The Wichita city eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1872-1883, 1880-01-29
THIRD 9,ERMIssl.

Our pOiitsCSs We can moi OeXiu I'D re-
eapitulate it, and wouldn't presume to
answer it, but have the audacity to say
that the whole tenor of the argument is
that In opposing third term of the
Presidency people are simply ''scsred by
a soft spook."
4 II seems to us thar il would have been
a thing Of more value If Mr.. Howe had
given us substantial argument in fa-
vor Of third term upon principle. To
say that there is nothing wrong or dan
gerous In third term does not argue
any thing in favor IF a third term. The
principle Of opposition TO third term
needs no argument to sustain il. But
third tcrnism Is principle needs the
weighiicst reasons to justify IL.
Who can sa. any thing in !avar OF a
third term on principle:
Opposition 10 a third term Of The
Presidency is sustained by precedent of
line so long and examples so illustri-
Gus that nothing but absolute necessity
would seem Ia justify setting aside the
precedent.
Opposition 10 third term i IN az
cord with the genius Of our institutions.
and not only that b,it il is sustained 10y
the first. most natural. and safest inl-
pulse Of the whole people.
II requires The most GINNING sophis-
| -, l<.rI a ....,.A .,ro., pr,,.a
ural judgment of opposition to third
termism. rs witness the recent iaborcd
article of Mr. Howe.
| In opposition 10 third term there Is
the absolute safrly Of a wei! Travelled
road. In third tcrmism there is the
uncertainty of experimcnt--an uniriei
trial On no single public question has
the Judgment Of the Republican party
and of the country been 80 unanimous
as on the question Of third tcrnisin.
i The Lowe House Of Congress in 1875
, :rast q resoiuti1s hi 81 9lmost unani-
mou, vote conie,.::::ing it in The strong
est language. The National Republic
can convention IN 1876, by unanimous
vote. made opposition to third TEEN
part of the Republican platform.
Many Of the strongest Republican
States, notably Ohio, Pennsylvania,
Nov York, Massachusetts,, Iowa and
Wisconsin, by their Republican, State
Conventions passed clear and strong
resolutions in opposition to third term
ism. SO that opposition to third term
ism is true Iieaaaicap doctrine enun-
ciated by the very highes, authority Of
the party.
II is said in favor Of third termism
that the people have the right 10 avail
thc,.selyss Of the experience of persons
who have been in office. and that it
makes no difference to the people who
hold the offices SO that they get the ben
eft of experienced persons services.
Or course the people have right to
elect man 10 Office as often as they |
please, and in very rare instances il ma!
be prudent To do so. But who has the |
right 10 dragoGn tieii into il: The |
people certainly have no disposition to |
do it when left to their own sober judg-
nent. and if the people have no care
who hold the offices why provide the
cxpca,ise Earhipcry of popular cleo
lions: Why not give rs . ciyi, service |
examining board, with the man mil
liner as boss, so as to insure us expe-
rienred and quhiii,e! persons for Off
c;als. There are some few cicrica! OFF,
ces and perhaps all judicial Offices
should be includcd-to which the people
are justified i. rcsslecting an incumbent
any number of times. The Bres,dchcy
is not such an Office. In fact the Presi-
,ieucv is not an Office at all in the strict
segse Of the term, but is simply the rep
reseniatiye aId Instrument of poll
cy. The Presidency belongs To the
Nation, because il is the Nations policy
to be represented and subservcd. Now
ii is fact beyond controversy that no
maa IL broad enough or progressive
enough to be the representative OF this
Nations policy for twelve years. We
never had a President whom the Ma
ton did not outrun. They have invar-
iably fallen behind in the grand nation
nj advance increment,
At this time third termism Is mol any
thing different from Grantism. 1t is
said that third termism is right because
il means Grant. and that Grant is the
man Uess4ss e bis illustrious services.
"D;stance lends enchaafmeni 10 the
view" is as true of Grant. Presidential
saryices as of any other uninviting
thing. Time sssses 10 mingle the prom
inemt points of Grants Presidency with
the great horizon of the past, so that
we don't reaiise their rugged outlines
as We did four years ago. u Is 9 sig
niticant fact that US the second tenn of
Grant was nearing close the whole
country seemed 10 rise up as one ,>ilan
and saw mo third term" and the EN-
plssis was all on the third" The facts |
were frcsi. H. tbs public Gind; and with
the facts of a second term before their
eyes the possibilities of a third term of
Grant was more than the Nation could |
bear.
yf, " Nj. Howe observes. the people
were scared by ':soit .pook," tbs
thing sat at the White House and
The adulstion of the flunkie. of Eu-
rope gor the hoarse huzya of the ,
"boomers" drawn together 3, Idle eur {
iosity as the result Of judicious adyer- |
Using and cheap excursion rates on
nor the ''gu>h'' Of the aspir- ,
ing Mayors of few cities can cut oui ,
the pages of four wears of history made ,
By Grants second term. I
Grants services in war were illustri- /
ous. Tie did some great things in |
peace. The country hss done by him G
what he did by his country-ils dGty. {
Does the country belong Ia Grant or
Grant TO the country?
The answer to this last question solves
the problem of third termism.
n
APPALLING DISASTER q