The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-02-02
Works Resolution Adopted
After Three Days
Fight
CARRIED BY MARROW
ONE VOTE MAJORITY
Proposed Constitutional Amendment
Would Make Wilson, Roosevelt
and Taft Ineligible to Seek
Again the Presidency

Washington, February Ia constitu-
tional amendment which would restrict
the President and vice president of the
United States to a single term of six
years, and would bar Woodrow Wilson,
Theodore Roosevelt and William II. Taft
from again seeking election, was approved
by the Senate today by the narrow ma
jority of one vote. After a three day
fight, in which the progressives. Joined
with many republicans in opposing the
restricted presidential term, the Senate
adopted the original Works resolution by
a vote of 47 to %.
The language which it is proposed to
insert in the constitution in place Of the
FIRST paragraph of article ? is as follows;
THE executive power shall be vested
in President of the United States of
america The term of the office Of Pres
ident shall be six years; and no person
who has held the office by election or
discharged its powers or duties, or acted
as President under the constitution and
laws made in pursuance thereof, shall be
eligible TO hold again the office by cleo
tion. The President, together with vice
president chosen for the same term, shall
DC elfcteu as IOlloWS.
Must Go to House
The resolution proposing the constitu-
tional amendment now goes to the House
for its approval. II ratified there by a
two-thirds vote it viii be submitted 20
the legislatures of the states and viii
become effective when three-fourths of
the 4s states of the union have officially
approved it.
The adoption of the resolution came
at the close of a three days fight. in
which repeated attempts were made SO
To change 1t that IL would not affect past
Presidents or the President in the office
when it may. finally he ratified by the
states. All these efforts failed. Two votes
taken today again demonstrated the fact
that the Senate did not care to exempt
any person from the operation of the sim
gle term provision. ..s
An amendment by Senator Hitchcock
that would have exempted past Presi-
dents and made the new provision take
effect March 4. 1917, was voted down,
~ 10 q, and an amendment BY Senator
Sutherland to exempt the President IN
office when the constitutional amendment
may finally be ratified was defeated ss
TO 70
Senators who supported tue single term
resolution on its lnal passage we're:
Demoerats-Ashurst, Bankhead, Bryan.
Chamberlain, Chiffon, Clarke of Arkan-
sas, Fletcher, Gardner, Hitchcock. john
son, Johnston of Alabama, kavanaugh,
Kern, Newands. Overman, Owen, Payn-
ter Smith of Maryland, Swanson, Thom-
Ms. Thornton and Williams.
epublicans--Brandegee Brown, Burn
ham, Burton, Catron, Clark of Wyoming,
cummins, Dillingham;, DUPONT Gamble,
Guggenhein, McCumber Nelson, PEN
rose, Perkins, Smoot, Suthei land, Wet
more and Works
Against the resolutions
Republicans Borah, Bourne, Bradley.
Isristow, Curtis, Gallinger, Jackson, Jones,
Kenyon. LaFollette, Lipptt. Lodge. Me-
Lean, Oliver. Page, Richardson, Sanders,
Stephenson and Townsend.
Progressiyes-Clapp Dixon and Poin-
dexter.
-shively.
Resolution in Doubt
The fate of the resolution was in doubt
almost to the last vote cast. On the
roll call Senator Works himself cast the
deciding vote.
The debate throughout the day was
characterized again by the contention of
he progressives that the proposed con-
stitutional amendment was a dangerous
limitation upon the rights of the people,
and by the efforts OF many democrats SO
to ;.mend the resolution that it would nos
lie retroactive in effect
1--WE can trust the people to decide
whether they desire the reelection of
Roosevelt, Taft or Wilson" said Senator
Hitchcock in urging his amendment to ex-
enlpt past presidents. "All we should
strive to do is to make 1t apply equally In
the future to all men,"
This amendment was defeated. Sena-
tor Williams made another effort TO pro-
vide by amendment for a limitation OF
two four year terms for the President
with the provision that it should not ap-
NV ~ mast presidents He co..lI NOT p,Ta-
Ter enough support, however, to secure a
roll call.
Senator Cummins opened the debate on
the amendment by proposing to permit
voters to amend the constitution directly
without previous action OF Congress,
when suhstantal majority" demanded
such a change. Senator Cummins de-
clared Presidents work was often neg
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