Arizona republican., 1913-02-02
WhateUer iS W0rth dOing ct aH IS 1OOyth doing WeH.
 ---Earl of Chesterfield.
The Limited Presidential Term

States was ever proposed with less than the amendment contained in the Works resolution adopted by the yesterday, limiting the presidency to a single of years It is accusation of the inability of the people O govern themselves It a proposal to impose an additional constitutional restraint upon them at a time when seeking freedom, by amendment restraints, proper in their time, but now hin- dering development. The Works resolution is therefore, reactionary.
 The only argument offered in favor of the pro- posed amendment is that it would leave the in cumbent free transact the business which he was elected He would have incentive to struct national political machine bring about his succession. This argument conveys distrust the intelligence of the people, the records be without foundation
 No president has yet been able succeed him self by the use the machinery winch he had ere ated for that purpose Grover Cleveland failed in 1888 President Harrison the who made improper of his power, his nomination upon his party and was overwhelmingly defeated. Forgetful of that disaster, the republican party just twenty years later forced candidate upon willing majority. It will be than twenty years before the leaders of the party will forget what hap pened last November
 The renomnation of every other candidate for the sixty years has been spontaneous. Lincoln Grant, Mckinley and Roosevelt though naturally supported by who holding office under them, yet favortes the party which stood loyalty by them the polls
 The people, therefore, never having failed in this respect though thrice tested reason why it should be feared that they will sometime fail that a humiliatng and unhealthy restraint should be put upon them.
 There is a strong and unanswerable argument against the proposed amendment. Six years may be short a for the execution of a program an % a tern the carrying the policies which have been approved by majority of the people. Pres- dent Roosevelt in the midway of a great con structive program. the end of a year term obliged to relnquish the work which went for time under the impetus which he had given it and then brought to standstI. Do not req sonabe believe that this country would now be farther advanced if Colonel Roosevelt could have pursued his program four years more?
 Though this is conspicuous instance, it is by means solitary It has seldom happened that the policies of any national administration have been pursued by a succeeding Thus, construction has uniformly been left in uncom- peted state. Our national fabric has been made to resemble some ancient cathedral whose construc yet unfinished, under the supervision O generations of architects of many schools and 
 A far better way to provide against the evils feared by the advocates of the Works resolution would be found in the adoption by the nation of the following clause of the national progressive platform:
 Tn particular the party declares for direct primaries for the nomination of state and national officers nation wide preferential primaries for the presidency, the direct election of United States by the people, and we urge the states the policy of the short ballot with responsibility to the people secured by the initiative, referendum and recall"
 No presidential candidate could them be forced upon unwilling party. The people would not then be restrained either by limited presidential term by "unwritten law" against the reten- tion a president in office until his work should be finished.