The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1903-05-18
Third Term Not Possible.

II
your editorial last week MI.
Cleveland and Il Third Term" wish to
ask you sincerely why you do not re
gard him the greatest democrat Of
The times and the most available person
through whom to achieve q national
democratic victory in 1901?
me above inquiry WAS received
yesterday from correspondent who
signs nMnselt Palmer d Buckner."
The Constitution is pleased 10 know
further from him that It's editorial to
which he refers aroused 8neral dis
cussion throughout The city, as 1t
surely will in farther circles. And
The Constitution does nos evade the
question which he seriously submits.
Whether MI Cleyol&nd is the
greatest democrat Of the times is not
the matter The Constitution under
took to discuss. The answer to it
must always be variable and 1nfiu-
enced by the personal notions Of
every debater OF the question OF
what are the elements of true dem
ocrat and Mr.. CleYeland's personal
possession of them.
1t is but fair to all around for us to
say that our opinion of Mr. Cleye-
lands position as IA democrat OF today
has been improved considerably by
his recent utterances upon the negro,
the trusts and the foreign and inSulit,
questions that are yet unsettled issues
in the nation politics. For most OF
them The Constitution has voiced an
approval as ardent and sincere as
any of his admirers could wish. That
he Las many elements OF strength as
personal quantity and party fac
tor we do not deny Under conditions
other than those the party must lace
in 1904 Mr. Cleveland might be prop
erly regarded as d great enough dem
0crat and strong enough in doubtful
sections to be our most available can
didate
But Mr. CLEVELAND has had his sec
ond term and to propose 10r him a
third-term nomination is to fly heed
lessly into the race OF a settled po-
liticll law and invite defeat where
success might otherwise De possible
Ii would instantly ALLEVIATE from tine
democracy the SYmpathieS OF nun
dreds of thousands of genuinely dem
ocratic and independent voters whose
ballots are essential 10 the party S
success.
IL
pean eruptve nations, or South Amer
lean riotridden republics. In them
princes and presidents rise and iall by
revolutions in arms The eWled ruler
of Yesterday may become the recalled
sovereign of tomorrow. Americans
abhor two political ideas-the hered-
itv of power and the indispensahility
of any mans personality in public al
fairs. The substance Of the whole doc
trine paramount for century and q
quarter is in the words of Garfield:
The president Is dead. but the GOV
eminent at Washington stil lives
TO nominate Mr. Cleveland in 1904
would be TO put the club Of Hercules
in the hands Of the republicans. ON
this third-term stalking horse they
could load all their sCandalOus and UNI
American policies and ride 10 victory
without any serious obstruction, Some
men say at was the republicans who
first proposed a third term, in Grant S
case but The repul ii ans can reply
truly. But we refused it even to him.
and the Chicago Old Guard of 30G is
forgotten among us
Neither Mr.. Cleveland nor any other
man in any political party i'll our
Judgment. can break down the popu-
lar prejudice against third-termism
which is a large span iowa impe-
rialism and be elected third time
to the presidency.
Let those VINO wish to become
registered on the roll Of faith
ful democrats abjuro instantly this
mushroom thiru-tcrm talk and com
bjne in the great patriotic duty
of bringing all wise opponents Of
republicanism into a solid phalanX.
Then it should be easy for the i'm
minence Of victory to produce the man
of the hour-the democrat whose rec
ord as such is unqucstionabic whose
loyalty to the party in any event is
unimpeachablc. and whose wisdom.
prudence and patriotism viii guar
antee him to honest reform voters as
the Cincinnatus Of the first national
emergency of the twentieth century.