Imagine the poor editors if several people started abusing the frontpage.

This already happens now to an extent. One Monk frontpages a worthy node only to have it knocked off The Monastery Gates by a few careless frontpages by new Friars. Although this hasn't happened as much since Am I a power-mad Friar? was posted.

Not allowing the author to single handily frontpage their own nodes would probably reduce such cases though.