Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1904-10-25

Opening

In other words, a failure to demand
denomination would DO accepted a. a
confession OF the failure OF him and
his party To properly administer the
government, Thus II Is Incumbent
on 4 President at the end OF his term
"a again become a candidate for re
election even IL he does not want to,
and In a measure his party must nom
mate him even II he did not want
denomination. AS a matter OF TACT
this condition Of things has practical
ly established that the Presidential
service OF man Is eight
years. This fact, that the President
must secure denomination and re-elec-
ton compels him TO so conduct and
warp his administrative policies that
no viii remain In favor with the poll
ticians who are to renominate him
and also to cater TO the more tran
silent popular sentiment. No Presl.
dent since Washington that We know
OF has ever acted differently. No
man as mankind goes, can be expect.
ed to be at his best under such con-
dition of things. He may fairly be
expected TO be- at his worst. Poor
human nature Is not such that Pres
idents must be expected to cruelty
themselves for the unappreciated well
fare OF their supporters.
Representative Gaines OF Tennessee
has been making a historical study
Of the question OF one term for Pres.
idents, and points out that 1t was a
live question with the convention that
framed the constitution and has been
under discussion a good part Of the
time since.
Washington was inclined to retire
at the close OF his first term. because
as he said, 1t was more In keeping
with the peoples ideas OF their lib
erty and safety II Is well known
also that he was not ambitious Of pub.
lie office and that he remained In
Office because there was IN oyerpower-
ing demand for his services. He re-
fused . third term, and. by SO doing
established 4 precedent that has been
a. effective as q constitutional provis-
ion.
Jefferson favored making Presi.
dents ineligible for reelection after
ons term at the time when the adop-
tioa Of the constitution was nuder
discussion. and In spite of his own
reelection. he adhered to his original
view and reiterated It a. late as 1912.
In explaining conduct which seemed
et variance with his profession he
fill back upon the notion OF a vindica.
ti0a Tor the ccts of his administration.
We find. however. that In . letter
which he vrote In 1906. he shifted his
Groanl entirely, He said that he
At first Cor 4 single term Of seven
years. but that the service for eight
yeass with . power to remove at the
'e0l OF the first four came nearly to
his principle ~ corrected by exper-
oeoo.
President Jackson urged In several
Inessages that the Presidents ser.
vice should fe limited to i single
term. Clay was committed to the
sane idea by speech and letter, and
1t wal improved both by Clay and
Polk 10 the campaign Of 1874, and also
by the whig convention which nond-
mated Clay In May Of that year. The
question was a very live one then.
and It happened that from Jackson TOT
Lincoln no President was reelected.
After the war and toward the close OF
his term. and in speaking Of 1t. said
believe It has been very rar that
We have been able to elect a Presi-
deaf Of the United States who has
not been tempted 10 use the vast
powers intrusted to him according to
his own opinions to advance his re-
election.
Another thing: One OF the great
est curses Of American politics is the
spoils system. BY means OF their ap-
pointive power. from President down
to coroner. with a few exceptions,
public officials aspir to succeed them
selves, and as soon as they are elect
ed utilize the patronage OF office in
order to pay for favors rendered in
the past and expected to be obtained
In the future. A President who was
not by custom expected to secure Q
''vindication" by reelection would mo-
be under compulslon 10 use his ap
pointiye power In order to make him
self secure against the next nomina
Always Remember the Full Nam
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