The Windham County reformer. (Battleboro, Vt.) 1876-1897, 1895-08-30
Jefferson and the Third Term.

:, 4 strange blunder made by the Worl
! in an article on Jefferson and tn
Third Term in which it asserted tina
the Founder Of the Democratic part
retired because he was weary OF office
and probably could not have been re
: elected anyway, not because he object
] ed TO a third term On principle. Fo
/, 50 able a paper AS the World and usual
ly 50 intelligent in its discussions
this ignorance of one OF tho mos
important episodes of our history is re
%markable: for Jefferson, with tn
i, pioneer vigor of thought that was al
ways his, formulated and laid down
doctrine on this subject that has be
come deeply imbedded IN American
opinion, like so much else that he CAV,
to his generation. He cnunciated IL
other words what has ever since beer
a part of the unwritten law of u po
litical system. He made Washington
retirement. though that was entirely
for personal reasons, a precedent foi
drawing the line inexorably at two
terms. and he gave the reasons for
such a rule so conyincingly that the
country was at once satisfied of its
propriety and necessity, and neve
since has it been broken, and it never
will be until saving virtue has gone
out entirely from our institutions.
The World has since modified its
statement somewhat, IN having its at
t@ention called to the resolutions Of the
seven OF eight different legislatures
asking him to be a candidate and to
which he wrote the reply quoted by
Mr.. Mitchell, but still insists. as it
did in its first article, that he had no
chance of being elected again. Wheth-
er that is true or not is immaterial to
the question which the Worlds first
statement raised, as to the beginning
of the anti Third Term doctrine. But
it is not true SO far as a historical
Judgment can be formed. The wisdom,
tolerance and humanitarian statesman
ship of Jetferson's first administration
had been such as TO almost wipe out
opposition, so that while his first cleo
ton in 1900 was only after IA fight OF
most terrible bitterness, his reelection
in 1904 was accomplished by l62 elec-
toral votes against only II in opposi-
ton. Congress was overwhelmingly
Democratic and had been for 10 wears.
The last House under his second ad-
ministration had a Democratic major
ity of over two thirds.
Vermont, Massachusetts and
Rhode Island. long the st%rongholds
of Federalism, had become Democratic
and remained so for years. 1t is true
that there was a loud clamor against
the Embargo Act. largely from the
element that six years later was
traitorously conspiring with England
in the war of 1872. But in spite of it
Madison, who was as secretary of
closely identified with the
policy, Embargo Act and
all, was easily elected in 1S0S, receiv-
ing 123 electoral votes to o3 for Gin
ton. Furthermore, opposition to the
Embargo could hardly in the nature of
the case have been a winning issue for
the Federalists, for the same party had
aid an Embargo in 1894 in the troubles
With France. and it had
repeatedly been resorted to
our early history; for the
dea then prevailed among all parties.
10 matter whether mistaken or not,
hat it was our most effective means of
esisting foreign aggression. The OPP
position to it was essentially traitor
nus, selfish and monarchical in spirit,
IS it afterwards proved, from men and ,
interests that wanted to force the re-
into dependence on England or
t least alliance with her in her wars
gainst France. :
There is no fair doubt indeed that :
etferson could have been reelected. a.
f he had desired it. The states whose
had asked him to stand a .
bird time cast Sc out of 176 electoral
otes, or within 3 of a majority. and =
18th Virginia, would have made ;,
n election sure. Moreover, his letter :
, the Vermont Legislature was written d,
month before the massage of the FIN
argo act at all, when there was not a
of doubt of his strength before :.
lc country, so it is simply silly to =
que, as the World indirectly does. that
G only declined what he found he d
,uld not get. And it is not fl
he least among his great services to T
ankind that he did not desire it and >
lat he improved the opportunity to :,
,nonstrate that it ought not to be ac- Z
,rded to him or any one else. We Il
no doubt that Grover Cleveland al
follow his example at a suitable II.
me. But even if he should not, even ".
he could be so misled by flatterers as IL
believe that he deserves and can get pt
third term. there is no danger that m
&c Democratic party or the American y
'ople will have so forgotten Jefferson
achings as to grant it. Ia
The Protective Tariff League in its IA
arch among manufacturers has got ey
q answer which if will not be eaopr s;