As it was, a large majority of the delegates from the five States named was not unfriendly to the Administration candidate.

These delegates voted for their "favorite sons" simply because they knew that in doing so they were not antagonizing the administration.

There never was a time, therefore, when they could have been united upon any one candidate in opposition to the one that had at his back the powerful support of the Administration.

Our government has reached that point in its growth, where it is not only possible, but comparatively easy, for an administration to secure the nomination of the one by whom it desires to be succeeded,--especially under the present system of electing delegates.

It was in anticipation of this, and to prevent any one man from perpetuating himself in power, that Washington established the precedent against a third successive term.
If the advocates of this proposed change are to be believed, and if they wish to be consistent, they should include the National Committee.