The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1888-11-27
deal with the too long oppressed COM
munity in spirit of fairness and justice.
THE PRESIDENTIAL TERM,

If the press of America is the power
full thing it is said to be a change in
the length of the Presidential term
will be made before the Republic is
many years old3r. The New York
Herald has lately been publishing the
opinions of the papers and of indi-
viduals on the subject, and while some
men are opposed to any change,
the journals are almost unanimous in
the opinion that there should be
change.
One campaign, it occurs to Us,
furnishes all the argument necessary
to convince an intelligent, thoughtful
person of the wisdom of having these
periods come upon the country less
often. For six months the American
people have been in a turmoil; for
FIVE months business has been para
lyzed; millions of dollars in cash have
been expended recklessly, and other
millions in time and labor have been
squandered. It will take. the Republic
year to recover from the effects
of the campaign, and 1t never
can recover the money and time
which have been wasted. Then
the Inauguration of Harrison will
be followed speedily by the turning Of
thousands and tens of thousands of
men and women out of office, and the
compelling of them to resort to other
ways of.earning living. Every four
years this must all be gone over again
the excitement, the waste of time and
money, the cessation Of business, the
! neglect of the industrial affairs of the
people. the turning out of Office of the
ms and the installation of the outs.
We do not get well over one PIesiden-
tial election before the p7eliminsries of
the next are begun. There is no rest
for the people.
If the Presidential tenn were increased
to six, or even eight years, there would
be great gain in the relief from the
strain and saving of money. When
the change shall be made, it should be
accompanied by provision making the
President ineligible to reelection. The
fact that the prospect of second term
was held before Mr.. Cleveland had
little, if any, effect on his actions; he
did what he deemed right and
proper regardless of its effect
on his political aspirations; in
deed, it is very generally believed
that he knowingly defeated himself for
reelection, thinking less of his Office
than of doing his duty to his country.
But Mr.. Cleveland is the only President
of modern times who has not shaped
his course with view TO securing a re-
nomination. Their messages, their
appointments to office, everything they
do are all done with the view to their ef-
feet on the party convention; and in the
event of denomination the machinery
of the executive Office is employed to
help elect. When the President shall
be ineligible he will be more careful of
his reputation for fairness and upright
ness; he will strive harder to leave a
good record which will be lasting, and
he will not be led into improper doings
by personal ambition. Partisan politics
will not have the influence over him
that it does now, for he will know there
is nothing to gain by doing wrong to
please his party.
A longer Presidential term the in
cumbent being ineligible TO reelection,
would be a great improvement, and
lessen an evil which all admit now
exists.