East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1912-10-01
OPPOSED 3RD TERM:
NOW ADVOCATES 1T.

Chicag0.-When the republican
party proposed 20 nominate General
Grant FOR a third term. the Chicago
Tribune bitterly opposed the move
ment After the republican conyen-
ton had refuses General Grant 4 third
nomination. medals were struck FOR
the 50G delegates who voted for Cen
eral Grant on thirty-six consecutive
ballots The Chicago Tribune al that
time ri6icuied the "Old Guard" and
it's medals and again denounced the
third term movement and the effort
which was made 20 confer an honor
upon General Grant which had been
denied 20 all Of his predecessors
Now. the Chicago Tribune is adyocat-
ing the election Of Theodore ROOse-
welt as president for third term.
When the Chicago Tribune was Op-
posed 10 the third term movement
and when St ridiculed the 30s medal
wearers 81 printed the following ed
itorisl under date Of July /. 1852:
The Thlrd-Term Medals.
TITLES and decorations have never
been regarded with favor by the peo-
dice against baubles Of this descrip-
t.on was 50 decided in the early days
% the republic that the trainers Of
the constitution inserted In that in
strument the provision that no title
Of nobility shall be granted by the
United States and also that no per-
son holding any office Of profit or
trust shall. without the consent Of
congress accept any present, emoulu-
ment. office. or title Of any kind what
ever from any king. prince or foreign
state As a result Of this rule and the
practice Of the people which II has
Influenced. the number " persons is
exceedingly limite who 90 about with
ribbons IN their bUtt0nholes and med
ais hanging on the lapels 0f their
coats There are some decorations
which were earned by gallant service
iu the cause Of the union 20 which
the pOssessOrg may point with pride
and which they may wear without Os-
tentati0n. There are others which de-
note foreign appreciation Of the Am
erican inventive faculty and testify
20 good service in the common cause
Of progress and for the common bene-
git Of mankind. To these rare and
valuable specimens Of decoration have
now been added the 30G medals which
have been distributed among the
old guard which stood out solidly for
Grant in the Chicago convention.
President Arthur will probably wear
his medal on state occasions only,
and upon the same principle the Rev.
Mr. Hicks may have doned his for
the first time yesterday In assisting
q, the execution Of Guiteau.
The notion Of celebrating the de-
feat Of the third-term movement by
the distribution Of medals among those
who sustained II was not altogether
happy, though happier for the Am
erican people than II the aforesaid
medals celebrated the success Of that
movement. Just how the pOssesors
Of these medals are going to take any
| pride In them Is not easy 10 under
stand. They represent an idea which
was condemned by the American peo-
| pie, viz. the proposed invasion Of the
solemn precedent against third
term In the presidential office Fur
ther than this, they represent an ell
ement In American politics which
/ has been visited with equal popular
condemnation-the element Of boss
| ism The success Of the third-term
movement depended upon the man
! ipulation and control Of the conven-
! tiOns Of three great states-New York.
/ Pennsylvania and Illinois. The re-
| spectFe bosses did their work thor
Oughly and marshalled their dele
gates in the Chicago convention under
/ ironclad Instructions There they en-
countered force stronger than the
/ political machinery under their con-
I troll It was the force Of the popular
will, exerted partly through the rep
resentatives Of the people and partly
| through the various channels which
| public sentiment. uses % reach any
particular object. The convention Of
the people said to the New York AMI
| Pennsylvania delegates that they had
the right TO vote az they pleased, ac-
cording TO the preferences Of their
constituents and the dictates Of their
own consclences, and it opened the
doors TO the Illinois district delegates
whom the boss system would have ex-
cluded. Thus the third termism was
beaten and all that Is left Of It now
IL the brass medal which denotes its
failure.
"If these 300 medals were designed
to mark any distinguished service to
the country or In any way 10 memo
rialiZe General Grants eminent claims
upon the American people, they would
command universal respect. But they
are calculated. and we fear designed
TO prolong the bitterness Of fac
tional struggle, and on that account
they are not and can never be an hon
or to those who parade them. For
the rest they are puerile tokens Of
spleen and sitefulness. and will never
rise to the dignity Of a place in the
numismatic collections"