Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1940-09-04
Roosevelt Candidacy
Called Calamity at
Senate Hearing
Educator Backs Burke
Proposal for Single
Six-Yeur Term
BY BLAIR BOLLES.

BY BLAIR BOLLES.
A presidential third term was
criticized at Senate Judiciary SUBJ
committee hearing today when DR..
William Alfred Eddy, president of
Hobart and William Smith Colleges,
Geneva, N. Y, stated that President
'Roosevelt's candidacy while in office
has been q calamity DR.. Eddy
said he was a New Deal Democrat.
DR.. Eddy's was the most vigorous
Of three statements given to the
committee, the others coming from
Thomas Jefferson Coolidge, Under
secretary Of the Treasury until his
resignation in 1886, and great
great-great grandson of Thomas
Jefferson, and from James Truslow
Adams, Pulitzer prize winning his
torian. Ill health kept DR.. Adams
from q personal appearance at the
hearing and Senator Burke, Demo-
crat, of Nebraska, subcommittee
chairman, read his statement.
The hearing was called on two
pending Senate resolutions-one by
Mr.. Burke, to amend the Constitu-
ton to limit the Presidents tenure
of Office to one six-year term, and
the other by Senator Holt, Democrat,
of West Virginia, for a constitution
limitation of presidential tenure TO
two four-year terms. Both Senators
Burke and Holt were defeated In
Democratic primaries this year after
serving one six-year term IN the Sen
ate.
Two Favor Burke Proposal.
Besides Senator Burke, who has
announced his support OF Wendell
Willkie, Republican presidential can
didate, and his opposition to third
term for President Roosevelt, the
subcommittee membership includes
Senators Van Nuys, Indiana, and
Connally, Texas, Democrats, and
Austin, Vermont, and Wiley, Wiscon-
sin. Republicans.
DR.. Eddy and Mr.. Coolidge IA
vored the Burke resolution and
Mr.. Adams the Holt resolution.
The subcommittee tried in vain to
draw from Mr.. Coolidge observa-
tions on the circumstance which
gives unusual interest to the hear
ing-the fact that President Roose-
welt is running for a third term.
DR.. Eddy had no such reluctance.
Mr.. Coolidge advocated a single
six-year term to prevent IAN am
bilious man" from destroying our
form of government"
To-day we have seen definite and
open steps taken to extend the
power of the Executive over that
of Congress and of the Supreme
Court he said.
Not Speaking of Roosevelt.
Mr.. Adams, favoring limiting
presidential terms to two four-year
terms, outlined a worldwide trend
toward dictatorship. then wrote:
II am not speaking of Franklin
Roosevelt, for I do not think he
wants to play the role Of dictator,
but Of any man, present or fu-
ture, who might betallowed to hold
the office of President indefinitely
under the modern and uncontem-
plated conditions of the office and
of the world"
DR.. Eddy said that the Presidents
having to run for reelection while
occupying the White House forced
him to seek succor in the political
slums"-a reference. to the current
Democratic reliance for part of its
support on Mayor Kelly of Chicago
and Mayor Hague of Jersey City.
us it not an outrage" he asked,
"that our election system subjects
the Chief Magistrate to associations
which are distasteful df not intol-
erable) to humble persons in private
life?
I'VE should have more respect for
the office, even if the incumbent
does not. This collaboration of
party campaign managers with IL
1iterate rabble-rousers who spend
their lives destroying civil liberties
Is for many of us a severe blow to
our faith in political democracy,
while physically it acts as an emetic.
The highest officer in the land
should be screened off from infec-
ton from these political Sums"
Greater Need for Limit.
Mr.. Coolidge, who lives in Boston
and is chairman of the United Fruit
Co. and of the Old Colony Trust Co.,
said:
Present day conditions, with in
creased authority in the presidential
Office, result in need for a single
term far greater than in the past.
"One of the most dangerous forms
of power exercised by the Executive
Is the power OF the purse. About
four billion dollars is voted annually
by Congress to be spent by the Ex-
ecutive with wide discretion as to
where, how and to whom this money
should go. There is ample evidence
that abuses have arisen in spending
these funds.
To-day we have seen definite and
open steps taken to extend the
power of the executive over, that
Of Congress and of the Supreme
Court even to the point of interfer-
ence in State elections and in at
tempting to appoint additional
Judges. Thus we see the power
Of the President magnified out of
all resemblance to what was Or
ikinally intended. He has become
the leader of the dominant party.
His government has taken over
duties of the local and State gov
efnments. The executive branch
has been given enormous sums to
spend directly on individual citizens.
Cites Dangers Of Power.
,"To offset this great increase in
pbwer which itself may be used to
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