Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1888-04-28
SHOULD ACT AT ONCE.

According to His Own Former Utterancei
on the Subject Of Second Terms, Glove
land Should Long Ago Have Announced
HIS Withdrawal from tho Presidential
Race.
The contrast Of few dates, says the New
York sam, shows that certain most inter
esung event in politics, and one widely ex-
pected, must occur very soon, or the oppor-
tunity for it will have gone by
On January Is, nearly five months before
the date of the next Republican National
convention, Hon. James G. Elaine, the as
sured Presidential nominee of the Repub,
hcan party, signed his name to letter In
which he declined to be the candidate. This
was published on February ID, as soon as it
arrived in this country. 1t gave ample time
Tor party reflection, and for the comparison
and selection of candidates.
The Democratic National convention will
meet lon 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 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 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 individual is absolutely necessary to the
country's welfare. Even the fools who actu-
ally cherish notions of that sort will see,
If they will reflect a 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
second Presidential term.
If Mr.. Cleveland intends to exhibit the
tenacity and respect for his convictions
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 Mr.. Cleveland's power to
duplicate. The idea whieh will naturally
occur to more minds than one, that Mr..
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, will 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
its chief to the perpetuation of it's 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
ha Mood for tho n,1rnosa