The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1880-05-06

NOi'i"i hVhhiudoiOno udu UCou ihduC W
the members of Congress of the respec-
tive parties, consulting together at
Washington for that purpose.
These Congressional nominations were
sometimes submitted to State Conven-
tions for ratification by the constituents.
But it came to be discovered that this
business of committing the selection of
Presidential candidates to Congressman
at Washington City, was creating close
corporation in National politics that left
the people nothing but the work of
doing the voting and they, seeing that
the work of electing devolved on them,
concluded to have something to say in
the matter of selecting, as we'll. So
National Conventions for nomination
came to be adopted, and the old Congress
sional caucus machinery was abolished.
In the present impending election of
the President, both parties are preparing
to put forth their most strenuous efforts.
This is necessity for either. Even
party existence may depend upon the re-
suit. The popular preponderance of po-
litical power is too uncertain to permit
either party to omit any possible precau-
tion or to withhold any possible effort,
at the same time that this closeness of
equilibrium gives mutual hope to both.
Fortunately, the issues that are to be
Joined before the country are not of a
nature so radically different as between
the two great parties as to invite any
special anxiety in the public mind con-
cerning the success or the defeat of
either candidate, whoever they may be.
Both parties have presented some un-
exceptionable men for nomination. If
they were, all of them, Republicans and
Democrats, say six of each (Which num-
ber constitutes about the whole rank and
file of the candidates of either party,
turned into room of twenty feet square,
and Hayes were put in blindfolded, as at a
game of "blind-man's-butf," The first man
he caught would make good President.
The mischief would lie in the game that
they all would be too easily caught.
There would be no fun-no bounding
away into impossible corners to escape
the grasp of the Man of Destiny.
The only really novel question made
touching the candidacy of any of those
named arises out of the matter of the
"Third-term election" as applicable to
General Grant. No one claims that by
the written Constitution General Grant
is ineligible to third term. But it is
stoutly and even hotly maintained that
the unwritten law of precedent should
prevail to the exclusion of third term.
The precedent relied upon does not go
very far, but is very good so far as it
goes; and the public mind seems pretty
generally inclined to the opinion that
two terms Of the Presidency of the Uni
ted States is about as much of both dig
nifty and labor as any one man oug ght to
bear.
This is the first instance in our history
wherein this question arose. 1t is i'm
portant to settle it now. 1t should he
settled, not with regard to the interests
or aspirations of any man, but for the
best interests of the Commonwealth
throughout all its future history. 1t it
be of evil tendency as a precedent, its
admission now will render its eradica-
ton hereafter difficult, if not impossible.
Moreover, by its admission in the pres
ent instance, it overcomes all former
precedents to the contrary. They are no
longer precedents, because the contrary
has been allowed to prevail. Conse-
quently, eligibility to third term of the
Presidency becomes at once fixed prin-
ciple in our political system. And, this
conceded, then there is no limit to the
number Of terms, because there is no
precedent to the contrary.
We have not the slightest inkling of
an idea that General Grant, if reelected,
would or could work any harm to the
country or its institutions, but the third
term principle might. 1t is on this &C
count that the people have manifested a
watchful jealousy of this new question
now for the first time interpellated into
our political history.
From this time forward for six
months, full nine-tenths of our adult
male population will be more or less tn
gagged in President making We trust
that the people of all parties will COLI
slider the importance of good order and
quietude, of moderation in the discussion
of men and measures, to show the world
an example of self-government that all
the world may admire.
Editorial spinnlngh
Gib-bet the "Boom,"