Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-03-17
PERIL IN THIRD TERM
Former Senator Henderson
Sees Menace to Republic.
VETERAN GIVES HIS VIEWS
No Man Good Enough or Big Enough
to Serve Thrice.
WASHINGTON AND GRANT CITED
Sentiment of the Convention Which
Framed the Constitution-His-
tory of the Country.
WASHINGTON AND GRANT CITED

J. 3. Henderson, former senator from
Missouri. presiding officer at the republi-
can national convention in Chicago in
1854, attorney and constitutional lawyer,
is a vigorous opponent of the third-term
idea, whether 1t be the third consecutive
term, the third constructive term or any
other term by which q man may occupy
the presidential chair for three admins
trations.
81 am an old man." said Mr.. Hender-
son when interviewed at his home, Boun-
dairy Castle, by a Star reporter. Il am
eighty-six years Of age. I am losing my
strength: I am losing my health; my
sight is failing rapidly and I am now
almost blind. but, thank heaven. still
retain my common sense. and say that
no man, no matter who he is, is good
enough, or big enough, or unselfSh
enough to be trusted with third term
as President of the United States.
George Washington, the father of his
country, was not good enough; Thomas
Jefferson, the father of democracy, was
not good enough; James Monroe. father
of the Monroe doctrine, was not good
enough. In all the history of our coun-
try no man has arisen who was big
enough, good enough, unselish enough
10 be trusted with a third term as Presi-
dent: not even Washington himself, and
Washington himself said practically this
very thing
Opposed Grant in 1880.
In the campaign of 1880, when mis-
guided friends of Gen. Grant were en-
deavoring to secure for him a third
nomination for the presidency, Mr.. Hen
derson led a movement. originating in st.
Louis, to defeat the plan. The movement
spread rapidly all over the country, and
when the republican party met in national
convention the opposition to third term
was so strong, even for Grant, the idol
of the army and the hero of thousands
only few years removed from the scenes
of civil war, in which the Silent Man
had been the most commanding figure,
Grant failed to secure the nomination,
which was given to Garfield.
In March, 1880, Mr.. Henderson, adj
dressing an audience of more than 10000
persons in st. Louis. delivered speech
of two hours duration, in which he dis
cussed every phase Of the third term idea
In this speech he traced the antagonism
to a third presidential term from the time
of the Philadelphia constitutional cOnven-
ton down to the time of the address. Re
ferring to this memorable speech. which
newspapers all over the country, Mr..
Henderson said:
My stand on this question is the same
today as it was thirty-two years ago.
1t Is even more advanced today than 1t
was when / led campaign against a
third term for Gen. Grant / have given
the subject more thought and more study,
and have seen the changing conditions,
as regards population, under which our
country labors.
Subversion of Republican Principles.
Il am able more clearly to recognize
the dangers attendant upon a possible
third term for any President-a third
term and succeeding terms. leading. as
see it, to a total subversion Of republican
principles and the adjustment Of the
institutions of a free country-and 1 say
that no man lives who is to be trusted
with the opportunity to exercise such
power as would be possible with an I'M
limited succession of terms as President.
In the whole course of the constitution
al convention at Philadelphia" continued
Mr.. Henderson, there was no idea In the
minds of the deliberators other than that
the President should have at the most no
more than two terms. The mass of senu-
ment at that convention was In favor .of
a single term. opinion being divided as
to whether this term should be four
years, or six years.
When the hundreds of amendments
were given to the committee on form, to
be dressed into legal shape, the two-term
provision was Incorporated, and the con-
yention. in its haste to get away from
Philadelphia because of the overpowering
heat of the summer season, ratified the
instrument as it came from the committee
on form. That is the manner in which
the two-term provision, as applied to the
presidency. came to be incorporated In
the constitution.
No Man Deserves Third Term.
But, however deserving a President
may be of a second term, he does not
deserve third. nor should he be trusted.
no matter who he may be, with third
nomination or election to the presidency.
Such a course contains elements of danger
10 the republic which, / believe. cannot
be overestimated. 1t would, l fear, soon
reduce this nation to the level of Mexico,
or result in a complete change in the form
of government in which empire would be
substituted for republic"
pEpATE rACC DELAYED