The Daily Alaska empire., 1927-09-13
THE THIRD TERM PRECEDENT.

Ralph Beaver Strassburger of Normandy Farm, Gwinedd Valley Pennsylvania, has issued a pamphlet, entitled Coolidge and the Third Term" in which he quotes James c. Blaine. com menting upon the third term. saying:
 It is the American people themselves
 who have made the tradition, made it
 part of the unwrtten code of the Re-
 public, and it was the respectful recogni-
 ton of their attitude that led Jefferson.
 Madison, Monroe and Jackson not to
 seek third term or even suggest it.
 If James G. Blaine actually spoke wrote as quoted he did not stick closely to history, though the conclusion correctly stated the situa- ton that existed in his time. It is not true that Jefferson through respectful recognition of the attitude of the people "did not seek a third term or even suggest it." The people had no one else in mind for the Presidency save and except Jefferson when he announced that he would not accept the office He had been placed in nomination for the Presidency for a third term by the Legislatures of two States-Penn- sylvania and Vermont. Virginia North Cap- ltna. Kentucky, Tennessee and other States were about to nominate him Virginia would have done it already had 1t not been that prominent virginans knew what Jefferson's attitude toward it. Jefferson would have been chosels for third term almost without opposition had he not interposed his refssal.
 It may be proper to say that Madison and Monroe accepted the attitude of the people in regard to third term, bat there is none who have followed their careers and recognized their veneration for the Jefferson judgments that will not concede that they would have refused third terms if they had been offered. They Jeff fersonians through and through. Bat with Jack son, like with Jefferson 1t is to withhold full measure of justice to say that he respectfully recognized the attitude of the people by not seek ing or suggesting third term. Jasksonss posi- ton was positive rather than negative. He had but to say the word and he would have surely been thrice President" to quote MeMaster, the famous historian, but he did more than not to aay the word. He said in strong, unmistakeable terms that he was opposed in principle to a third term for any President. and that hs would not have the Presidency again.
 While Washington created precedent against . third term when he refused to run again, for personal reasons 1t has been said that sne of the personal reasons feeling of doubt about whether or not he could be reelected He said nothing about the principle involved The pre- cedent against a third term did not become es- tablished until Jefferson set forth reasons why 10 one should be President for than two terms and referred to Washingtons refusal to run for a third term 'sound precedent"
 Washington set an example by refusing to ho . candidate for<a third Presidential tepn JoGorpon accepted 1t as a precedent for prin- cinle which he enunciated and defined
 No Presidents retired from office after tuo terms of service with the confidence and nnpport of the people so unanimously behind enom or when the people were so ready to ac noof their suggestions as sound in the same de ,txno as was the case with Jefferson and Jackson <oneh Madison, Monroe, Grant and Roosevelt qu Hllo still going strong. It was due to Jefersoni s 1nration of the principle involved and his ap ovnl Of Washingtons example, followed by th'
 mpIe of Madison and Monroe and the postiv
 06rstion as we'll example of Jackson, tha 6SHa1rhed the ''unwrtSsen code of the Republic
 461eh Blaine referred.
 1nce tho Civil War four Presidents have sa