New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-06-25
MORE FAVOR ONE TERM
j. Hampden Dougherty Thinks 6
Years Enough for President.
WOULD BE HELP TO BUSINESS
G. H, Strong Says People Won't
Tolerate Another Convention
Controlled by Politicians.

NN%AN1 VIM -
New York expressed themselves yesterday
as In sympathy with The Tribune's advo-
cacy OF a single six-year term for the
| President OF the United States, emphaslz-
! ing especially the point that 1t would free
the incumbent Of the highest Office in the
land from the necessity of taking the stump
to defend himself against political attacks
and would relieve him Of the great temp
| taton now besetting him to shape his ad-
mlnistration to please the politicians rather
than for the good of the people as a whole.
! ], Hampden Dougherty, the lawyer and
authority OH constitutional subjects. put
the matter in a nutshell when he said:
! Under single term OF six years the
| President would really be less the Presi-
dent of the politicians and bosses and more
of his party and the people"
! Charles II. Strong president Of the City
! Club. said that he favored the change TO
single term for the obvious reason that
| II tended TO enable the occupant Of the
| White House to form and execute p stable
| policy with a single regard to the welfare
Of the nation. So far as the personal am
| billions Of the incumbent of the office were
! concerned, he pointed out they would be
more surely promoted under such circum-
stances II he acted throughout his term
without regard 10 his own personal fort
unes.
Would Keep Presidential Primary.
| ION the other hand" remarked Mr..
Strong. II regret the consequence which
would follow. that We should be unable 10
re-elect a great President. but the evil at
! tendant upon this is far less than that at
tendant upon the present successive terms"
Mr. Strong proposed at the same time
that the preferential Presidential primaries,
or some similar system Of popular control,
he so improved and extended as 10 be made
permanent feature OF the electoral ma
chnery He did not believe that the people
would tolerate a return 10 conventions con-
trolled by politicians. Such reform, of
course, would mean that the country would
go through two nationwide elections with
each Presidential election-one in the spring
and the other IN November.
1T would be bad enough to have that
every six years." remarked the City Clubs
president, "and anything tending to reduce
/ the number Of such elections would be re-
I al
| troll Of nominations would reduce the fear
OF government by class or by politicians
which would be felt II the provision for
six-year term should be made without
| such popular control"
| Mr.. Dougherty recalled the fact that the
idea OF A single Presidential term was not
new, having been advocated in various
forms at the Philadelphia convention Of
1857. He continued:
II am strongly inclined 20 n six-year
term, and were the President ineligible 10
| detection II would be a decided improve
ment on existing methods and a gain 70
business stability. A President holding Of
fee for one term would. IL the right sort OF
man. devote his energies 10 the business Of
his Office and not be tempted TO curry favor
with political bosses. In making appoint
ments he would be free from many OF the
temptations 10 which Presidents eligible to
two terms are subject
End Worry from Politicians.
General Garfield said shortly after he
was seated in the White House that while
! in the House OF Representatives he had
| been in the habit OF dealing with great po-
| litical questions, but that as President his
time was absorbed in political appoint
ments many OF them comparatively inslg-
nihcant. A change IN the length OF tenure
to six or seven years. not more, would
probably free the President from many Of
the annoyances 10 which he is subjected to-
day through the insistence Of politicians
Charles T. Flint, Of No % Broad street,
remarked that each political campaign was
In measure an educational campaign for
the public, but II disturbed business and
| would be more welcome at less frequent IN
tervals The slx-year term worked very
| we'll in a number OF Laun-Amcrcan states,
he said, and he understood that the new
republic OF China would adopt II. Six years
were enough, he thought. for any man OF
| energy TO establish any policy worth while.
Mr.. Flint differed from George Maccul-
loch Miller, who argued on the preceding
day that this was bad time TO bring up
such a discussion because Of the number OF
other things needing attention. Now was
the proper and best time, said Mr.. Flint.
because the people had recently witnessed
the disadvantages OF the reignlng system
and public opinion was turning against IT,
Silas b. Brownell was the only man found
Yesterday who argued that the present sys-
tenn was good enough. II had worked we'll
enough for more than a century, he said,
and he didn't see why any constitutional
improvement was needed.
People know how to act now" Mr..
Brownell maintained. 81 don't believe in
this method Of enforcing righteousness by
statute"
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