The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1892-05-27
Grant on PRESIDENTIAL Terms,

The forger's scheme to prejudice the
Republican party against tho renomin-
alton Of President Harrison by purport-
ing to give General Grants views in
opposition to a second term, makes it
worth while to recall what General
Grant did say on the subject Of presi-
dental terms.
Fortunately We have his expressed
views in the famous third.term letter to
General Harry White, OF Pennsylvania,
written in 1875, when many OF General
Grants friends were pushing him for a
third term. In this letter General
Grant said:
The question Of the number OF terms allowed
to any one executive can only como up fairly In
the shape OF a proposition to amend the consti.
tuition, q shape In which all political parties
can participate. fixing the length OF time, or the
number Of terms for which any one person
shall DO eligible for the office OF President.
Until such an amendment Is adopted, the peo.
Pile cannot BIO restricted In their choice by reso-
luton further than they are now restricted as TO
age, nativity. etc. 1t may happen in the future
history OF the country that to change an cxecu.
tive because he has been eight years In Office
will prove unfortunate, II not disastrous. The
idea that any man could elect himself President,
or even renominate himself, Is preposterous. 1t
is a reflection npon the intelligence and patriot.
iSn Of the people to suppose such a thing posi-
bic. Any man can destroy his chances for the
oincc. but no one can force IN election or even
= anomination.
This was his opinion expressed DELHI.
erately and for publication. If the
forger OF the recently published Grant
Conkling letter had remembered the
Grant-White letter he would probably
have. appreciated the folly OF trying to
impose his bogus production on the
country. .
There is a thought in this genuine
letter worthy Of more than passing
notice: "The idea that any man could
elect himself President, or even renom-
mate himself, is preposterous." The
incumbent Of the presidential Office is
thought to have some advantages over.
all others in securing delegates favor
able to himself This is doubtless true
to an extent, but the Importance Of the
advantage is immensely overrated.
Whatever advantage a President may
have is based on the patronage Of his
office. In this connection two essential
facts are to be borne in mind: The
President cannot count on the support
Of every man who holds office under
him, for there are always office-holders
Of other preferences and OF the courage
to assert their rights as" American citi-
zens. The other fact Of even greater
weight is that where the President has
given office to mi he has affronted a
hundred-may be a thousand.
1t is coming to be understood that
patronage is a source Of weakness, not
Of strength, to its dispenser. To illus
trate General Grants point by some
thing near at hand. does anybody sup
pose that President Harrison's hold
on his party is a mere expression Of
the personal loyalty OF the. men who
hold office under him?
There is not an ol1icc-holder in the
West Virginia delegation to Minncapo-
lis, nor was the delegation made by the
o%fice-holders; yet it is for the renomi-
nation of the President.