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GRANT'S POSTMASTERS

There was much complaint on the part of the Democratic press that Grant's postmasters showed partiality in distributing newspapers to the advantage of the Republican editors. The charge brought by The Syracuse Courier was typical of what was said to be a general condition in many sections. The postmaster at Baldwinsville, according to The Courier, "kept back Demo- cratic papers and to some of the subscribers he delivered the copies a week after arrival and to others he did not deliver the papers at all but when a package of loyal newspapers reached him, the alacrity with which he flew around and put them in boxes was beautiful to behold." Such a condition has obtained, however, during the administrations of presidents other than Grant especially in the rural sections.

NO THIRD TERM FOR GRANT

In 1874 the editorial pages of American newspapers bristled with items about the possibility of a third term for Grant. The commotion, which is said to have been started by The New York Herald, announced that Grant was willing to set aside the prece- dent established by Washington and to accept a third term. If The New York Herald really started the matter, it threw a fire- brand among the Democratic sheets, which with surprising alacrity proceeded to denounce Grantism and " Third Termism." The Republican press was not so prompt to consider the ques- tion, but was later forced to take sides. Urged by friendly news- papers, Grant finally made known his position in which he said, "I do not want it any more than I did the first," but he added that the Constitution did not expressly restrict a president to two terms and that conditions might be such as to make it an im- perative duty to accept. The reply so divided the Republican press that many warm supporters of Grant in previous cam- paigns came out boldly and asserted that any departure from the custom set by Washington would be unwise and fraught with great peril to the American Republic. This revolt, aided by the Democratic journals, undoubtedly defeated the third nomination for Grant.