Evening star., 1927-04-17
viii Be First to Serve More
Than Eight Years, Ohio
Senator Predicts.
WAS SECOND TO RISE
FROM VICE PRESIDENCY
Prejudices of Past Losing Hold,
Leaders Say, as Former
Dangers Disappear.
BY G. GOULD LINCOLN.

I . NSANCtiN NOOlAuES VIII DG leittIil-
mated and reelected in 1928, break
ing precedent "once considered very
significant" Senator Fess of Ohio.
Republican, predicted in a statement
issued last night.
"Calvin Coolidge viii be the first
to be nominated and elected to the
Presidency to serve longer than eight
years, thus far In our history the
maximum term in that office" Sen
ator Fess said.
The Ohio Senator insisted that an
other term for President Coolidge
would be second elective term,
not third term"
Scouts Strength of Prejudice.
Mr.. Fess. however. does not regard
the third term tradition as important
in this day and generation even
though he insists that President
Coolidge could not be considered as
a third -termer" if he be reelected.
The compelling reasons tagainst g
third term) have ceased to exist"
Mr.. Fess insisted.
Generally speaking, the prediction
of Mr.. Fess comedies with the views
Of other prominent Republicans the
country over. Unless President
Coolidge declines to be a candidate.
they hold, he will be renominated
The third-term issue, if 1t be an
issue, cannot halt his nominate in
the next Republican national con-
Vention There are some Repub-
licans, however, who differ seriously
with Senator Fess over the PROPOSE
ton that the hold of the third term
tradition upon the people and the
reasons therefor have now disap-
peared. These Republicans contend
that the third-terrn issue would be
a serious question in the general
election, after the nomination of
President Coolidge had been effected.
To date, however, Republicans hold
| Ing these views are decidedly in the
minority. The next few months
probably will tell the tale. Either
the third-term issue Will take on
serious proportions or Ii viii be for
gotten.
Move in Congress Seen.
Efforts, it is expected, win be made
at the next session of Congress to
have both Senate and House act upon
a resolution declaring it the sense of
these bodies that no man should serve
more than eight years as Chief Execu-
tive. Resolutions to that effect. worded
like the Springer resolution which was
adopted by the House and put an end
to a third term boom for Gen. Grant,
were offered in the last session, but
were not taken up for consideration
or debate in either house. Prediction
was made last night they would be
revived when Congress meets again.
President Coolidge may or may not
let 1t be known what his attitude
toward another term of office is before
Congress conyenes in December. Some
Of the leaders in his party are inter
preting his silence as consent that he
be renominated. They say that il he
were opposed to another term of Office.
there was no reason why he should
not have let his position be known
soon after the adjournment of Con
gress last March. The Republican
party, they say, is entitled to a gear
in which 10 decide who shall be its
nominee for President. These septi-
ments are not voiced by opponents of
the President, but by men who viii
support him il he IS to be a candidate
and who are friendly to such a can
didacy.
Statement Is Quoted.
Senator Fess' statement predicting
the reelection Of President Coolidge
follows:
Coolidge will break another prece-
dent, once regarded very significant.
Calvin Coolidge win be the first TO be
nominated and elected to the Presi
dency to serve longer than eight
years. thus far, In our history, the
maximum term In that office. This
will be a second precedent touching
this highest Office to be broken The
election of a President to succeed him
self, who had come to the Office from
the Vice Presidency. had as a rule
been denied.
John Tyler. after serving Har.
rison's unexpired term Of three years
and II months, from 1871 to 1S45, was
denied the presidency in his own
right after a strenuous effort by him
and his friends to secure it. He was
denied even the nomination by his
party
Fillmore, after serving the uuex-
pired term of Zachary Taylor, from
1850 to 1858, was given similar
treatment. Notwithstanding powerful
forces urging favorable action Fii.
more was SO insistent, that. having
been rejected by his own party. he &C.
cepted leadership of third party
movement without success.
JohnsOns Vote Negligible
Andrew johnson. after serving out
Lincoln's second term OF nearly four
years, from 1885 TO 1859, eagerly
sought approval by asking for his sue.
eession. He was denied. although the
movement led to his nomination by a
protest convention held i'm Cleveland
but his vote in the election was neg
ligible when Grant was elected.
I'm 1881, Arthur succeeded Garfield
TO serve out the uneXpired term, from
1881 to 1885. His ambitions TO succeed
himself in his own right were well
but never took any definite
form because of overwhelming op.
position in his own party
up to the death of President Me-
Kinley this rule was observed Not
the fact that Roosevelt
was supposed TO have been safely
buried in the vice presidency In 1900,
his succession to the presidency by
the death Of Mckinley opened the
way for his election in his own right
He broke the precedent against a
powerful undercurrent that was kept
under control by the Roosevelt leader
ship. Had he been living and in
health In 1920. he would have broken
another precedent of eight years as
the limit to the presidency,
Coolidge was second TO break Nhs
precedent of Vice President suceeed.