Evening star., 1937-07-11
nv BEETRAM BENEDICT.

IS ~ PUT on a ounce cap ana
stand in the corner" the
President recently told
~ two newspaper men who
asked him about third term. He
hadn't said anything like that on
March 4. when the Democrats were
celebrating the first four years Of the
New Deal. Then he told victory
dinner" in Washington:
MY great ambition on January 20,
ia4l. is to turn over the desk and
chair in the White House .. . to my
successor, whoever he may be. with
the assurance that I am at the same
time turning over to him as President
aNnation intact il. I do not want to
leave it to my successor in the con-
dition in which Buchanan left it to
Lincoln
Several months later Gov. Earle of
Pennsylvania was to declare: Between
the third term tradition and the well
fare of the country, can any patriotic
citizen hesitate as to which course he
will take? I am for Franklin D.
Roosevelt for President in 1910, I'M
Qualifiedly and finally"
Gov. Earle, himself a 1910 presi-
Dental possibility is a close political
ally of the President. And the Presi
dents closest ally of all, James A.
Farley, when asked to comment on a
third term for his leader, contented
himself with observing that it was
too early yet to talk about 1910.
Secretiveness Is Potent Weapon.
OF course. these gentlemen are in
politics up to their necks, and in poll
tics 1t is seldom wise to take a state
ment at its face value. Even If the
President had definitely decided not
to run for third term, he would
hardly say so now. AS long as he can
keep his opponents guessing, he can
prevent them from making plans q
long time ahead. And as long as he
can keep his own party in the dark,
he can retain influence over it which,
otherwise might 60 by the board.
If certain Democrats were COM
pletely sure that Mr.. Roosevelt would
be out of the picture in 1910, they
would be tempted more than ever to
defy him. For he would have deprived
himself of the power either to punish
or reward very much longer. They
might be tolerably sure that he
wouldn't run again, but in politics one
wants to be altogether sure, and more
than any one else, politician would
rather be safe than sorry
Theodore Roosevelt declared against
q third term as soon as he was elected
for q second He was later to regret
the announcement as premature He
found that to a considerable extent it
prevented him from keeping his party
in line during his second term as we'll
as he had kept it in line during his
first term. He suspected that he
would have retained more party in
huence if he had waited to renounce
third term until the nominating con-
vention was actually close at hand.
A general belief exists that George
washington set the precedent against
any President serving a third term.
But the belief is not quite exact.
What the Father of His Country did
~oo w lCllOOASC Will u lSliH 1Ol
self
Washington Served as a Duty.
He had accepted the presidency
originally, not because he wanted it,
but from firm sense of duty. He
liked the job less than ever as his
first term was drawing to close in
1898, and at the time he made notes
for a farewell address But relations
with France were ticklish, difficulties
had arisen in carrying out the peace
treaty with England, the Indians were
threatening, and domestic unrest was
rearing its head. He was persuaded to
accept a second term.
By 1896 foreign and domestic
troubles had been allayed Washing
ton felt his physical powers waning,
and the call of Mount Vernon sounded
more loudly than ever in his ears.
He firmly renounced third term, and
issued his farewell address. 1t con-
tains no warnings against third terms
In general.
1t was really Thomas jefferson and
his successors, Madison and Monroe
who made effective Washington's
precedent against third successive