Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1880-01-29

second term that President
tempted to use his patronage to re-
elect himself, 10 not sound. Th
moment President used his ofiic
for such purpose he would fall. /
would be the suicide of his admins
tration. 1t would offend the people
and array against him the publ
men, most of whom are dreaming
of the succession for themselves, a nj
would resent policy they deemed
to be an invasion of their owl
rights. There is nothing in that ar
gument. Patronage does no
strengthen q President. When yoy
take up the question of second Of
third terms, and propose permanen,
ineligibllity after ward, you are en-
countered with the argument thai
in free Government q people have
q right to elect whomsoever they
please, and that because q man has
served the country we'll be should
not at the end of his term be in the
position of an officer cashiered from
the army. What you want to avoid
is not Predictions, but frequent
elections. I think the best plan, one
that would go farther TO satisfy all
opinions, would be one term for six
or seven years, aud ineligibility to
reelection. Practically this would
settle the question. Eligibility after
an intervening term would not be
of much value, for. in our country,
most of the men who served one
term would be past the age for cleo.
ton by the time another had inter-
vened. The Swiss plan of short
terms would not do for country as
large and new as ours. II Is well
enough for o small, ancient, popu-
lous and highly developed Repub.
lic."
Speaking of the canvass Of 1876
the General said one day: / had only
one candidate for the Presidency as
my successor, and that was the Re-
publican candidate who could be
elected. l took no part in the dis
cussion antecedent to the Cincinnati
Convention, because the candidates
were friends, and any one except
Mr.. Bristow, would have had my
support. Mr.. Bristow /
never would have supported, for
reasons that l may give some other
time, in a more formal manner than
mere conversation. Mr.. Blaine
would have made good President.
My only fear about him was that
the attacks made upon him at the
time would hurt the canvass. To me
personally Hanie would have been
acceptable. He is very able man,
think perfectly honest man, fit
for any place; but his enemies had
opened line of attack which would
have made his canvas difficult. Mr..
Morton was q man of great parts,
who did great work during the
war. His course as the Governor
Of Indiana has, l think, never been
properly appreciated. He saved
indiana to the Union. As speaker
snv 81 .. ssy S.Ss s...g g1 pa nSr
Bile on subject, and from that be.
came most effective debater. Nor.
ton would have been as good in the
Presidency as In the Governorship.
But there were two objections his
health and his opinions on fioance.
It would have been dffi,ult, / am
afraid impossible, to have elected
Morton. ConkIing would have
satisfied me, ss / am fond of
him and hold his great char.
acter and genius in profound
and it nominated, be would
have had elements of strength which
neither of the others possessed. He
would have been better as candi-
date before the peopls than
before the Convention. Internal
in New York defeated
him, as internal dissensions in Hi.
nois defeated Washburne. Il looked
for time as if Washburne would be
the dark horse, instead Of Hayes.
But his friends were nm wise in their
Logan used to rea.
son with them about it. and try to
make peace and smooth W ash burne's
way. Logan is man who will pout
and get cross, and become unreasona-
Bile; but when the time comes for &C.
ton, when the party or the country
reeds his services, he is first at the
front, and no man is more trust
worthy. never could sec why 10.
CAMS temper should interfere with
bis career, espeeisliy because he was
at heart, and ia every trial, as true
as steel, These dlssensions 10 Illinois
defeated Washburne. l should have
been delighted to have had Wash.
burne as m successor. Apart from
our personal relations, which are OF
the closest nature have q great
for washb1rne. He has
been my friend always, and l en-
grateful for his friendship. He is a
true high minded, patriotic man, OF
great force and ability. While he
vas in France, some of our enemies
tried to make mischief between us
but il had no result. / have
entire faith in Washburne, aud if
could have cleaned the way for him
in Cincinnati would have done so.
But his Illinois friends made that
Impossible. ] saw be could not be
nominated: / did not see any nom.
ination for Blaine, Morton or Conk-
ling. Bristov was never o serious
candidate, never even a probability,
Looking around for dark horse 10
my own mind l fixed an Fi.h. Gov.
ernor Fish seemed to me the man
to run. Bayard Taylor said TO me
in Berlin that thu three greatest
statesmen of this aga were Cavour,
Gortchakoff and smarck. | told
him | thought there were four, that
the fourth was Fisk. and that he
vas worthy to rank with the others.
This was the estimate l found OIL
Fisk after eight years Ct Cabinet ser,
vice. in which every year increased
cd him in my esteem. SO / wrote
q Iatter n ha mad az ,ha nronav