Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1923-08-06
The Presidential Term.

No tIedieT Vi tHc
need to relieve, in some measure, the
President of the United States of the
heavy burden he must bear as Chief
Executive could be given than the
death of the late President Harding
and illness of former President vii.
son. Both were stricken in the line
of duty.
From Senator Cummins Of Iowa
President pro Tempore of the Senate,
comes suggestion that an elected
President of the United States should
be limited to a single term, of either
six or four years. The great re-
Sponsibilties and the tremendous
strain of the office are more than any
man can stand for eight years." Sena-
tor Cummins is quoted as having said
in an interview advocating single
term constitutional amendment.
The single term for President is not
have the effect of Tightening the bur-
dens upon a President. even in his
first term. 1t would be a superman
who resisted the desire to succeed
himself in the White House IL he
had the opportunity, il only to have
his first administration vindicated by
the people. The presidential Office is
concerned particularly with the ad-
ministration OF the government, with
the development OF policies, with
4 t,-rNr h., oi,,fi IN
of thousands Of officials, high and
low--and with politics. BY the adop.
| ton OF a single.term plan politics
might in a large measure be elm
mated from this list, and some of the
problems of patronage also.
Hitherto the arguments advanced
| for a single term have dealt particu.
larly with the ACCESSIBILITY OF having a
| Chief Executive give his whole time
and attention TO the administration
Of government, without complicating
matters by d more or less constant
campaign to be returned to office.
/ Custom alone has limited the Chief
| Executive to two terms in this coun-
President serving three or four terms
| in sequence. In 1912, when there
| was discussion of the propriety OF
| Theodore RooSevelt's seeking again
[ election to the presidency after he
had served practically two full terms,
the democrats placed in their party
platform a single-term plank. But
| following the election OF Woodrow
| Wilson in that year little more was
heard of the matter, except the child.
ing of republican senators who want,
| ed to know when the proposed con.
| stitutional amendment was to be
pressed.
! In view of the statement Of Senator
| Cummins it may be expected that a
resolution will be introduced in the
next Congress providing for a con.
! stitutional amendment for a single
! term for President. OF course, such
| an amendment would not and should
| not apply in case of man who has
succeeded to the presidency from the
, vice presidency because of the death
| or disability OF a President. In such
a case the Vice President mught have
| occupied the White House for only
a few months or a week, in fact. be.
fore the nominating conventions. 1t
| would not be fair to bar him, per.
| haps the peoples choice, from an
elective term.
Whether the term OF the President
| if a single-term amendment were
| adopted. should be for four years or
for six is question that merits con.
| sideraton. Four years, it has been
urged, might be too short time for
| a good President to carry out his
policies. On the other hand, it might
we'll be too long for the country to
| stand a weak or inefficient Chief Elk.
ecutive.