The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-01-31
The Presidential Term,

ihC resolution introduced in congress
Ivy Representative Fitzgerald Of Mas
saChusettS extending the presidential
term to six years and making presi-
dents hereafter ineligible to reelection
stands little show of adoption. Its
author being a. Democrat and the pres
ent executive a Republican, considera-
tion of it will naturally follow party
lines and it will be put to sleep ex-
pe1itiously in a committed room nj
geOn-hole
Nevertheless it embodies in ou, iuds
ment IA wise policy and one which will
some time prevail in this country. The
argument for a siX-year instead of a
fcur-ycar presidential term includes a
number of points. chief Of which is that
the change would involve 50 per cent.
economy in the wear and tear of presi-
Dental campaigns AS it is now, the
country hardly gets habituated to one
| condition in politics until another is
| thrust upon it in consequence of the
| growing fickleness of the multitude.
Counting the congressional elections,
| every other year is campaign year,
! which means that nearly half the time
| business is subject to disturbance and
public administration to the artificiality
and posing for effect by which the par
| ty leader prepares himself for the or
| deal of going again before the people
| The ferment of demaSogism, in other
words, leavens the whole lump: and
often the statesman who would be hon
est and candid and sincere is convinced
| by painful experience of the inex-
pediency Of such a course, and quietly
SuIrenders to the demands of politics,
hoping all the while that at some fu-
| ture time circumstances will so shape
| themselves as To enable him to be in
dependent-a hope which is rarely full
filled.
| From these premises il follows as a
logical conclusion that the president of
| the United States should be ineligible
to immediate reelection, We would
not make his inelisibility permanent,
but We would certainly put it out of his
| ability TO use the enormous power and
| influence of his position in more or
less concealed attempt to shape mat
| torS toward his Own denomination
The temptation to do this is believed TO
Ee beyond the strength Of the
average president to resist 1t prob
| ably is not temptation arising from
selfish motives wholly; often it takes
the form of a sincere belief that the
continuation of a given line of helpful
public policy requires the continuation
in office of the administration which
originated that policy. When such is
the fact we have the most dangerous
form of executive ambition, an ambi-
tion not consciously selfish yet willing
I" use the opportunities of the presi-
dental Office to prop up a personal
tenure. Such Il condition is invariably
productive Of weak appointments, die
tated rather 10y politics than by merit
Of timiaity and . certain trucking to
popular prejudice by the chief cXeCu-
tive; and most dangerous Of all, of a
den0raliZed state among subordinates
in office. who, recognizing the symp-
toms Of ambition in their chief at once
feel commissioned to work Desperately
for his reelection, expecting thus also
To prolung their own term of public
employment.
Six years Of a disappointing president
might scorch the popular patience, but
it would probably prove an instructive
object lesson.