Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-05-03
DRAWING 4 PARALLEL
Movement in 1875 to Give
Grant q Third Term Recalled.
RESOLUTION OF THE HOUSE
Only Eighteen Votes in Favor Of Pro-
posed Nomination.
ATTEMPTED AGAIN IN 1880
o@ceholders and Administration Dis
pensers Largely Responsible
for the Clamor.

Apropos Of the activity Of the Roosevelt
third term workers, some Of the old-time
republican politicians are recalling chap
ter Of political history bearing upon q
third term movement Of the past. The
story Of that affair makes interesting read
ing in connection with present-day poll
tics, and some significant parallels are
drawn.
December Is, 1875, being the first session
Of the Forty-fourth Congress. Mr.. Springer
OF Illinois arose in his place in the House
and offered the following resolution:
Resolved, That in the opinion Of this
House the precedent established by Wash
fngton and other presidents Of the United
States in retiring from the presidential
Office after their second term has become
by universal concurrence q part Of our
republican system of government, and that
any departure from this time-honored Gus
tom would be unwise. unpatriotic and
fraught with peril to our free institutions"
Only Eighteen for a Third Term.
Without debate the question was put and
the resolution was adopted by a vote Of
2s3 to Ii; not voting, 80. The names of
those voting and not voting were spread
on the record.
The situation which brought about this
against third term was this: President
Grant was approaching the end of his sec
ond term and the time was drawing nigh
Tor the republicans to get ready for their
was a great clamor for Grant for a third
term, the ofdceholding class leading the
shouting then as now. President, Grant
himself had no idea that he would run
again, but he was man of few words
ana said nothing about 1t publicly. But
the ofdceholders were whoopfng it up, and
from the noise they made 1t appeared as If
there must be great demand in the coun-
try for a third term.
The House at that time was democratic.
MI. Kerr Of Indiana being Speaker and Mr..
Blaine of Maine the leader of the minority
Mr Springer, from Grants own state was
prominent among the democrats, and be-
neved that he was expressing the sentiment
OF the state in opposing the third-term
idea. It Is significant to note that Mr.
springers resolution was supported by
some OF President Grants best friends in
the Illinois delegation. Horatio C. Burch-
ard, representing Grants district, voted
aye, as did Gen. Thomas ]. Henderson,
Gen. Fort and other great Illinois men
In the vote at large. Garfield, Hale and
Frye OF Maine, Hoar of Massachusetts
and Blair were among the prominent men
who voted aye. Blaine and Cannon did
NOT vote, out the record does not show
Analysis Of the eighteen votes cast in
opposition to the resolution, and therefore,
In favor OF the third term, is very signifi-
cant. Ten Of the number were southern
republicans, some of them "carpet-bag-
gers" holders Of federal-appofnted offices
In the south at some time. They included
such men az g. Wiley Wells Of Mississippi.
a New Yorker, who after the war settled
States district attorney IN Mississippi. His
biography in the Directory Of that day
stated that he had been elected to the
Forty-fourth Congress as IAN a1ministra-
ponnhltran aQpfn9f A HoEa N
Ames republican There was also Hoge
of South Carolina, who came from Ohio.
and had been associate Justice and after
ward controller OF the state OF South Caro-
lima under reconstruction. There was Wal
lace Of South Carolina, who had been
internal revenue collector.
The eighteen men who voted for the
third term were as follows: Bradley, Michi-
gan; Denison, Vermont: HARRISON, Ala
bama; Hoge. South Carolina: Hubbell,
Michigan; Hyman, North Carolina; Lynch.
Mississippi; McDougall. New York: Nash,
Maine; Pratt, Iowa; smalls. South Caro-
lima; Wallace, South Carolina; Walls,
Florida; Wells, Mississippi; White, Ken
lucky. and Whitney, Illinois.
Responsible for the Shouting.
That array Of southern republicans tells
the story Of much Of the origin Of the
clamor for the third term, and 1t is signif-
cant to note that great deal of the
shouting for the third term today comes
from the administration patronage dis
pensers in the southern states.
Everybody knows what followed The
national convention was held at Cincinnati;
Ingersoll made his "plumed knight" speech
proposing Blaine and Hayes captured the
nomination. Grant went around the world,
and four years later came up again with
the plea that the interim which had elapsed
prevented the charge of third term can
didacy, but even then there was such a
strong sentiment against anything that
savored of a third term that the Chicago
Tribune threw its great strength against
Grant. Conkling made his eloquent speech
at Chicago nominating Grant, and the i'm
mortal "3O6' went down to defeat, while
Garfield carried of the prize.