Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1888-04-15
SHOULD ACT AT ONCE.
According to His Own Former Ctterancee
on the Subject of Second Terms, Cleye-
land Should Long Ago Have Announced
His Withdrawal from the Presidential

| ACCORDING 10 Ills o0n O1kucT CtIGTances
| on tho Subject of Second Terms, Cleve.
land Should Long Ago Have Announced
| His Withdrawal from the Presidential
| Race.
The contrast of a few dates, says the New
| York Sur. shows that a certain most inter.
esting event in politics. and one widely ex.
| pected, must occur very soon, or the oppor-
| tunity for 1t will have gone by.
On January p, nearly five months before
| the date of the next Republican National
| convention, Hon. James G. Blaine, the as
| sured Presidential nominee of the Repub-
| lican party, signed his name to a letter IN
which he declined to- be the candidate. This
was published on February 13, as soon as it
arrived in this country. 1t gave ample time
| for party reflection, and for the comparison
and selection Of candidates.
The Democratic IStional convention will
meet Ion June 5, or less than two months
from the present time. Surprising to
state, the most prominent Democratic can
didate is statesman already once elected
President, and still holding the Office, who,
in the most conspicuous manner possible,
made this declaration more than three
years ago:
"When we consider the patronage of this
great Office, the allurements of power, the
temptation to retain place once gained, and
more than all, the availability party finds
in an incumbent whom a horde of Office
holders, with zeal born of benefits and
fostered by the hope of favors yet to come,
stand ready to aid with money and trained
political service, we recognize in the eligi-
bility OF the President for reelection most
serious danger to that calm, deliberate and
intelligent political action, which must
characterize a government by the people"
In this country, happily, the argument
that any man is personally Indispensable in
the Presidential office can have no value
with any intelligent politician. No one can
make Mr. Cleveland, or any other man Of
average intellect, believe that this or
that individuals is absolutely necessary to the
country's welfare Even the fools who actu-
ally cherish notions of that sort viii see,
if they will reflect moment, that the Gov
eminent which has twice withstood the
shock of a Presidential assassination need
have no fear of any change that can occur
in the regular order of politics. No moral
or political argument, therefore, can over
ride the Presidents deliberate Judgment,
solemnly recorded. against the propriety Of
a second Presidential term.
If Mr.. Cleveland intends to exhibit the
UendClIV ana respect ZOE Ills COHEi ctlOAS
which has been attributed to him, his formal
withdrawal from the field of candidates
should be announced quickly. The long no
tice given to his party by Mr. Blaine it is
already beyond Dir. Cleveland's power to
duplicate. The idea whish will naturally
occur to more minds than one, that MI.
Cleveland has already notified the Democ-
racy that he would not again be their candi-
date, that he served this notice nearly four
years ago when he originally published the
celebrated passage Of his letter of accept
ance which we have just quoted, win not
suffice. The evidence is too clear of an in
tention in Administration circles to throw
this utterance overheard, or to suppress it
in the interest of the further advancement
Of the machine as at present organized.
The Administration is tending in the direc
ton OF sacrificing the sacred convictions of
it's chief to the perpetuation Of its own ex-
istence as machine. The oficeholders are
for second term, regardless of the reputa-
ton of the man through whom they are ar
ranging for it, and they are going to putthe
thing through if the last ounce of political
power or Of administrative pressure has to
l. IL Sc t1.-,N