The Alaska daily empire., 1916-01-29
WILSON AND TIE SINGLE TERM.
(New York World)


 President Wilson's personal attitude toward the one-term issue is made clear in letter written to A. Mitchell Palmer in February. 1913. The letter iself is well worth careful study a contribution to the general discussion of the powers limitations and re- possibilities Of the Presidency.
 Although the issue of a single Presidential term has been raised many times the American people have never taken seriously They have been greatly aroused least twice the history of the United States over the Issue Of the third but the second term is part of the political traditions of the people. It Is one Of those numerous matters reserved to them by the Con- sttutlon which they choose to dec1e for themselves when the occasion arises.
 Mir. Wilson's view of the personal attitude of a President toward second term is that he should Ire sort o nothing but public opinion to decide that Ques ton" No President, in the long run, has been able to resort to anything else. Although he may have contro ed the machinery of his party through the use of pat ronage and thereby dictated his renominaton pub Tic opinion has invariably decided the matter of re- public opinion has invariably decided the matter of election and t must decide long the American people retain their fitness for selfgovernment
 It must be said for Mr. Wilson that he has not tempered with his own rule and has not undertaken to manipulate the machinery of the Democratic party in order to obtain rcnomination. It must be said, also that there is why he should, even f he held opinions directly opposite those expressed in the Palmer letter Ms renomnation is inevitable There is other candidate to whom the Democratic party could tusn there is other candidate whom the party and 1t must stand fall on the record of his administration.
 But more than that events have made Mir. Wilson's renomination political necessity the broades of the term To realize that need only to try to Imagine what the situation would be if it were known that the President had decided not Co be cand date for reelection Our foreign relations would at once be thrown into nexricabe confusion Every European capital would construe the Presidents acceptance of the vague and indefinite terms of the Baltimore plat form proof that he believed the American people d.d not support him in his foreign policy It would be assumed abroad that the President and Secretary of State unable to enforce their demands, and the foreign affairs of the United States would be reduced to chaos. with the practical certainty of an ensuing 
 At home the situation would be equally as serious. Domestic politics would be thrown no less into confus- on than foreign policies. National defense revenue. and the like would be without effective championship leadership Congress would be torn by warning fac tions. none of which could command majority on any measure. and the government would be adrIft.
 Even the domestic Issues which the American people divided could not be adequately presented in the coming campaign if Mr. Wilson not a can idae for reelection His candidacy in 1916 is as es iental as the candidacy of Abraham Lincoln was in ls6l It .s only through his candidacy that the people divide ntelgently on the momentous questions that confront the nation Circumstances are such that only Mir. Wilson represent the issues for which his administration is responsible although any regularly mated Republican could represent the opposition to them Mr. Wilson would not periodically refuse to go before the country on these ssues whatever might be his personal attitude toward second term There are great crises history that have to be met they arise without regard to platforms theories.
 It happens that the opinion expressed by MT. Will son Tn the Palmer letter concdes with his present du ty: but if 1t were otherwise. 1T he himself firmly be lieyed in the principle of single his obligations would not be changed and national necessity would demand that he subordinate his individual views to in exorable events