The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1913-12-31
Continued from Monday. IntslAxenoer,
The Third Tenn Question

- inc lntrd Term Question.
My opponents during the campaign
had laid much stress upon my sup
posed personal ambition and intention
10 use the Office OF president % per
petuate myself In power did not
say anything on the subject prior TO
the election. as | did not wish to say
anything that could be construed into
promise offered as a consideration
IN order 10 secure votes. But on cleo
ton night, after the returns were in
issued the following statement.
lhe wise custom which limits the
president To two terms regards the
substances and not the form. and IN
der no circumstances will be "a can.
ton"
/ The reason for my choice OF the
exact phraseOlogy used was twofold
! IN the hrst place. many OF my sup
porters were insisting that( as I had
served only three and half wears
I OF my hrst term. coming I'm from the
I vice presidency when President Mc-
. kinlev was killed. / had really had
only one elective term. SO that the
third term custom did not apply TO
me. and I wished to repudiate this
suggestion. | believe the land be
lieNe now the third term custom or
Z tradition 10 be wholesome. and. there
fore. | was determined to regard its
substance. refusing TO bubble over
1
press 10. On the other hand. did not
I wish simply and specifically to say
I that | would not D. candidate for
/ the nomination in 1908. because II |
I mad specified the years when I would
mot be candidate. 10 would have
/ been widely accepted as meaning thar
u intended To be a candidate some
other year. and | had no such inten-
ton. and had no Idea that / would
ever be candidate again. Certain
newspaper men did ask me Or / in
tended to apply my prohibition TO
/ 1872. and / answered that / Was not
thinking of 1912. nor or 1920. nor OF
/ 1870. and that | must decline To saw
anything whatever except what an
! peared in my statement
8 The presidency Is "a great Office.
and the power OF the president can be
effectively used to secure renomina-
ton. especially if the president has
q the support Oi certain great political
and financial interests n is for this
reason. and this reason alone. that the
wholesome principle OF continuing in
Office, so long as he is willing 10
serve. an Incumbent who has proved
capable, is not applicable 10 the pres
/ tdency. Therefore the American peO-
pl" have wisely established a custom
against allowing any man IA hold that
ONCE Tor more than two consecutive
terms But every shred OF mower
which q president exercises while I'm
office vdnishes absolutely when h.
/ has once left Office. An eN-president
| stands precisely I'm the position of any
other private citizen. and has not one
particle more power 10 secure a nom
/ iuatiou or election than ~ he had
never held the office az all-indeed
I he probably has less because of the
] very fact that he has held the office.
/ Therefore the reasoning on which the
lantl-third term custom Is based has
| no application whatever 10 an EXPIRES.
B idruf. and no application whatever 10
IauEthlng except consecutive terms
I As barrier OF precautiOn against
more than Two consecutive terms the
l custom cmbodieS e valuable principle
/ Applied in any other way n becomes
4 a mere formula, and. like an formulas
Ia potential source Of mischevous con
fusion Having This IN mind. | re-
garded the custom rs applying prac-
tically. n not just as much. to "a presi-
/ dent who had been seven and a half
years iu Office as TO ono who had been
eight years zoo office. and therefore. m
( the teeth Of "a practically unanimous
| demand from INV own party that ] ac-
/ Cept another nomination. and the rea-
sonable certainty that the nomination