Evening star., 1939-06-20
: Third Term backers
.Assai|ed by Burke
On Radio Forum
Senator Cites Theories
Of Jefferson and
Jackson on Question
Continued From Page B-s)

republican system of government
p and that any departure from this
time-honored custom would be un-
wise, unpatriotic and fraught with
peril to our free institutions"
Grant Defeated.
-Four years after Grants retire
ment from the presidency a new
movement developed for his nom-
ination for a third term. Since
1t was not successive term the
question was raised whether his
nomination and election would con-
stitute a violation of the third-term
tradition. Even under such circum-
stances the national convention was
unwilling to attempt violation of
the settled principle that no man
should serve more than two terms as
President of this Republic. Grant
was defeated for the nomination.
Since the time of Grant until the
present day the third-term issue has
been raised seriously in connection
only with two Presidents, Theodore
Roosevelt and Coolidge. Each of
them succeeded a President who
y died in Office and each, therefore,
served 4 period less than two full
terms. Roosevelt recognized the
force of the third-term tradition
when, after his reelection in 1904,
he announced that under no cir
cumstanceS would he be candidate
for or accept another nomination.
He stated that he regarded the three
and one-half years of his first ad-
miniStration as his first term and
said The wise custom which limits
the President to two terms regards
,the substance and not the form" ="
Following the Taft administration
Roosevelt saw fit to seek a third
term. He was defeated in his party
convention. He was again defeated
By the Democratic candidate when
he ran under new party by label.
Toward the end of his second
term Coolidge issued his cryptic
Il do not choose to run statement.
This failed to head off agitation for
third term. But the Senate put
quietus on the movement on
February TO- 1923, by adopting the
La Toilette resolution similar to that
of the House of Representatives
during the Grant administration
VThe vote was 56 to IS. In the af-
firmative were 81 Democrats, 16
Republicans, one Progressive, one
member of the Farmer-Labor party,
and one Independent. The mega
tive consisted of % Republicans and
four Democrats OF those who voted
for the resolution "a are still men,
bers of the Senate, Is of them being
Democrats Those Senators are
thus on record as believing that
the third-term tradition has be-
come by universal concurrence a
part of our system of government
and that any departure from this
time e-honored custom would be un-
wise, unpatriotic and fraught with
peril to our free institutions. In any
test of sentiment they would be
joined by many Senators who have
entered since that time, and who
do not hold the view that the third
term tradition is political hum
y bug"
The Democratic party up to this
time has been faithful to the tradi-
tion, although its members have
not always been agreed as to the
desirability of a constitutional limi-
tation The Democratic platform
Of 1896 declared it to be "the un-
written law of the Republic, estab-
lished by custom and usage of 100
years, and sanctioned by the ex-
ampleS of the greatest and wisest
of those who founded and have
maintained our Government, that
no man should be eligible for a
third term of the presidential Of
fee" The Democratic platform of
1912 favored a constitutional amend
ment for single presidential term.
In keeping with that plank the
Senate on February /, 1918, adopted
q constitutional amendment for a
single term of six years. The
amendment was not acted upon in
the House, although favorably re-
ported by the committee on the ju-
dietary. A prophecy contained in
that report is worth repeating:
Doubtless it is true that even
without any positive law on the
subject - that is, without any
amendment of the Constitution-no
man will ever be called to be Chief
Magistrate for the third time"
No Partisan Issue.
While the Democratic party has
q special responsibility for the
4 maintenance of the third-term ira
dition, the issue cannot be consid-
cred a partisan one. The Repub-
licans for the most part have cher
ished the tradition equally with the
Democrats. President Taft in a
lecture after his service in the White
House said that he was strongly
inclined to the view that it would
have been a wiser provision, as it
was at one time voted in the con-
vention, to make the term of the
President seven years and render
him ineligible thereafter" Mr. Taft
added: Such a change would give
to the Executive greater courage and
independence in the discharge of
, his duties. The absorbing and di-
verting interest in the reelection of
the incumbent taken by these Fed
eral civil servants who regard their
own tenure as dependent upon
his would disappear and the eff
cheney of administration in the last
year of a term would be main-
. tanned"
MY personal preference is for a
contitutional limitation upon the
tenure of Office of the President
There is pending before the Senate
Committee on the Judiciary a Joint
resolution which I have introduced