup detdt, by Il vote of 7,O0O,O
10 $40, 900, because France preferred new
Emperor to the hazards Of Il new reign OF
terror; another Napoleon to another Demo
crncy gone mad.
No, What makes Casarsm, and always
has made Cesarism, and always will till
mankind has proved its right to he free by
proving its capacity to use its freedom Alright,
! is not permanence Of tenure in Office. but the
reverse Given the absolulism of Democ-
racy on the one hand and II strong man on
the other, and the great body of the people
will choose the latter every time. They did
in Rome; they did in France; and if ever in
American history the issue should be pre-
sented they would here. The only sugSes-
ton of Imperialism comes from men already
Disguised with the turmoil of perpetual
wranges for the Presidency in the perp"tu-
ally recurring scramble FOR sroils. II the
| CHEST of CIsarsm ever walks the American
soil it will rise out OF the strifcs OF partisan
greed and fraud intensified by rotation in
office; out Of municipalities ruled by the
mob and House of Representatives ruled
by Communists and Greenbackers not out
of n citizen general without the shadow of
an army, elected for three terms or thirty
| terms to the White House.