The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-02-09
Is CLEVELAND A CANDIDATE:
The Presidents Pledges to Only One Tern
Recalled to His Attention.

The Presidents Pledges Only One Term
Recalled to His Attention.
New York SUM-
We should like to know what authority any
Democratic politician, any Democratic or
mugwump newspaper has for assuming that
President Cleveland expects to be renominated.
accept denomination this year Under any cir
cumstances whatever.
The assumption that Mr. Cleveland intends to
run for second term does him very grave in
justice IL. in fact, it Is gratuitous and un-
founded. 1t puts him in the position of having
bid once for the Office with declaration of prin-
ciple, or pledge, which he is now preparing to
repudiate for the sake of personal ambition.
Can anybody who admires Mr. Cleveland be-
ieve that of him2
The very first Recommendation respecting ma
tionaI affairs which Mr.. Cleveland ever made
was Cor constitutional amendment disqualify-
ing the President of the United States from re-
Office upon self-declared platform in favor of
the single term idea. In his letter of Aug. 18,
1884. accepting the Democratic nomination. Mr..
Cleveland squarely asserted that in his judy
ment a single-ternc amendment to the Constitu-
ton would be the most effective means possible
toward the full realization OF governments by
the people, and he then went on to say:
When consider the patronage of this great Office
the allurements of power. the temptation to retain
naTy IN an bom n az
holders with zeal born OF bene fits and fostered by
WITH e and Tayea noea erve w
nize in the eligibility of the President for reelection
most serious danger to that calm, deliberate and
tellgent political action which must characterize
government by the people
True, is il notg-and true in 1888 as it was
in 1884. when Mr. Cleveland formulated the
principle and voluntarily presented it to tho
Democratic party for consideration.
Yet tue newspapers which profess tc under
stand the Presidents secret Intentions the per-
sonal and political friends who pretend to enjoy
his confidence. the tme-serving officeholders
who are now using his name so freely in conven-
tions, and caucuses, and committee meet
ings, all join in the Injurious assump-
ton that Mr.. Cleveland has flung prin-
cple and pledge to che winds. They
has weakly yieded to the aliurements of power
and to temptation to retain place gained,
and is ready to summon to the aid of selfish
ambition a horde of offceholders with zeal
born of benefits and fosrered by the hope OF
favors yet to come.
We should like to know what authority there
is for this most injurious assumption. So far
aware, the declaration which we have
quoted is Mr.. Cleveland's last recorded utter
ancs upon the subject of the eligibility of
President for election.
Will any of those who now noisily using
MIR. Cleveland's name candidate, and who
assuming a willingness and desire on his
part to be rsnominated, say when and why he
changed his mind?
Will anybody venture to assert that any con-
si2eration now induce Mr.. Cleveland to make
exception, in his own favor, to q general
principle of patriotism and duty which has i'm
pressed itself so deeply upon his judgment that
he wants to make the one-term rule compulsory
in the case of Presidents who come after hm2