Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1902-11-07

| REQUIRING Tie pfeSlueuC OF inc
| United States to stay on the
White House grounds during his
term Of Office, and it is not an unreal
sonable sentiment. The reasons for
that growing sentiment are not far to
seek. No matter who the president is,
his death, especially by violence, plunges
the entire people into grief. Little
more than year ago every man and
woman in America fit to be citizen
Of the republic was mourning for Pres
ident Mckinley. A few weeks ago,
when President Roosevelt ran such a
narrow risk of losing his life, shud-
der ran through the land from sea to
sea. The death of president disturbs
business to very large extent. That
Is another reason why he should not
take the chances of getting killed
which the average citizen may feel at
| liberty to take. Because of these facts
and others which might be stated 1t
would be we'll if our presidents reduced
the chances Of dying in Office to the
minimum by staying on the White
House grounds.
A Needed Reform.
Amending the constitution of the
United States is very slow and tedi-
GUS business-well nigh an impossible
task. The first eleven amendments
were practically part and parcel of the
original constitution. The twelfth was
an absolute necessity. The thirteenth,
fourteenth and fifteenth grew out of
the civil war. Scores have been pro
posed and only fifteen adopted in the
113 years of the life of the govern
ment. Most people, however, are in
favor of sixteenth amendment in
creasing the presidential term to six
years and rendering the incumbent for
ever ineligible for another term. OF
course, if that were done, the congress
sional term would be heightened to
good thing, for representative does
not much more than get his seat
warmed before some aspiring states
man is hot foot after his place, which
is laudable performance regarded
from the individual standpoint, but
not good for the public service.
1t is really pity that congress
| cannot be dissolved and new election
| ordered when the administration is de-
feated on any administration measure,
as the British parliament is dissolved.
and new election ordered when the
| administration is defeated. In that
respect at least the British govern
ment is more representative than ours
There never has been but one presi
dent who did not use his first term al
stepping stone to second, and that
was George Washington. Hayes does
not count, as he was never elected In
the first place. Some presidents have
used the patronage of their great Of
fee in most ruthless manner. Those
who did not secure second terms al
ways deemed themselves badly treat
led, notably the two Adamses and Mar
tin Van Buren,. At least one aspiret
to third term. So, on the whole, the
public good demands one term, ant
one term only, and as compromis,
between a four year term and tw,
terms Of four years each one six yea
term is about right.
Cum Grano.
Sensible people will take Senate
Marcus A. Hanna's proclamation of re
firing from politics with grain O
salt-in fact, with a whole barrel O
the saline article. They will remem
Der that the divine Patti has mad,
several farewell tours-yes, several
i and Mark will have to reafiirm ant
swear to his declaration that he ha.
retired before the sagacious will take
him seriously. / am aware that tt
compare Hanna to Patti is q strange
and outre performance, but the cir
cumstances justify it. Good Judges
believe that Senator Hanna has thu
best chance Of any living man to Sc
cure the Republican nomination fol
president, and so believing they vii
not, grow enthusiastic at the prospect
of his quitting the field. 1t may BIZ
that the redoubtable senator sees the
handwriting on the wall and has con
cluded that his great rival. Tom John
son. is the coming man for presiden,
and that he is making virtue out Of
necessity and getting under shelter be
fore the storm breaks.
Enismatical.
No matter what the American peopl.
may finally conclude to do as to thu
trusts, one man has placed himself
IN position to say, IT told you SOP
That is Senator Jonathan P. Dollivel
OF Iowa. He made speech on tina,
subject-or, more properly speaking
he said it was on that subject-which
l defy any living man to tell heads OF
tails of. 1t may mean one thing OF
nothing. Here is sample extract:
Our people recognize the value of q
large capital for the transaction Of 8
great business and especially for the com.
mercial conquests upon which we are now
entering. But they recognize also the
danger Of abuses. both in the organization
| and management Of great Industrial en-
terprises. and would have the government
| of the United States stand between thu
community and the reckless perversion Of
the benefcent law of corporate property
There is no room in this discussion 70,
| vain ordinations of alarm and despair
Up to this time the tariff policy to which
| we owe the prosperous conditions which
| now surrdund us has been the ally of in.
dependent capital in its grapple with tn.
modern trust system. But If the day
should eyer come when the productive en-
| ergies of the American people are i'm
potent in the presence of monopoly the
protection which for more than genera
ton our laws have given to all our indus
tries alike is not likely to remain to in
trench; such conspiracy Of avarice and
greed.
Chained Energy.