| Show the third term tradition we all remember how the dominating power of conkling in new york ol of cameron in pennsylvania and 0 of logan in illinois extorted from the conventions vent ions of those states a demand for the nomination of grant how other states followed this lead how tile the friends of the movement were denounced as r and imperialists peria lists how they persisted in their effort to the very last how in tile the chicago convention they never cast less than ihan votes and once cast and how by their persistence they forced that compromise which resulted in the nomination of garfield all these things are still fresh in our memories a and nal being so it is not a little strange that a serious effort should be on oil toot foot to give a third term to gilr cleveland the tears fears which tormented tile the founders of the republic have long since vanished we do not believe that out our democratic institutions can ever be subverted by any occupant of the white house we stand in no dread that the lay day will come when some successful general or some unscrupulous politician will first seize the presidency and then use its great power to set up a lifelong life long dictatorship or establish a kingdom on oil the ruins of the republic lic yet there Is no reason to believe bi lieve that the old time antipathy to a third term is one whit less strong than it ever was any sane man will admit that the bank or the railroad company or the corporation of any sort eort that should dismiss a tiled and able president merely because the stockholders had twice placed him in the executive chair would deserve financial ruin no tendency in the business world Is more marked than the constant effort to find men preeminently eminently pre fitted to carry on cert certain ain lines of business and to place the management of such concerns entirely in their hands nut but the common sense rules which govern the selection of the president of a corporation do not apply in the election of a president of the united states our presidents are riot not chosen because of their fitness but because of their availability some are dark horses some are nominated because they alone can reconcile contending factions some because they can carry pivotal states others are forced on the voters by the machine in theory this la Is all wrong in practice no harm comes from it under our system of government we do not want we do 0 not need a president of extraordinary ability the average man Is good enough and for him two terms Is ample we want a strong government of the people by the people not lint it a government of the people by a strong ma man n and we ought not to tolerate anything which has even the semblance of heredity the advocates of a third term for mr cleveland will do well to remember the doctrine of the illustrious founder of their party that in no office can rotation bo be more expedient prof john bach mcmaster Alc Alaster cr in the Na vember F forum orum |
