Weekly independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 1887-1914, 1912-09-27
THEN AND NOW

HN~SS
for a third term. the Chicago Irl-
buue bitterly opposed the move
ment After the republican con-
vention had refused General Grant
a third term nomination. medals
were struck for the 500 delegates
who voted for General Grant on
thirty-six consecutive ballots. The
Chicago Tribune at that time
ridiculed the "Old Guard" and its
medals and again denounced the
third term movement and the effort
which was made to confer an
honor upon General Grant which
had been denied TO all of his prcde-
cessOrs. Now. the Chicago Tribune
is advocating the election of Theo-
dore Roosevelt as president for a
third term. When the Chicago
Tribune was opposed to the third
term movement and when it
ridiculed the 800 medal-wearers it
printed the following editorial
under date OF July, 1882:
THE THIRD-TERM MEDALS.
TITLES and decorations have
never been regarded with favor by
, the people Of the United States.
The prejudice against baubles Of
this description was so decided in
the early DAYS Of the republic that
the trainers of the constitution in
serted in that instrument the pro-
vision that no title of NOBILITY shall
be granted by the United States,
and also that no person hOlding
any Office of profit or trust shall,
without the consent of congress,
accept any present emolument.
office or title of any kind whatever
from any King, Prince or foreign
state As a result Of this rule
and the practice of the people
which il has influenced, the number
Of persons is xceedinlgy limited
who 60 about with ribbons in their
buttonholes and medals hanging ON
the lapels of their coats. There
are some decorations which were
earned by gallant service in the
cause Of the Union to which the
Possessors may point with pride
and which they. may wear without
ostenation. There are Others
which denote foreign appreciation
of the American inventive faculty.
and testify to good service in tho
common cause of progress and for
the common benefit of mankind.
To these rare ana valuable spcci.
mems of decoration have now been
added the 800 medals which have
been distributed among the old
guard whirh stool out solidly for
Grant in the Chicago convention.
President Arthur will probably
wear his medal on state occasions
only and UPON u same principle
the Rev. MIR. Hicks may have
dOnned his for the first time yester-
day in assisting at the execution of
G%uitteau.
The notion of celebrating the
defeat of the third-term movement
by the distribution Of medals
among tho @ who sustained It was
not altogether happy. though
happier for the American people
than il the aforesaid medals celc-
brated the success of that move
men:. Just how the possessurs of
these medals are going to take n
pride in them is not easy to under
stand. They represent an idea
which vas condemned nv the
Americna people. viz: the proposed
invasion of the solemn precedent,
against a third term in the presi.
dental Office. Further than this,
they represent an element in
American politics which has been
visited with equal popular cor.
demnatiOn-th the ellmcnt Of bossism.
The success Of the third-term move.
ment depends upon the manipula-
tion and contr5l of the conventions
OF three prcat states-New York
Pennsylvania and Illinoi,. Tho
respective bosses did their work
! thoroughly and m~arshalled their
delegates in the Chicago conyen.
ton under lronclsd instructions.
There they encountered n fore.
stronger than the political ma,hio.
cry under their control. Il was tbc
force Of the popular will cxer,cd
partly through the Representatives
of the people and partly through
the various channels UbicL iii