The Blackfoot optimist. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1907-1918, 1912-04-25

no baSelo0S fancy. 1t u . truth dem
onstrated By human history. From q
chief magistracy Of more than two
terms the nation would be insensibly
carried, by the Vaccinations Of able
and INSCRIPTIONS leaders, to q chief
magistracy Of several terms or to q,
life office. The power of the President
growing by what 1t fed on. would In
this succession Of terms easily trans
cend the limits fixed by the Constitu-
ton. And BY gradual and natural
transition the Presidency would be-
come a dictatory or Caesarism.
We have seen all this happen in
Mexico in our own generation. And
the recent revolution in that country
and the present instruction are the
blind groupings of the nation to recover
its lost liberties. The same thing hap
pened in Rome over two thousand
years ago. The Roman Republic was
destroyed by the removal Of the anci-
ent limit Of the term Of the Chief Mag
istrate The proposal to nominate Mr..
Roosevelt fer third term Is an in
vitation to the American people to en-
ter upon the career Of modern Mexico
and ancient Rome.
But would you limit the freedom Of
the people? II they desire Mr.. Roose-
velt for President, shall they not have
him? Who is to say them nay? Shall
not the people rule?
It is not the first time that liberty
has been destroyed in the name Of dem.
ocracy. 1t is, indeed, in the people,
power to choose whom they will for
President. But having chosen, it IL
not in the power Of the people to al.
ter the consequences Of their act.
Whether we will or not, the remov-
al Of the two-term limit to the Presid-
sncy tends to transform republicanlsm
into Caesarian government. Do the
American people want this result? The
way to avoid it is to retain the res
friction which salutary and APPROX
ed custom has put upon the Presidents
term Of office and also the limita-
tons which our noble Constitution has
imposed upon his activities. Tho way
to introduce Cas- sarism is to lengthen
the Presidents period of service; this
will Of itself lead to an increase OF his
powers and the establishment of 4
oneman rule. There are two courses
open to the American people. They
are free to choose either But the
laws of nature and history will force
upon them the inexorable consequences
of whichever alternative they adopt
Whoever votes for third term by nee
essary implication votes for Caesarism
There is no other issue in our republic
more fundamental than the mainten-
ance OF the present limited period of
office for the Chief Executive. Hence
II the Republican party were to nomin-
ate Mr. Roosevelt next June in Chica-
60. it is safe to predict that the anti
third-term sentiment Of the American
people must inevitably lead to a split
in the party. No other course would
so certainly ensure the election of q
Democratic President. At the same
time the organization of the Republi-
can party would pretty certainly fall
into the hands Of the radicals, who
had secured the nomination for their
candidate.
This raises the question Of the place
Of radicalism in q Republican platform
In tho past the party has not been
radical If it championed liberty it al
30 enforced justice and protected prop
erty. and everywhere and always it
revered the Constitution. Since the
Civil War, with the exception Of Glove
lands admistration, the Republican
party has been responsible for tho gov.
ernment Of the country. 1t has been
half century Of orderly progress. Of
expanding liberty regulated by law, Of
natural constitutional development with
jealous regard to States rights and
Natchful maintenance of the indepond
ence and efficiency, each within its
the legislative and the judicial depart
ments Of the Federal Government.
There has been \ protective tariff in
tended to encourage business and safe
guard the interests of the wage earn.
srs. the manufacturers and the farm
ers. The country has prospcred boy
ond any other country in the world.
Since trusts have appeared laws have
been enacted and enforced to protect
consumers against monopoly and bust
ness rivals against unfair competition
The tariff. which has from time to
time been revised. still needs to be
better adapted to existing economic
conditions. And the antitrust ! aw
should be supplemented by further leg
islaticn providing for the Federal in
corporation Of large concerns doing an
intsrstata business and determining
more definitely the critsria Of illegal
practices. 90 that business men may