Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1880-01-28
A Presidential Third Term.

The approaching presidential election has
already given rise to many specuations as
to the best nomination to be made by the
Republican party. This party has been in
power nearly twenty years. 1t is the party
that carried through the war Of the re-
bellion and brought il out a success. 1t
is the party that, since the war, has Sc
cured its fruits by appropriate legislation,
1t is the party which embraces in very
large degree the intelligence and the con-
science Of the country. To this party the
country to-day owes its unity. To this party
alone the country owes the renewed pros.
perity which is now Just dawning upon it
after the clouds of war have passed away.
And party with such record ought to
survive. But it will not survive If it is TO
be made the football of politicians. It has
not unfrequently happened that the people
have rebelled against the leading-strings of
political rule, taken things into their own
hands and had their own way.
In respect to the nomination of General
Grant we now express no opinion upon the
main question, but the fact that he has been
president eight years constitutes no objection
with us.
There is a small coterie of politicians in
the city of New York who seem to suppose
they own the country. They claim the
right to dictate to the state of New York,
and through that medium to the country,
not only what the policy of the Republican
party shall be, but who are its proper ex-
ponents and representatives. They cannot
agree long among themselves. They can
only agree in being opposed to what any one
else presents. Having determined to oppose
and defeat the nomination OF General Grant,
this coterie OF political dictators begin their
crusade with the cry of " third term" and
paint in glowing colors the dire conse-
quences of such an event. They say that
third term is wholly unprecedented that to
establish such precedent is fraught with
direst evils; that it is but the beginning of
our woes; that it will prove but the enter
ing wedge to military dictatorship or a
presidency for life, which will end in the
destruction OF the liberties for which our
fathers fought and bled and died. We do
not participate in these forebodings of imagi-
nary evil. We have an old-fashioned Puritan
notion in New England that experience is a
valu able acquisition in the performance of
public duties, and that when public servants
prove themselves to be "capable and faith
full, the best thing the people can do is to re.
tain'them in places of official trust 1t is true
the public places are not so numerous as the
politicians, and unless the Offices are passed
round there must of necessity be a good
many disappointments. But public places
are not created for the accommodation of
anybody. They are created to subserve the
public interests, and those interests are best
subserved when public places are filled by
men OF tried ability and integrity.
The presidential term is four years. There
is just as much sense in electing a man to
third term as to second. If unworthy,
he should not be elected to a second term
If worthy, and proved to be able aud honest,
he should be elected just as often as the
people desire. The whole value of the lin
tied term Of four years lies in the fact that
no incapable or dishonest president can re-
main in office so long as to do any serious
injury. But no argument can be drawn