The Windham County reformer. (Battleboro, Vt.) 1876-1897, 1895-09-13
Senator Gray and the Third Term
Talk

Even so cool headed and usually 81
far-sighted a man as Senator Gray o
Delaware, pronounces in favor OF
third term. He says he believes
Cleveland to be "thc logical nominee
next year of the Democratic party.
He doesn't profess to know the presi
dents wishes in the matter, but Cleve
land - has, by his devotion to his
duty as he understood it, twice saved
the country from plunging into a
course that would have been disastrous
to our institutions and therefore he
ought to have a unanimous renomina-
tion and he " might not refuse 1t. y
The Senator thinks it ought not to be
called a third term, because it would
be only second consecutive term and
anyway the objection to it is only
sentimental and the Washington pre-
cedent ought not to count because
The conditions which existed then
are totally different from those which
exist now. In Washington time the
future of the republic was an uncer-
tainty. 1t was feared that an at
tempt might be made to change the
form of government, and a continu-
ance in Office of any man would have
been a step in that direction. But
now nothing can change our form OF
government A republic we are and
republic we shall remain. What OPP
position there is to third term is
based on-n no intelligent reason except,
perhaps. that it might have Il ten
dency to make the people confide too
much in one man
That is reason enough. When the
time comes that the people confide
too much in one man. fatal disease
has entered the veins of our system,
which, if it has any merit whatever,
rests on the principle that there is
always plenty of material among the
people, which they can be trusted
to select, for the making of presidents
or any other officials. There is no
lack of appreciation of Mr.. Cleveland,
or of the great services he has rem
dered his country or of the important
influence he has exerted towards the
uplifting of our politics. in saying
that his place can be worthily filled
or if it cannot that we ought to stop
calling ourselves a republic.
The danger of "a departure from
sound principle in this matter is not
less serious, though different, than
in Washington s time. On the one
hand in our unsolved race problem
and our dangerously big proportion of
ignorant suffrage. with our occasional
of rioting and anarchism,
and on the other with our enormous
growth of corporate interests and &C
of wealth, we have just
the conditions that always and inevi-
tably ache for a ''strong government
md look for a savior of society.
If Grover Cleveland could be elected |
or third term and, giving a success !
'ul administration as he would, grow |
n the confidence of the conservative |
classes and the business interests
Is he has steadily grown ever since he |
uttered public life, there would surely
re a demand for a fourth term for
lin and then perhaps for d fifth and
D on. And if this were not the result
With him, it surely would be with
ONE other man in some compile ca
ion of danger and difficulty such as
re ever crowding human affairs
The danger line has been estab-
ished in American opinion at the
bird term. Washington set the pre-
ecent which Jefferson hardened into
principle and the country re
flirmed it in the case of Grant. with
he additional provision that it should I
OF be passed even where the third
crm is not consecutive.
All human history is full of warning
f the need and the importance of this {
and it is not going TO be {
roken down for Cleveland or any I
ther man. He is not SO infatuated
S to desire it, and if he were and the {
omination could be secured for him, {
re Democratic masses, including his {
armest admirers, would be found ris- /
" in unprecedented revolt and re- /
udiation. s