The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1916-01-12

iiy deprived Of every other means Of
deciding II. He can be. shall use
to the utmost every proper Influence
within my reach to see that he is be-
fore the term to which / have been
elected Is out That side of the mat
ter need disturb no one.
And yet. IL he Ia deprived OF every
other means of deciding the question,
what becomes OF the argument for q
constitutional Limitation TO a single
term? The argument Is not that 1t is
clearly known now just how long each
President should remain in office:
Too Long, or Too Short
-Four years is too long a term for
q president, who Is not the true spokes-
man of the people. who is imposed
upon and does not lead. 1t is too short
a term for a president who is doing or
attempting a great work Of reform, and
who. has not had time to finish 1t.
ITO change the term to six years
would be to increase the likelihood
! of its being too long. without any
assurance that 1t would. in happy
cases. be long enough. fixed con-
stitutional Limitation to a single term
of office is highly arbitrary and I'M
satisfactory from point Of view.
THE argument for II rests upon
temporary conditions which can easily
be removed by law. Presidents, IL is
said, are effective for one-half OF
their term only. because they devote
their attention during the last two
years of the term to building up the
influences, and above all, the organi-
zation by which they hope and pur-
pose to secure a second nomination
and election.
1T liz there Illicit power, not their
/ legitimate influence with the country,
that the advocates of a constitutional
change profess to be afraid of, and I
heartily sympathize with them. 1t Is
fntolerable that any president should
be permitted to determine who should
succeed him-himself or another-by
patronage or coertion, or by any sort
of control of the machinery by which
delegates to the nominating conven-
ton are chosen.
There ought never to be another
presidential nominating convent IN !;
and there need never be any. Sew
5raf OF the States have successfully
solved that difficulty with regard to
the choice of their governors. and
Federal law can solve II in the same
way with regard to. the choice of
presidents. The nominations should
be made directly by the people at the
polls.
People Should Decide
Conventions should determine Moth
ing but party platforms and should be
made UP of the men who would be ex-
pected, if elected, to carry these plat
forms into effect. 1t is not necessary
to attend to the peoples business by
constitutional amendment If you will
only actually put the business into
the peoples own hands.
Il think IL may safely be assumed
that that will be done within the next
four years, for II can be done by
statute: it need not wait for constitu-
tional change. That being done. the
question OF the presidential term can
be discussed on its merits.
ut must be clear TO everybody who
has studied our political development
at all. that the character of the presi-
dency IL passing through transitional
stage. We know what the office is
now, and what use must be made OF
II. but we do not know what 1t Is 60
ing to work out ir.o; and until we do
know we shall not know what con-
stiutiopai change. IL any, is needed, 1t
would be best to make.
Il must speak with absolute free
dom and candor in this matter. or not
speak at all: and it seems to me that
the present position Of the presidency
in our actual system. as we use IL. Is
quite abnormal, and must lead eventu-
ally to something very different.