National Republican., 1880-03-26

to steal the Presidency in 1876 His being
unsuccessful does not condone the crime,
which fliled only through circumstances,
not through will. 1t will be no trouble for
the people to decide his case if ho should
receive the nomination, which from present
appearances seems probable. 1t will be
decided in such manner and so unmis-
tokably that no fraud will again be sat-
tempted to gainsay the voice of the people.
- -a
THE THIRD-TERM OBJECTION.
The strongest and for that matter the
only real objections urged against General
GRANTS candidacy by the friends and ad-
vocates of Secretary SHERMAN and Senator
BLAINE are those of the third term and
the German detection. The latter has al
ready exploded itself and is rapidly van.
ishing in thin air. The "third-term" OBJ
lection, therefore, is the only one to be
harnesscd at this time, and that objection,
to be of any effect, must hinge on the use OF
Federal patronage in the hands Of the cam
didate at the time when his candidacy oc-
ours. CGsarism or perpetuntion Of power
in the hands of an incumbent cannot apply
TO one in private life though he may have
occupied the Presidency for two terms ut
n former period. The breaking of the
thread breaks the force Of the objection, il
it can be regarded as such under other cir
cumstances. Tho fact that General GRANT
is not in power and has no patronage to use
knocks the bottom out of the "third-tcrm"
humbug which the rivals of General GRANT
for the nomination are urging against him,
and out of which they hope to realize some
personal advantage.
Now, let us look at this question from
another point of view. Secretary SHERMAN
is candidate for the Presidency, as is his
right and privilege He now holds in his
patronage relating TO his position, which
extends through every Custom-house and
every Internal Revenue Office from Maine
TO Texas, and from the Atlantic to the
Pacific. By virtue of his position this vast
patronage is his, to be used, if he so wills, to
advance his personal interests. To use this
rs fulcrum by which to raise his Presi-
dental interests would be quite as objec-
tiouable MS for General GRANT, after being
out of position more than three years, to be
a candidate and be confronted with preju-
dice because prior to that time he had held
the power to use the patronage of the Gov
ernment, but holds it no longer We
do not urge this objection against
Secretary SHERMAN, but we think he is
more obnoxious to it than General GRANT
at this moment. On the hypothesis that
the "third term" may be secured and
power may be perpeiuated through the aid
of patronage in the hands of a Presidential
incumbent and is dangerous to the public
welfare, it certainly gives point to an objec
ton if urged against the use of patronage
as an agent of promotion from q Cabinet
position to the Chief Magistracy. If the
objection has any force in the one instance
it certainly has in the other. We allude to
the matter now, however, merely to remind
these anti-third termers that it is not wise
to throw stones when their own tenements
are composed largely of glass. 1t is not
discreet, to say the least of it, though we
would be the last to object under common
usage in politics to Secretary SHERMAN
or any other Federal officials using hi:
patronage to promote his interests, if the
public welfare is not made to suffer thereby