Year: 1873

enough to carry General Grant to the White House
for two terms. II Is very doubtful whether II can
do the same thing for him third time"


CRAMPS HARD SENSE.


els there, In your opinion, Mr.. Reid, growing
feeling OF Indifference among the people OF the
nation As to the political future Of the govern
mentf" asked the HERALD representative.


"UndeubtedIy. One Of the results Of the great
war has been to blunt the popular sense OF indi-
vidual rights. We have grown accustomed to see-
ing the government exercise extraordi-
nary prerOgatives and have grown in
dinerent to violations OF law by heads of
departments. Twelve years ago such stretches
OF authority as the Treasury Department has
been guilty Of in regard to the Syndicate would
have driven out the Secretary, II not led to his i'm
peachment. Then, there is no doubt that q good
many people-especialy capitalists who are
always timid and cOnservative-are entertain
ing even more than heretofore dislike to the
element OF change, which Is essential feature Of
republican institutions Probably most of them
would be very angry II told they were opposed to
repubicanism itself; but in effect that is what
their opposition to change leads to. Too many OF
our hnanciers, railroad men and manufacturers
want strong, stable and permanent government,
and are not OverscrupulOus as to the means by
which 1t is attained"


'WnO are the thrd.term people 7"


"Frst OF all the ofice-ho The men who
make money under an existing administration,
whether OF the government or OF any particular
department. are always opposed to change in 1t.
II there is corruption going on in any particular
department you may be sure that the corruption
ists win fill all the avenues to the public ear with
denunciations OF the marpl0ts who want to make
disturbance. The earthworms, snugly ensconced
under q stone, don't like to be lett wrfggling in
sunlight by having k turned over"


"Do you believe Grant himself is at work for
third terms''


mot actively. Probably he has hardly acknowl
edged to himself yet that he would like IT, but he
is surrounded by toadies and natterers, who
will lose no opportunity OF whispering in
his ear the things which they think
1t would be pleasant for him to
listen to. He doubtless has plenty of third
term talk. and may be willing enough to have the
o1ice- holders see what they can do towards feeling
the public pulse But he has scarcely an element
OF the usurper in him. In your sense he has not
the first trait Of a Cesar, scarcely even the am
bitiOn. Besides although not at all such great
man as the mass of the people believe him, he is
immensely more able than many OF his opponents
have supposed. He has plenty OF hard horse
sense, and before the spring of 1875 he will have
discovered that the people will not tolerate the
presumption Of q third term. No doubt, however,
he Will want to name his successor, and about the
man whom he favors you may be sure Of two
things-he Will be q military man, and he will not
be the present head OF the army. Meantime, when
Morton and company get that idea fairly active in
their heads, there will be q chance for some very
pretty spectacles in the way OF new political
combinations.