Litchfield enquirer., 1880-03-18
----- A Third Term.

Another and certainly very serious objec- ton to a second renomination of Gen. Grant is 10 be found in what we may with propriety term the unwritten constitution, l. c., the prac- Of near g century under our written constitu- tiOn- Starting with George Washington, no man, however popular, has ever been nom- mated for, much less elected to. a third presi- dential term. Powerful as was the Democratic party in 1898. and in 1886, and popular as was Thomas Jefferson, the founder of the old De- mocrscy, and Andrew Jackson, the founder of the Democracy of the middle period, neither of these ambitious and all-powerful party leaders dared to demand more of the people than the eight years tenure of office which had more thai satisfied George Washington.
 The importance of this unwritten law of the land to the perpetuity of our republican insti- tutions cannot well be over estimated It is a perpetual bar to all attempts to convert a four years term into a practical life tenure of office by continual re-electiOns. As long as that rule prevails no man can get such permanent hold upon the presidency as popular politicians have often had of seats in the House and Sen ate It necessitates, also, thew deal" of offices at least every eight years-a matter of growing importance as the number of office holders and the greed of office increases yearly
 upon US.
 The first proposal to set aside this rule came
 from the designing men who surrounded and
 brought reproach upon Grants later adminis-
 trAtiOn- The just and general unpopularity
 of these very men made the proposition an im-
 practicable one al the time. Now, an inter-
 val of four years has diverted public attention
 to other political issues. and a more cunning
 ard more dangerous attempt is being made to
 breathe new life into the old project. The
 proposition comes up in more objectionable
 fOrm. even, than before; for, as the Tribune
 shrewdly points out, if reelection of Grant
 IS a political necessity of 1880, it is almost
 certain 10 be 8 greater political necessity of
 1854 The pretended emergencies which call
 for Third Term, will never be wanting for
 FOurthl If, indeed, the country is obliged
 to break oyer So we'll settled a political rule as
 that fOrbidding & ThIrd term, the so-caled
 need of the strong man is simply another
 name for the need of an autocrat, able and
 willing to override all law-writteH or un- written.
 One excuse, only, is offered for the present Third Term movement which did not apply equally to the original proposition of 1S75-6-
 that the Hayes interregnum prevents those evil consequences that might otherwise be
 feared from a twelve years consolidation of power in the hands of 8 great body of office bolders- Had the intervening term been Dem. Ocralic or held by Republican president who
 made clean sweep of the appointments of his predecessor, there would have been some ground fO: this distinction. As matters stand, there is none Nine out of every len federal officers Of to-day are appointments Of Grant. The Senate has made it a special business to block every attempt to remodel the present ar- my of Otice-hOlders; and. practically, they remain nearly ss Grant left them.
 Looking al the effect of Third Term after an intervening single term as precedent, we cannot consider if much less dangerous than the precedent of three successive terms. The B&C4@A@ACA oA tcIuif EcStlDS aS lt would on 10 constitutional provision, is too slight to avail anything against the ambition which is not satisfied with eight years of pow er- IL was not the fear of precedents which killed the Third Term project four years since IL vas fear of the peOpIe. That, if anything, is what will kill it in Chicago, next June
 South Carolina, So long depressed by un-
 f0rtunate social and political conditions, is said to be fast improving. Says the Charleston Courier: .. There is money everywhere. The farmers generally are in excellent condition and high spirits, and the Sea islands and coast counties are steadily retrieving past losses and prepaf- ing for the better times which are nigh at hand Nor Is the improvement confined to any one class- The cOlored people are far
 better oH than they were, and in some locali-
 ties have succeeded % well as planters op their own account that it is becoming difficult to caGain IAborers al the wages usually paid. The AeHecs is visible in the retail as well as the NwholesAle trade of Charleston.
 Emigration Is increasing largely, over 5000 IemigFanls arrived In February.