Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1912-07-25
WORD WITH THIRD TERI. ~,
RORISTS,
(From the Brooklyn f..

NEioih INC brooklyn fa-.
The Eagle has discussed am
the Idea OF the third term more
and more often, this campaign than any
, other journal. We have regarded it as q
danger to our system of government. and
do so regard 1t.
This view has been resented by not a
few Of our younger readers, for whose
spiritedness we have respect, but for
whose judgment not. They say that oppo.
sition to and dread OF third term imply
reflection on the capacity Of each gen.
GRAFTON to take care of itself. Well. let
that be considered: Many preceding gen.
erations took care OF this one. BY the
past. not In the present, government by
consent Of the governed was established
among men. BY the past, not In the pres
ert. trial by jury was put beyond repeal.
BY the past. not in the present. the writ
of habeas corpus was made invoilabfe In
times OF peace And by that past was es-
tabltshed freedom of the press, Of discus
sion. Of assemblage. OF petition. with lib
erty to buy, to sell and to travel
doubtless this generation could have
won these rights. just as doubtless now
they could not % deprived Of them But
unquestionably they owe them to the men
Of the past and should be mindful of
the obligation. The men of the past in
achieving them for themselves beuueathed
them to those who should come after
| them. These rights as legacy inure to
millions compared with the thousands by
| whom they we're acquired. The Declare.
ton Of independence and tn, Constitution
did not originate them. They only claim
ed them as our own and organized them
into our government for ourselves and
our posterity.
Our cocky young friends at this poin,
remind the Eagle that In all this is no
prohibition of a third term That is So,
but there are facts to show that In all
this and in other facts is the belief OF
The Fathers there should be no third
term and would not be- Washington re-
fused a third term. Every President since
Washington has repealed the idea Of
third term except two. Grant, a great
soldier. was willing to allow desperate
politicians to try TO get 1t for him. They
failed and he wrote he was glad they
failed Roosevelt. not a great soldier.
Is trying to get third term for HIM
self. Soldiers both. unequal soldiers, but
soldiers. withal, each has against the
third term the example Of Washington
and the adherence to that example Of
every President from jefferson to Cleve-
land as to whom the idea Of a third term
was suggested. Characteristic of these
Presidents and OF Washington was a long
and wise far-sightedness our young
friends would do well to keep in mind
knowledge of the military spirit
when untemperei by the civil spirit
justified the belief that a third term
would tempt him wno obtained 1t and
would tempt the people who awarded
1t to put the military above the crvic
power. as the case is in Mexico, in
Central America ami in South Amer
lea. and as We trust never will be the
case In the United States. We regard
1t as fortunate. indeed, as most sig
nficant. that every essay toward q
third term in the United States has
| aroused an aversion ana a dread which
have defeated 1t. We hope that will
always be the case. and we have con-
hdence that the people and the States
wrll soon set prohibition Of more
than a single term ip the Constitu-
ton itself. incidentally, length aning
the one term from four to six years.
with no reelection. as could have
wisely been done at the start.
The term could we'll be lengt hened,
to reduce STRAIN on a term OF the pres
emit duration. 1t could we'll be made
incapable of repetition, to remove
from any president the temptation to
pervert his service AMI patronage to
the continuance of himself In place
and to stir in each party the growth
OF statesmen ft to make into presi-
dents. A result would be the rating
of statesmen on plane OF presiden-
tial eligibility with soldiers and the
impression hereafter on whatever
military chieftians were chosen presi-
dents OF the fact their sold!ershfp or
their instinct OF soldiershIp could we'll
be subordinated by them to an amhi-
ton for craftsmanship which Is .
nobler aspiration alike for nations and
for chief magistrates