Evening star., 1926-08-03
COOLIDGE TO FACE
TH|RD-TERM BOGEY
Degree of Prosperity in 1928
Believed Decisive Factor in
Settling Question.
BY DAVID LAWRENCE.

As President Coolidge enters his
fourth year as the Nations Chief Ex'
ecutve, he Is surrounded with much
the same circumstances as have af-
fected the political future of other
Presidents at the end OF their hrst
term.
The question is not Does Mr.. Cool
idge deserve another nomination Tor
the presidency" Practically all lead
ers OF the Republican party are
agreed that just as Theodore Roose-
velt at the end Of his first term or
Woodrow Wilson In 1915 had satisfied
the party leaders so has Mr.. Coolidge
made a record on which IL he could
not win, certainly no other candidate
could get any more electoral votes
The real question. however, Is alto
gether different from that which mas
faced other Presidents. And it has q
significance which is timely because
the question is now being discussed
and considered by party leaders. IN
stead of waiting for the few months
preceding the national convention.
The problem really is, viii the Amer
lean people permit a Chief Executive
to administer their affairs for more
than eight consecutive years.?
Question of 10 Years.
In August, 1928. which would be the
middle of the next presidential cam
paign, anniversary stories viii De
written very much as IS this dispatch,
but the President will then be enter
ing on his sixth year at the same
time that the public might be IN
process of answering the question or
another four years. The question at
that time will be. Shall an American
President be permitted to enter into
a tenth year Of consecutive service
Judging by the economic situation
Of the country today, the fact thai
precedent is involved might carry HI
tie weight The party leaders Of
America, both Democrats and Repub-
licans, count far more on the pros
perity issue than academic contro-
versies on points in constltutloItal
practice or unbroken tradition. Look
ing back to 1896, when the writer saw
the sound money" parades for Nc
Kinley, and the days of the iull dln-
ner pail'' in 1900; to the peace ana
prosDerity' slogan used effectively,
this time by the Democrats in 1915:
and to the battle cry Of let well
enough alone" in 1924, there has been
no nistaking the effect of a contented
economic situation on the result at
the polls.
If Mr.. Coolidge were to be as fortu-
nate in 1928 as he is today. with an
unprecedented prosperity, the tnlrd
term difficulties would not alarm the
party leaders. If. however, the stu
alton is not as good as it is today,
they will use the third term DOGGY
as a means of selecting another can
didate.
When Flaws Look Large.
Mr.. Coolidge's minor difficulties will
then rise up to plague him. His
troubles with the Tariff Commission
and the Federal Trade Commission,
his contact with the Shipping Board
problem, all furnish opportunities for
political quarrelling when the fair
weather days have passed by and al
most anything in the way Of a flaw
bulks as a large defect.
But Mr.. Coolidge has q trump card
TO play and he will play it in January.
1928, when he will have asked Con
CresS to make what some people pre-
dict may be the biggest cut in taxes
since the war. SURPRISES are being
built up with that idea in mind. The
Democrats are already aSitatlng Tor
tax reduction and may not permit
Mr.. Coolidge to postpone it till the
session which begins i'll December,
1927. and runs through the Winter
of 1928 At present writing the odds
favor action early in 1928. so that in
March. June and September the vot-
ers will be reminded of the tax cut.
All this the Republican leaders are
debating now, for, too. they forsee eX-
actly the situation that would con-
front them if they raised the third
term obstacle in the face of an other
wise strong political background for
Mr.. Coolidge. The "favorite sons" and
the other candidates are beginning
now to shake their heads dubiously
about the American people ever per
mitting a man to go beyond the eight
years. The Democrats look forward
eagerly to that issue as they realize
it's sentimental value. They will use
Roosevelt's words and the words of
George Washington in declining a
third term But everything will de-
pend on the mood Of the country and
whether the present blessings OF
wealth and industrial contentment
are continued in as great a measure
in 1928.
tCopyriGht. 1926l