Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-07-24
The Third Term" Issue Equation.

Inc 1n1rQ-1eTm Issue EQuatlOu.
If President Coolidge should decide
to seek, or, without seeking. TO accept,
the so-called thirdterm issue may be
reduced to a mathematical equation.
How much Of the unexpired term Of
his predecessor must a successor"
President serve to be disqualified by
the anti third-term tradition from TAX
ing a second elective term?
On three occasions during the past
so years Presidents have died in Office.
President Garfield died six months
after his Inauguration, and his term
was completed by Vice President
Arthur, who was, however. not nomi-
mated to succeed himself in the con-
vention of 1854. though he was the
'runner.up" against James G. Blaine,
who led in the balloting from the first
and won the nomination on the fourth
count of votes. The third-term ques-
ton did not figure because Mr.. Arthur
had only served part of one. term as
successor"
President Mckinley died on the 14th
of September, 1901, having served just
a little more than six months Of his
second term, and Mr.. Roosevelt nm
ished that term, thus serving three
and a half years and being elected in
1904. It was on the night of his cleo
ton that he announced that he would
not in any circumstances be candi-
date for a second elective term.
President Harding died on the I'd of
August, 1923, having served nearly
two and a half years Of his term, and
Mr.. Coolidge, completing that term by
serving little more than eighteen
months, was elected in 1924.
Had Mr.. Arthur been elected Presi-
dent in 1884 to succeed himself after
completing the term of President Gar
field, he would have been in the same
category as Col. Roosevelt, with nearly
| two full terms in the Office. Should
Mr.. Coolidge be reelected and finish
the second elective term he will have
served nine years and half in Office
! as against eleven years that Col.
Roosevelt would have served had he
been nominated and elected in 1903.
I Now the question comes, would the
so-called third.term issue be raised II
, the death of the President whom the
Vice President succeeded occurred, let
1t be said. six months before the ex-
piration Of his term, or nine months, or
three months? Would it be raised II it
occurred one month before March on
the expiration year? In other words,
what is the time limit operative in this
case If the tradition applies at all to
prevent a second elective term after a
succession? Can such limit be deter
! mined as a governing factor?
In the case Of Col. Roosevelt ne
personally declared that service during
| three and a half years preceding his
election in 1904 in effect constituted
'term." He rendered his own decision.
Yet it is believed that il he had said
nothing on election night and had let
matters take their course he would
have been nominated in 1908, and
again elected, although probably the
"third.term" issue would have been
raised against him. Mr.. Coolidge has
given no definition Of what constitutes
q term" by succession. Nor has any
body else undertaken to reduce the
matter to a mathematical basis. 1t
! would be, indeed, dangerous under
! taking. For unless 1t Is accepted by
public consensus that any portion,
however small, of an unexpired term
a successor" President serves dis
, qualities him for a second elective
term, there can be no standard or
guide. If eighteen months is a dis
qualifying period. six months, or one
month, may likewise be, or even one
day. So 1t is to be seen that the third
term question in the existing circum'
! stances is more academic than actual,
and there is no present indication
that the country is concerned about It.