Evening star., 1939-11-15

pending to limit David Lawrence.
the presidency to single term of
six years, but they have got nowhere
and it is doubtful whether the plan
of single term of four or six years
has made headway. The traditional
two term idea, of course, is we'll
established and if it were put to
vote in the next session of Congress
In both Houses there would very
likely be an interesting series of
consequences.
First of all, the members of Con-
sress who feel that President Roose-
velt ought not to run for a third
term would support a resolution
fixing two terms. For while there
has never been third term Pres
ident, no provision of the Constltu-
ton has ever been written to prevent
third terms.
Might Supply 1910 Issue.
Debate over constitutional
amendment would mean a raising
at an early date of the issue on
which the campaign would be
fought. If the Democrats were able
to block paSsage-and they would
have to assemble only one vote more
than one-third of either House to
accomplish such an obstructlon-the
mere fact that substantial majority
of both Houses favored the proposal
would be an important psychological
influence with the country. This
issue might dwarf into insignifcance
all other considerations and arouse
public attention long before the nom.
mating conventions were held.
Curiously enough. the proposal to
limit presidential tenure comes from
independent or conservative Demo-
cratic sources, where there is feel
ing that third term, if granted,
merely means a fourth term en-
deavor and ultimately system
whereby each President will feel he
can use the governmental machinery
to perpetuate himself in office.
If there were a law requiring pres
idential preference primaries to do
the nominating and conventions
were abolished so that the people
did the nominating, less objection
would be heard to third terms be-
cause any popular expression by the
people would be regarded as of much
more validity than nomination by
a set of hand-picked delegates
especially delegates who are chosen
through the direct or indirect influ-
ence. of Federal officeholders be-
holden to the party in power.
Two Choices Offered Voters.
AS matters stand today. the people
are forced to choose between two
candidates, each of whom is con-
vention- chosen. Powerful groups
used to dominate conventions in
the old days and hence primaries
were required by law in many States
for certain candidates. Likewise,
United States Senators used to be
elected by State Legislatures and
now must 60 before the people.
Some change whereby the people
could have a say in what two or
three candidates shall represent
them in the final election for the
presidency is undoubtedly in con-
formity with the Democratic tradi-
ton and will unquestionably be more
popular in these days when most
of the world has subtracted from
rather than added to the power OF
the people to choose their own rulers.
1t may be coincidence, but every
time it has looked as If President
wanted a third term, proposals to
write some form of limitation into
the Constitution have been made
or else resolution has been passed
by the House or the Senate on the
subject.
Vote Deferred Grant.
Back in the days when President
Grant was being considered for
third term, an anti-third term reso-
luton was before the House OF
Representative and the vote was
believed to have squelched the boom;
likewise. when President Coolidge
had been reelected in 1924 and in
all would not have served the full
eight years, his first term being
about a year and half short be-
cause he filled out the term to which
President Harding had been elected,
the Senate nevertheless had before
it a resolution expressing opposition
to third term. The so-called liber-
ais supported the resolution, which
was Overwhelmingly adopted.
A resolution merely expressing the
Senate's opinion, however, has no
formal effect and is only gesture.
Hence many members who really
would have voted for an amendment
to the Constitution limiting the pres
idential tenure felt justified in re-
cording themselves as opposed to
an expression-of-op opinion resolution.
Next January, a concrete proposal
to amend the Constitution to limit
the presidency to two terms is going
to be pushed and the issue will have
fo he mot on IFS merits