The Washington herald., 1906-11-01
THE THIRD TERM QUESTION.
Private DaIzeu Replies 10 Gen.
GrOsveROr.

1 have read Gen. Charles IL Gaosvenor's
ingenious argument intended 10 prove
/ that there Is no constitutional OF Other
legal impediment IN the way Of a third
term in the Presidency. It's implication
as I understand ia. is that if a convention
/ or tho people choose TO nominate and
elect the same citizen three terms they
can do IL al of which is perfectly true.
though they never set did and never
viii ] know OF no law against Il. and ]
am convinced by the argument COM
pletely Tor il Is like all the generals
writings, based on the fullest available
information from history and Iaw, and
absolutely correct in every detail.
Gen Grosvenor has been my near
neighbor and friend in Ohio for more
I than forty years, and I have never heard
him speak or read any Of his writings
that have not been highly entertained
and Instructed. I believe that every in
/ tciligent and nprejudiced citizen in Ohio
would bear the same testimony 10 his
distinguished merits, as both author ana
orator He leaves no l0Oph0les-no one
can come back at him. or controvert his
deliberate statements once published, for
he Is always careful To so fortify him
cOntrOverSiOn is out Of the question
The general and / served in the Ohio
| legislature at the same time. from 1876
10 ISIS, when Re was speaker And the
very same question that he now SO ably
discusses came I'D for consideration al
over the country at that time, and his
argument was precisely the same then
as now, as / clearly remember. I mean.
OF course. the third term question, as
Grant s second term was closing in 1876
Like good many other Republicans, I
was strongly opposed 60 a third term then
ana still am, and always Will be- To that
enc l offered q resolution in the legisla-
tuTc in the winter Of 1876. opposing the
third term idea in strong words. and II
passed almost unanimously.
Gen. Gr0sveu0r took the other side. and
as ne was speaker, and I was far his in
terior IN learning and forensic force. and
If IL had not been for the powerful trend
OF popular opinion at that time. hostile
TO a third term (as 1t still Isl my resolu-
ton would surely have failed Of adoption.
As Il was. it settled the question in ohio.
and no more was heard Of Il then untn
ISS0 when Grants friends forced it again
upon the country. and, after hard fight.
il was again decided adversely TO a third
term in conventions, State aud national.
and to that extent only became. I'm A
sense, The settled law Of the land for all
time, as much as il embodied in organic
law It is settled question for ali time
Is 1t not str5aV. that the largest Der.
sonage our history has produced, the i'm.
mortal Washington, as a matter of fact
was permitted to retire at the end of his
second term, and not a single vote cast
d 10 oil
ADAMS his successor? He didn't want a
third term. and said so, and meant It.
and the people. as mass, agreed with
him. and let him retire,
The next largest figure, Grant, put the
third term question to the test. and.
though over 800 delegates, almost half
OF the national convention, voted for him
Ialthtuliy, from day TO day, though the
greatest struggle ever witnessed in anv
convention Grant and the third term
were voted down, and the man who op-
posed it made President.
l submit that it is begging the ques-
ton little. and a bit historically tech
nieal TO assert that the anti-third term
principal Is not completely settled by
these two notable examples-the only
ones in our history where the question
arose. In-no other case was the proposi-
ION made to re-elect a twO-term Presi-
dent. II the end OF a second term, but
whenever the question was made, it was
promptly decided adversely by the unmIs
taxable voice and vote Of the American
people. il Washington and Grant could
not be chosen d third term, who in all
our future history can be, unless the
miracle happen that a greater arise,
J. N. DALZELL.