The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1920-02-14

party leaders as n whole are seriously
That the President is not at all influ.
enccd by the traditional argument
against i third term may be taken com
pletely for granted. If he should d"-
eide not to b" Il candidate 1t Will 10 Tor
reasons wholly apart from the argu-
mcnt of tradition against II third term
-hrcau>c Of the failur" Of his health
10 improve sufficiently: because of ms
estimat" Of his personal strength or
lack OF strength with the public. be-
cause Of the propitiOusn"ss or lack OF
righteousness of the year, because or
whatever mood he may lind himself IN
as the reaction uf his temperament 10
the conditions about him. because or
the state of the treaty. or what not. IL
will not be because Of the third term
argument
The evidence that tho President pays
no attention Io the third term argument
IS infcr"utial, but II 10 so strongly M
frrcrtiaI rs 10 be conclusive. The evi-
dcnCc Is contained IN Il letter when he
wrote soon after he was elected l'resI-
dent To \. Mitchell Palmer. lwh" nov.
by an odd Cu-InCidcnCc, finds ms per-
SOnal political fortunes much involved
IN this very question of whether or not
the President will run aEaln.) Th" lot
ter was personal ana was not made
public nj tho time hui some time later.
IN the course of n Congressional d"Oale
on the constitutional amendment I"
limit the length Of any one mans rr"S-
idency the letter WAS read rs an arGu-
ment against any limitation. CT vii
be remembered that ia" Democrats
platform OF l9l2 upon which President
Wilson first ran. favored Il C"nSiitu-
:ional amendment. restricting IN" Pres
idcnt to one term and making him in
eligible for re-elcCtiUn. Tho debate
came about as Il result Of that plank.
and tho letter expressed President vii
sons personal reputation Of it
The letter, being personal. and being
addressed to My dear Palmer" WAS OF
unusual candor. InCldentally. anE"n"
who happens now 10 read this letter. or
any other OF Mr.. Wilson'S utteran"cs
during tho early days of his Presidency
must be impressed by the fact that he
has become tired man: none of his re-
cent utterances contain anything near
the closeness OF reasoning. nor reflect
that Astounding vitality which expresses
Itself in clear meanings and acute shad-
inEs. as did his earlier messages aud
addresses
Wilson'S Letter to Palmer.
The letter IS not mere given IN rur,
because II Is too long for the prcsenl
limitations OF space. Also. It should
be made clear that tho letter dealt not
with the third term question as such.
hut with the analogous proposal To Inn
4 tho Presidency 10 a s!ngl" term az
six years Subject To these limitations.
the following passages are given HS IN"
PARTS OF the letter which are essential
and relevant now and which throw ljEh'
on Mr.. Wilson'S principles about 4
/ President Undertaking 70 name either
himself or another as his successor:
My dear Palmer:
1T was Enthusiastically consider
ate OF you to ask my views with regard
, TO the joint resolution.
II have not hitherto said anything
about this question. because I had not
observed that there was any evidence
that the public was very much interest
cd in It. -.
the present circumstances I should not
be acting consistently with my ideals
with regard to the rule OF entire frank
ness and plain speaking that ought to
exist between public servants and the
public whom they serve IF did nor
speak ont about II without reserve Of
any kind and without thought OF the
personal embarrassment. E..
g.. -Four years Is too long
term for q President who is not Tn"
imposed upon them and does not lead
President who Is doing, or attempting.
a great work Of reform and who has not
had time to finish II.
ITO change the term to six wears
would be 70 increase the likelihood Of
It's being too long, without any aSsur-
ance that Il would in happy cnsos BE-
long enough A fXcd constitutional
limitation to a single term Of orfr" ~
highly arbitrary and unsatisfactory
from every point Of view.
1T must be clear to everybody who