Evening star., 1940-04-03

polls, which gives persons in control
of party mechanisms a preponder-
ant advantage.
The fact that Mr.. Roosevelt allows
his name to be used on ballots in
preference primaries is somewhat
of a novelty in American politics so
far as the record is concerned, but
the country has for months been
prepared by the third-termers to
take it as matter of course.
1t may well be that there is some
thing flattering to the President
about the way the politicians in the
Democratic party are mobilizing
the voters on the third term issue,
but, sooner or later, the split in the
Democratic party is bound to be-
come wider and wider.
Presents Issue Formally.
While the idea of a third term
for Mr.. Roosevelt has not been con-
sidered by the New Deal office
holders to be inappropriate, many
independent voters have preferred
to wait and see what the President
himself would do about 1t before
coming to the conclusion that he
really is candidate. 1t is difficult,
now that the Wisconsin primary has
been held and votes have been cast
for Mr.. Roosevelt for third nomi-
nation, to realize that the third
term issue is at last formally before
the country Whatever doubts may
have existed before will be dispelled
now and by the Illinois primary
week hence. If the President does
not openly disavow the use of his
name on the ballots it will be con-
strued as a definite signal to all
other contenders that they might as
well step aside If they have been
conditioning their respective candi-
dacies on the probability that Mr..
Roosevelt would decline to run.
Only Vice President Garner and
Postmaster General Farley are
openly anti-third term candidates.
The total number of votes cast for
them measures the protest against
the third term, but it also indicates
how easily the nomination can be
obtained by Mr.. Roosevelt by ma
jority vote in the coming national
convention.
Does the Democratic party in
tend to break the tradition which
Jefferson, Its founder, so strongly
espoused?
Mrs. Roosevelt Speaks.
The most significant statement
about third term yet made by
anybody close to the White House
came from Mrs. Roosevelt this week,
when she was quoted as saying the
third term tradition should not be
broken unless extraordinary circum-
stances or a national emergency
requires it. The political emergencies
of trying to carry local tickets to
victory on the coattails of Mr.
Roosevelt are plainly not extraordi-
nary, and 1t may be assumed that
the President does not so regard
them. either. There are men close
to the President who have been
trying to tell him that no other
Democrat can be elected, but there
are others in the party who feel
that almost any Democrat can be
elected, except Mr.. Roosevelt, be-
cause the third term issue would
split the Democratic party, whereas
united vote may be expected for
any regular nominee other than the
President.
If Mr.. Roosevelt did win, hostile
Congress might also be elected. and
this would tend to endanger liberal
reforms far more than would be
the case even if a so-called con-
servative like Mr. Garner were
elected. The fact is Mr.. Garner
was considered a liberal eight and
four years ago and except for the
attacks by the c. I. O. would be
regarded as much a liberal today
as when he led radical wing of
his party against the Hoover ad-
ministration in 1880 and 1882.
Disclaimer in Prospect.
The third term campaign is on.