Evening star., 1926-10-24
Fifty Years Ago
In The Star

On the night of his election In 1900
Theodore Roosevelt announced that
he would in no
Presidential circ instances
"0ne-Termers.' didate dknlt M for g or ac-
cent the Office of President. This
caused troubles later. On the eve
of the election so years ago both or
the leading candidates declared them
selves as "one.termers" II elected.
The Star of October II, 1875. says:
Both Tilden and Hayes assert that
they don't want a second term IN
Office, and the latter goes 50 far AZ
to saw that the Constitution should
he amended to prohibit the re-elec-
ton Of q President. 1t therefore fol-
lows that the one who is fortunate
enough to reach the highest ONCE
in the gift of his countrymen will
occupy 1t but four years. II might
he supposed that this would estab-
ush a precedent which would gov
ern thereafter, but this is scarcely
likely. since some of our best Presl-
dents. including Washington. Jeffer-
son and Jackson, served their coun-
try acceptably for eight years each.
The question of honoring Pres1-
dent with a second term must be
answered by the people themselves.
who are best qualified to Judge OF
the propriety and necessity of such
a course. With the politicians avail
ability will always be a prime con-
sideration In the selection of can
didates. 1t will matter but little
how many terms q Chief Executive
may have enjoyed if he possesses
the element of availability to
greater degree than any other can
didate in his party. In that case
he will he pretty sure to he renomi-
mated. Within the last few years,
however. popular prejudice has
been created against the third
term idea. and 1t is safe to predict
that but few. If indeed any, of our
Chief Executives will hereafter have
an opportunity of immolating them
selves for IL years on the altar Of
their country"
The evident closeness OF the race
between Hayes and Tilden 50 years
Counting the fact that the
Electoral Vote. resent,t've. reent wa wa.
under Democratic control while the
Senate was Republican. caused
much thought to he given before
election to the matter OF the count
ing Of the electoral vote. In The
Star of October Is, 1873. is this dis
cussion:
referring to the counting of the
electoral vote for President and Vice
President by the two houses of Con
Eress In joint session, under the
twenty.second Joint rule. which pro-
vides that the vote of any state OBJ
jected to by either house cannot he
counted. the Washington correspond
ent of the New York Tribune tele-
graphs that the Joint rules are in
| operative, because the Senate falied
to concur with the House last ses-
sion In adopting them. II Is also
argued that these rules must be
adopted by every new Congress
This is questionable. The Senate Is
continuous body. It's officers are
not appointed for any particular
length of time. but serve during the
pleasure OF the Senate. With ref
erence to its rules. It is reasonable
to suppose that they remain in full
force from one Congress TO another
unless amended or rescinded. The
fact that a long discussion ensued
in the Senate last session on amend
ing the twenty-second joint rule
would indicate that that body re-
sarded the joint rules as still in full
force. If in a fuller consideration
of the question the Senate deems IL
necessary to readopt the rules. this
can he done at any time before the
second Wednesday in February
next"