Evening star., 1938-07-30


third term is bit embarrassing. At
least the Secretary Of the Interior
may have read in the newspapers
about an experience Of another cabi-
net officer who mentioned third term
and Mr.. Roosevelt just looked out the
window" and said nothing. Also, the
cabinet officer happened to be Secre-
tary Perkins. who has known Mr.
Roosevelt a good many years more
than has Mr., Ickes, in fact, she was
commissioner of labor in New York
State when Mr.. Roosevelt was Gov
srnor.
The public should not, however,
misunderstood these references to a
third term by Mr.. Ickes or by Senator
Barkley of Kentucky or by Senator
Thomas of Oklahoma. It's the most
natural" thing in the world for an
sppointee of Mr.. Roosevelt to want to
see him have third term. 1t means
third term for the appointee.
For Fourth Term, Too.
It will be recalled that Work Prog
ress Administrator Hopkins remarked
that, when w. P. A. workers go out
10 lunch. they just naturally" talk
politics and that naturally 80 per cent
are for Roosevelt Well when office
holders under the Roosevelt admins
tration talk politics. they just natu-
rally, 80 per cent of them, say they
are for Roosevelt for third term, and.
If the issue were a fourth term, they
would be for that, too.
1t would be highly unnatural if in
politics the beneficiary didn't favor
the continuance in Office of his boss.
One might ask, by way of proving the
point. how long any Federal Office
holder would stay in said Office If he
came out with a statement that he
didn't believe in third term for Mr.
Roosevelt. This would be in the ma
ture of political rebellion
But, it will be suggested, neither
Senator Barkley nor Senator Thomas
is a presidential appointee, as Mr..
Ickes is. That's true yet United States
Senators have virtually become Federal
a2pointees because Mr. Roosevelt picks
Nlem in the primaries, and, in many
States, a Democratic nomination is
equivalent to an election.
1t would be surprising, indeed, if
Mr.. Barkley were not in favor of a
third term for the President. He Is
for Mr.. Roosevelt 100 per cent and
would doubtless be for him for king,
dictator or "Fuehrer" or whatever Mr..
Roosevelt might want. In politics,
this is understandable Mr.. Roosevelt
has gone to Kentucky, broken pre-
cedents galore. and intervened in a
primary contest to help Mr. Barkley
win. Without that support, pre-
sumably Mr.. Barkley would be de-
feated
Mutual Pats on the Back.
Under such circumstances, Mr.
Barkley is merely doing what is ex-
pected Of him in politics. which is a
game of you-t -tickle-m -and-I- I-tickle-
you. Many of the so-called third term
pronouncements are coming from per-
sons who are under personal or politi-
cal obligation to Mr.. Roosevelt. This
cannot however, be brushed aside as
inconsequential, because these very
men. the Senators and the Federal
eppointees, will head up the delegations
In many States to the next Demo-
cratic national convention.
Thus it may be said that if Mr.
Roosevelt wants denomination for a
third term he can have it without so
much as nodding his head All he
need do is give the wink to his syco-
nhantic supporters and they'll shout
arr cheer and parade the convention
floor for hours. Mr.. Roosevelt took
care at the Philadelphia convention
of 1885 to have the delegates abolish
the tWo-thirds rule. requiring a two
thirds vote OF the delegates to assure
Democratic presidential nomination.
This means that the one third group
to block a nomination will not be
powerful any more and that by
simple majority vote nomination can
be Won Mr. Roosevelt can certainly
count on enough Federal officeholder
support to get a majority in Demo-
cratic national convention.
This means that any fight i''~ide the
Democratic party against third term
will have to be made on an independ-
ent Democratic ticket, with separate
national convention and a separate set
Of candidates Vice President Garner
y has been mentioned as one who might
be persuaded to head up such a ticket.
An independent race would split the
Democratic vote and insure the elec-
ton of Republican President. This
may seem a terrible price to pay for
The squelching of third-term can
didate. But there are many people
who have never before voted the Re
publican ticket who would do so be-
cause they would prefer Republican
TO. violation of the precedent and
custom established by George Wash
ington and adhered to by all Presi-
dents since the very beginning of the
republic.