The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1913-11-20
PRESIDENT WILSON AND THE
SECOND TERM.

IF you think too much about be-
ing reelected said President Will
son at Philadelphia, 'it is very diff
cult to be worth re-electing. l don't
care a continental about second
term. I have been elected to one
Job and l must first do that WE'LL
The presidents language, as usual,
is felicitous. He drives his meaning
home with a sledge hammer. He has
strikingly indicated the difference
between a statesman and a politician
"a patriot and a self-seeker.
The politician is forever measur-
ing his action, while in office, in
terms of votes for reelection. If he
does this way-will it make him
votes? If he does that-will it lose
him votes? Very well; he will do
this way.
The statesman determines his
course by another rule. He asks his
Judgment what is the wise thing to
do; his conscience what is the right
thing. Then as nearly as possible he
does it. 1t may make him votes or it
may lose him votes. Either way, the
votes are a secondary consideration.
The first thought of the politician
is to strengthen himself with his
party; to court popular favor; to nail
himself little more securely to his
seat He has no more than been
elected to a first term than he begins
running for second. He is looking
not for opportunity to put his wis
dom, his courage, his experience, to
the service of the people, as for
means to insure that the people will
serve him when the next election day
rolls round.
The first thought of the statesman
is devotion to the public interest. He
thinks not so much of the reelection
as of the duties and sponsibilities
that are Immediately at hand. He
holds, with one of President Wilson's
predecessors, that he serves his party
best, and himself best, who serves his
country best He is governed not by
love of applause and fear of disap-
prevail but by loyalty to his convic-
tions. He does the right as God
gives him to see the right, and is
content. He feels, that, in the Ian
guage of a contemporary:
The acme of statesmanly achieve
ment and fame does not consist in
occurring a second term. There may
bea conceivably enough glory in four
years of honest performance Of duty
to overshadow the records OF some
two-term men, There may be con-
ceivably a tribute to the public SER
want in the establishment of politi
clans and the inconsistency Of a
tickle public
.Ahe statement in favor of one
term only for a president is heal
thy one. 1t is based on realization
of the fact that the love of a second
term is the root of much evil-that
it gives birth to cowardice, stiles in
dependence and is a poison to unset
fish devotion. The sentiment exists,
and grows, in spite of it's evident dis
advantages. The rule might rob the
country, it is easy to see, of the
service of a great and brave man at
= critical time-when a stream has
been crossed, when it was dangerous
to change, when he was most badly
needed. But the evils of perpetual
candidates. for reelection, and the
effect on officials, outweigh this dis
advantage, and so the one-term doc
tTine persists.
If not only every president, but
every public man, could say and say
truly, with Woodrow Wilson, 4 don't
give a continental about second
term" what difference it would
bring about in government in nation,
state and city-St. Joe Observer.