The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1889-10-26
"Why Should Two Terms Make q Can
didate Objectionable For a Third?"
Why Should Twenty Terms Dis
qualify for the Twenty-flrst9
Why Not Create an O@oe-Holdine
Artstooracy?
To TIE PEOPLE OF ONO:

why should the good service of two
terms make candidate Objectionable
for third term? Is it not rather a rec
ommendation? Has any man magnified
the office more than the present incum-
bent?"-Ohio State journal.
The three questions embodied in the
above paragraph / shall endeavor to an
swer In their order.
l. President Hayes in his letter Of
acceptance struck the exact truth when
he said ''the restoration of the civil
service to the system established by
Washington and followed by the early
Presidents, can be best accomplished by
an executive who is under no tempta-
tion to use the patronage of his Office to
promote his reelection" The people,
however, against what is evidently their
best interest, have conceded to fair Of
fcer two consecutive terms, but this has
been almost unanimously agreed upon
as the extrcme limit. No President, and
no Governor of Ohio, has been permitted
to break this record. Hayes, 1t is true,
held the gubernatorial Office for three
terms, but not for three terms in success
sion; when nominated the last time he
neither sought the place nor had one of
his old appointees in Office to seek it for
him. The element of patronage, there
fore, had nothing whatever to do with
his selection. 1t was to all intents and
purposes a new deal.
A good man, whether serving as Pres
ident or Governor, should be satisfied
with two terms, for, if he happens to be
as wise as he is good, he must know that
by the destruction of this limit prece-
dent would be established which bad
men might urge to the injury Of the
public service. In fact, If the limit
were once broken, we might with GER
tainty look forward to the beginning Of
a series Of struggles among ambitious
men to determine which OF them could
hold the place for the greatest number
of terms. In these struggles the whole
power and patronage of the executive
Office would not only be brought into
requisition, but the administration Of
public affairs would be subordinated to
ambitions and private ends,
and the money wrung from the tax payer
diverted from legitimate channels, and
in part used to advance the fortunes Of
party chieftains. Then we should find
in sheets like the Ohio State Journal
ingeniously constructed questions like
that above quoted, to-wit:
"Why should the good service of
twenty terms make candidate object
ionable for twenty-hrst?"
The sincere and unselfish citizen is at
all times ready to make sacrifices for
the common veal. He kuows that a
wise usage, like sound law, should al
ways be observed. His patriotism will
not permit his ambition to trample upon
precedents, and he has sense
enough withal to know that il the peo-
pie cut the bad man off with one
term, they can sufficiently emphasize
their appreciation of tho good one by
two.
2. Good service In the executive
office Is just what the people of the State
have right to expect. They should be
satisfied with nothing less. The man
who renders this sort of service simply
does his duty--what he promises under
oath to do, and what he Is paid for do
Ing. Are we bound to continue a man
in Office because, forsooth, he does what
we elected him to do? Is honest compe-
tency so scarce In Ohio that we are re-
stricted In our choice Of candidate for
Governor to one person? The gist of |
the Ohio State Journals argument, IL It |
mas any gist to IL, is that men should re-
main in office during good behavior;
that we should at once proceed to estab- |
ish an offlce-holding aristocracyI that
he longer man holds an Office tho
stronger becomes his claim to be con-
,inued IN 1t. 1t Is by such plausible fall
acies as these that Governprs, Consuls
md Prsaiacats have become Emperors.