Presidential Election

Feilding Star, Volume XIV, Issue 12, 16 July 1892, Page 4

Presidential Election

* ~ . i Anent the Presidential elections in ; the United States, the New York j Herald of a recent date says .— ' It is the peculiarity of our from of govern- ] ment that we deliberately inaugurate i a revolution every four years. This ; revolution is notfouly authorised, but made imperative by our federal constitution. It extends throughout the length and breadth of our political domain, affects our commercial interests, and rouses the enthusiasm of all classes. Once in four years we f discuss nothing but national policies, give ourselves up to controversy more or less heated, array ourselves in line of battle according' to conviction or prejudice or both, and engage in so fierce a fight that even an accident turns the the scales one way or the other. It also throws out of employment with the suddenness of an earthquake thousands of high and petty officials. The Cabinet officer is compelled to retire, the heads of departments prepare for a return to private life, and tbe smallest postmaster vacates his chair and his salary in lavour of some other appointee. During the progress of this revolution, this great cataclysm, this general upheaval, we indulge in the boundles, exercise of tree speech. The platforms and in some cases even the pulpit, thunders. We simply run riot during a Presidential election,- emphasise our views with caricatures, torchlight processions, masquerades, and the whole list of pastimes which constitute a) pandemonium. The stranger who visits us at such a time naturally supposes that the crack ol doom is close at hand, that this violence of popular feeling can only be overcome by marching the militia through the streets, that the Republic is on its lastlegs, hunting round for a grave in which to hide itself. There isn't a nation on the Continent which could hear the strain ot an entirely free speech, and there is no people in the world which could get excited as we do up to the first week in November, with thunder and lightning in the air, and in the course of 48 hours after- 1 Wards forget all a bout it and go abou; their business a s though nothing had happened.'