The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-05-19
PROPOSE 4 6 YEAR PRESIDENTIAL TERM Would Take the President
 Out of Politics DIGNITY THE OFFICE Advocates of Measure Claim Present Unsightly Squabble Between Taft
 and Roosevelt Would Be Inn
DIGNITY THE OFFICE
l,y SIDNEY EspEY

Washington, May 1s.-(Special.)-A reso- lution to make the length of service Of the chief executive six years and give to a president but one term, has been intro- duced in the House by Representative Clayton, chairman of the committee on judiciary. The resolution was suggested, the author explained when he offered the resolution, by declaration made by Pres ident Taft in a recent speech. when he said a president ought not to be per- mitted to succeed himself.
 This resolution is now pending in com mittee. It probably will be taken up for consideration when the resolution of Rep resentative Henry. chairman of the com mittee on rules. to change the date of in- auguration from March to the last Thursday in April. is considered. It is the purpose of Chairman Clayton then to effcr his resolution as an amendment to that of Representative Henry, which has been favorably reported from the commit tee on the Judiciary.
 It is argued by the advocates of the one term measure that 1t would take the president directly out of politics after his election and preserve to the office of the tiitl cACNullNS Ol lilC tOQullN lI6 ul6 HAl9 and absence of political strife which. it is declared, the framers of the constitu- tion intended for it.
 That the office has been thrown from this high plane is declared to have proved by the developments of the present canf- paign for the republican nomination for the presidency. Advocates of the pomp and dignity that they declare should go with the office of the president, point to se ,hrrr rvft s4r s, favor of the six year term without suc- cession.
 They also deplore the fact that former president should find it necessary, in t>~ furtheranee of his political ambitions, to help to lower the dignity of the office by indulging in campaign of mud sling ing" as it is termed in the vernacular of the politician. Such campaigns, they say, have done much to lower the respect and reverence for the office, and they charge that should this state of affairs continue the highest office in the gift of the voters would be brought to the level of the low est elective offices.
 Consequently, friends of the movement are lining up their forces in the effort to get the resolution through Congress, de- claring it is time that the office of the president of the United States was free from the strife of political activity and lCSlOItu u tllt ilSl pOSilluil WHICH lHt fathers of the country intended 1t should occupy in the minds of the people.
 Another phase of the situation advanced by the supporters of the new legislation is that under present conditions the pres ident devotes too much time to the work of strengthening his political fences and in consequence neglects, to a great ex- tent. the business of the state with which he is charged.
 thic c f1of0tp1 ont ho the average president spends practically half of his first term in the endeavor to obtain his reelection for another period and has scarcely become cognizant with the workings of the office before he turns his attention to the prospects of re-eec- tion. In consequence, it is argued, a president serving two terms, really gives only about five years of the entire eight to the business of his office.
 With the political work to obtain re- election removed under the proposal of the one term amendment, It is declared, the incumbent of the White House will be free to devote his time to the real affairs of the office with no thought of building political fences to distract his attention. Again, it is pointed out, the feature of federal patronage would not enter into the troubles of the president and he would be free to name men for the various of- fees at his command with the thought only of their fitness and without pressure as to their political claims on the admin istration.
 This glowing, altruistic proposition, however, must be matched against the sentiment against change-so strongly marked in the capital. It is probable, therefore, that it will be strongly opposed by the reactlonaries and in the end suffer the fate of so many schemes involving a change in the constitution.