The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1912-05-23
Originated With Constitutional
Convention Of 1887. q.
Later Sentiment.

to have had the effect that might have
been expected in strengthening the
feeling in favor Of the ineligibility for
which he pleaded. But in 1914 a ma.
tional convention put into it's platform
resolution advocating "a single term
Tor the presidency" This was the con.
ventlon that nominated Henry Clay. It
was the forerunner of similar action
IN four subsequent conventions.
The first Of these was held just TWEEN.
ty years later, the convention of radi.
cal opponents of Lincoln that met at
Cleveland in 1864 and nominated Ere.
mont for president by reclamation. The
tenth plank Of it's brief platform read
as follows: #-.,
That the one term policy for the presi-
dency adopted by the people is strength
ened by the force of the existing crisis
and should be maintained by constitution
nj amendments.
In Two Party Platforms.
Eight years later the idea found ex-
preston in the platforms of two par
ties. The Labor Reformers, meeting at
Columbus, resolved:
That as both history and experience
teach us that power ever seeks to perpet-
uate itself by every and all means and
that Its prolonged possession in the hands
OF one person is always dangerous to the
interests of a free people, and, believing
that the spirit Of our organic laws and
the stability and safety of our free insti-
tutlons are best obeyed on the one hand
and secured on the other by a regular
constitutional change in the chief Of the
country at each election, therefore we are
In favor of limiting the occupancy Of the
presidential chair to one term
The Greeley convention of the same
year had a long plank upon the SUBJ
ject, alleging the scandal and re-
proach upon free institutions that the
civil service had become under the ad-
ministration of Grant and declaring
that to the end that "the Offices Of the
government cease to be a matter of
arbitrary favoritism and patronage
it is imperatively required
that no president shall be a candidate
for reelection" Greeley himself pre-
pared a historical review and argu-
AANAC OIA CuC SOUJSCC, CdllCu CuO KILL
ciple of the Single Term"
Latest Demands,
The latest repetition of the demand
for one term was that made by the
Peoples party in it's convention of
1892. Subjoined to it's platform Of
that year was series Of resolutions
which. it was explained, were to be
regarded not as a part of the platform,
but as expressive Of the opinion Of the
party. The humor in this distinction
seems to have escaped it's makers.
The eighth of these ''opinions" read:
Resolved, That we favor a constitution
al provision limiting the office of president
and vice president to one term.
And, finally, Mr.. Bryan announced
that if elected he would serve but one
term. The question does not seem to
have arisen in connection with the i'll
fated attempt to nominate ex-President
Grant for a third term in 1880. In
that struggle. however, the point was
of eligibility not for second term, but
third. There was apparently more
opposition to second term in the
Philadelphia convention than there has
been since. The feeling expressed
against it in the party platforms Of
1914, 1864, 1872 and 1892 was in some
of these cases at least evidently the
offspring of violent desire to sup
plant the party in control and cannot
be regarded as representative of
widespread and bipartisan conviction.
Even President Taft was obviously
provoked by most extraordinary and
indeed unprecedented situation.
The arguments upon the question
leave one in the air. On the one hand,
single term is declared to invite the
most selfish use of it in order to secure
its benefits before they fade forever.
On the other hand, it is replied that
single term takes away the temptation
to misuse the Office in order to obtain
reelection to it. - 49,
+ + +