Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial. (Wilmington, Del.) 1878-1928, 1920-03-04
f Tyeuins Yesterday asSds 1926
LAW is REASON.
President Not to Run Again.

While President Wilson has said moth
ing definite in respect OF the very IN
teresting suggestion of a third term, the
formal announcement by Attorney-Gen-
eral Palmer of his candidacy for the
Democratic nomination for President rs
looked upon as assurance that the PresI-
dent holds himself out of consideration
in a word. that he will not aspire to
another nomination. Otherwise, IT is
argued. Mr.. Palmer, as member OF the
Presidents cabinet, would not have
made announcement without first sever
ing his connection with the Presidents
official family. It is accepted as highly
nrobable that he had received definite
word from the President that the latter
would not be even tentative candidate,
and that he was entirely free to enter the
lists. Announcement of the candidacy
of former Secretary OF the Treasury Nc
Adoo, President Wilson's son-in-law, Is
now expected at any time, and ike
Interpretation will be placed upon it
that it has the assurance of the President
that he is finally and irrevocsbly out OF
the running.
1t will not be surprising If President
Wilson has deliberately reached such a
conclusion, notwithstanding the conditions
that prevail at Washington, which seem to
MANY persons TO be such as TO make it
advisable that President Wilson should
endeavor to retain his Office until all the
great questions arising from the World
War are satisfactorily settled. But, not
withstanding this apparent propriety.
there is no doubt of the continued ex-
istence of a large public sentiment against
a third term for any man IN the office OF
President of the United States, which
has prevailed since the formation OF our
government. That it would have ac-
oIiesced In a second reelection OF Presl-
dent Washington is mooted question 10
this day, but certain 1t Is that no other
occupant of the Office has come SIS near
to a third term as did the first President.
And he put a stop TO the suggestion of
such a precedent by his Farewell Address.
Since the retirement of Washington
there has been but one serious suggestion
of third term for a President OF the
United States. jefferson, Madison, Mon
roe. jackson, Lincoln, Grant, Mckinley
and Wilson were elected TO second terms,
but only Grant was seriously proposed for
a third term 1t was not, however, st the
conclusion of his second term. IN March,
1877. The proposal was not even limited
at during the Presidential campaign In
1876. Four years later, however, the Re-
publican demand for = third term for
Grant was so insistent that it made great
impress upon the Republican National
Convention. and his BOG 'immortals'
blocked Blaine, deadlocked the conven-
ton. and went down to defeat de6antly,
with colors waving, when the wearied
delegates ended the long controversy by
the nomination of Garfield on the Seth
ballot.
The pronounced sentiment against
anything even resembling a continuous
third term even operated against the re-
nomination of Mr.. Roosevelt, in 1908.
He became President in the fall OF 1901,
on the death of President Mckinley, and
was renominated in 1901 and elected
But in 1908, although there were many
Republicans who desired his renomina-
ton, the suggestion seemed so much akin
to a third successive term that it was
frowned upon However, be dictated the
nomination of his successor President
Taft, and then ruthlessly deprived him of
a. second term by running against him
ih 1912
Mr.. Cleveland was nominated three
times in succession-in 1854, 1888 and
lS92-but his defeat in 1888 gave him
service in two terms only, and they not
continuous. The denomination of Presi-
dent Wilson this year, >therefOre, would
have been the first instance Of President
nominated for the third successive time
after serving two continuous terms
And so it may be set down as certain
that the positive sentiment of the coun-
try against third term for any Presi-
dent, which was manifested In the early
years Of our national history. prevails
undated to this day.
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Come. gentle Spring, hurry up. Get