The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1919-05-23
WILSON'S VIEWS
ON THIRD TERM
IN 1918 LETTER
CONTINUED From First rase.)

tContinued From First PaEe.)
should be permitted to determine who
should succeed him-himself or another
by patronage or coercion or BY any
sort OF control Of the machinery by
which the delegates to the nominating
convention are chosen, There ought
never to be another presidential Hofni-
be another.
Several of the states have success
!ully solved that difficulty with regard
20 the choice Of their governors, and
federal law can solve 1t In the same
way with regard to the choice Of their
The nominations should be made
directly by the people At the polls; con-
Ventions should determine nothing hut
patty platforms and should be made up
q The men who would be expected II
effect. L i my nSt ' nssess e1s1ig Is ns2
" the peoples business by constitu-
tiohal amendment IL you will only
aetually put the business into the peo-
pies " hands.
.,aI think Il may be safely assumed
four years for it can be done by
statute; II need not wait for eanstltu-
tlohal change. That being done the
question of the presidential term can be
discussed on its merits.
Transition in Presidency.
1T must be clear to everybody who
has studied out political DEVELOPMENT
at all that the character of the presi. |
dsnGy IL passing through a. TRANSITIONAL
now and what use must be made az Il
put we do not know what 1t is going 10 !
work into, and until we do know we
shan net know what constitutional
ehanse' II any is needed, 1t would be
Il must speak with absolute free
dom and candor in this matter or not
speak at all, and 1t seems TO- ma that
the present position OF the presidency
IN our actual system as we use 1t Ia
a aIHIite ia abnormal a0mash,a and must Issa sysntg,
y expected by the nation to Be Inc
leader Of his party as well AZ the ohiei
executive officer OF the government, |
and ~ country will take NO excuses
from him. He must play the part and
try's confidence.
ii must be prime minister. a. much |
concerned with the guidance Of ieeisla- |
ton as with the lust and orderly exc
cution OF law. And he is the spokes-
man o OF me m, natlon n even the .most
government with foreign nations. why, |
n such circumstances. should he be re-
iolls yeafs7, All the peoples
legislative Spokesman in the house Of
representatives. in the senate are
brought to book every two years, why
not the president, II he Is to be the
leader OF the party and the spokesman
q policy Sooner or later, 1t would
seem, ne must 30 made ahswsrable 70
ana intimate fashion, enswefable,
may be, 70 the houses which he seeks
10 lead either personally or through q
CABINET. as well ~ 70 the people for
whom they speak. But that Is 4 mat.
will be--in some natural American way
which we can not vet predict.
The present fact 10 that the presI-
dent ~ held responsible for what hap
pens In Washington in every large mat
lead he i surely entitled 10 certain
amount OF power-7all the power he can
get, from the support and convictions
and opinions, Of his fellow countrynseni
that he ought TO be suffered to use. that
EoTs 4 ss sone. ~ " S s%REIYlpSp & SI,t SIn'| BIZ
him to abuse II. He holds Il upon SUI
len. EVERYONE else. his oponents In
cluded, has aeoesa To opinion as he
" the country BY saRrnins Il, for hs
can Keep 1t no other way,
Put the present customary limita-
tien of two terms into the constitution
II you DO not trust the people to take
care Of themselves but make 1t two
terms (not ore, because four years Is
often too longl and give the president
tho chance to win the full service BY
nroying himself fit Tor Il.
IN you wish to learn the result of
constitutional ineligibility to re-election
ask any former governor OF New Jer-
for ayaunle what thaa ffaaf 10 l.,
actual experiences. He will tell you
how the politicians banded against him
waited for the Inevitable end OF his
term to take their chances with his
successor.
Constitutions place and can place
no limitations upon their power. They
may control what governors they can
as long AZ they please, as long as they
can keep their outside power and in
fluence together. They smile at the
coming and going Of governors as some
men In Washington have smiled at the
coming and going Of presidents, as
upon things ephemeral which passed
and wera. soon enough got rid Of II you
but sat tight and waited.
AS things stand now, the people
might more likely be cheated than
served by further limitations of the
presidents ineligibility, His fighting
power In their behalf would be i'm
mensely weakened. No one will fear a
president except those whom he can
make fear the elections.
We ~singularly belle our own princl-