Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1895-07-19
washington STANDARD
OLYMPIA, WASH.
fRlDN EVENING, JULY 10. 1896.
An Issue that Must Be Met.

An Issue that Must Be Met.
ii IL be true that there i ALWAYS fire
where there is smoke, or ii We may
safely Judge Of human motive from cir-
cnmstances OF individual action. there
Is much ground for the belief that +
President Cleveland is a candidate, or
at least willing to become one for a
third term. The precedent establish Ell
at the foundation Of the government .
by the declination OF the only man
who might justly be accorded the
distinction of filling the high position
a third term, has been so universally
commended that it has passed into
.raditionary belief that TO accept,
much less to conspire for, such an
honor, Is unwise, unpatriotic and
fraught with danger to our free insti-
tutions.
so strong was this bell, / and so ap-
parent the danger that might result
from q departure from this unwritten
law of national policy, that in 1873,
when it seemed probable that the
precedent would be broken by the
nomination Of Grant for a third term,
the U. S. House of Representatives, by
an overwhelming vote, adopted reso-
luton which declared it was the
opinion of that body that the prece-
dent established by Washington and
other Presidents of the United States
in retiring from the presidential office
after their second term has become, by
universal concurrence, a part of our
republican system Of government,
and that any departure from this
time-honored custom would be unwise,
unpatriotic and fraught with peril to
our free institutions" This resolu-
ton received every Democratic vote.
and the support of 20 out of IS Re-
publican members of that body-the
result standing 234 to Is, showing that
the sentiment was by no means
party expedient to check the ambition
of an opposing candidate who had
been for the time lifted into promi-
nence on the crest OF wave OF popular
favor.
That Mr.. Cleveland is q record.
breaker needs no assertion. That he
would accept q fourth nomination to
secure third term will not be dis
puted by anybody who has closely
studied his personal characteristics,
despite the explicit avowal OF his party
associates by resolution in Congress
and the emphatic protest of the ma
tional Democratic platform of that
year. 1t may be safely assumed that
" Barkis is willin'," if surrounding cir
cumstances warrant such an aspira.
ton, and from present indications
what else can be inferred than that
the willingness borders upon an
anxiety that is manifest in the close
pull of the reins upon his party lead.
srs, the personal support that he has
been able to direct in line with his
radical views on political issues. Two
prominent members OF his cabinet
have been compelled to profess COM
plete change upon the leading ques.
ton of the day. that which affects the
people more than all others, the use of
the metal for redemption coinage, and
one of them has. been making stump
speeches in favor OF the Presidential
policy. Notice has been given that it
will be an issue in the State and Ma
tional campaigns, and it is evident
that oil the influence of the Admins
tration will be exeited in favor OF a
plank recognizing the gold standard.
It will be in vain 10 attempt to Sc
cure harmony in the party, with pre-
cedent, the record and the deep inter-
est felt by large proportion of the
people who have hitherto voted the
Democratic ticket ignored and if this
course 10 maintained. By far the larger
portion of the advocates of Democratic
principles belong to the "middle
class" those who toll for q livelihood,
and il will be difficult for them to
acquisce in . policy 90 repugnant to
their ideas of good government, es.
pecially when it is forced upon them
by the strong arm of executive pat.
ronage.
A party that has shown enough
devotion TO principle to preserve its in.
tegrity for aquarter of century against
. common foe, possesses enough
of individuality and independence to
abandon the form and name of an
organization when its essential ele-
ments have been set aside. This, we
fear, will be the result, if drilled
effort is made to induce the party to
disturb its well.defined policy of main
tanning a parity Of gold and silver. .
policy which has served the nation 20
we'll from its organization down to the
time when the value OF the poor mans
dollar was by law reduced to one-half
the value Of the dollar that is boarded
in the vaults of the millionaire.
POLITICAL WIREs.-A San Francisco
dispatch of the 18th states there is
reason to believe that Secretary La
monts mission to the Pacific Coast is
moro of q political character than An
official inspection of defenses of the
western seaboard; that it is, in fact,
to ascertain the feeling of leading pol
iticians ~ 10 the feasibility of the nomi-
nation of President Cleveland for =
third term. 1t is likewise stated that
H. w. Van Sender, Secretary Car
lisle's private secretary, lately visited
-~s>~.sIl~ A.