Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1940-10-19
Text Of Senator Johnson's Sd Term Speech
BY the Associated Press.

Republican, of California:
When first like a vagrant comet
the ruthless ruler of Germany burst
upon the horizon, the American
people were concerned, but I'M
afraid; and then, when his bloody
aggreSSionS became manifest and
one nation after another fell, they
began to look to their defenses, and
to attempt the repair of them. Then
was the opportunity for few men
in this country to frighten our
people and to cause a hysteria pre-
Sented to us as crisis such as we
had never before seen. Over
emphasized and asserted most clev-
erly it was that the awful crisis was
upon us. 1t was painted in lurid
colors by those who knew so we'll
how to arouse the people. And
then, too, came another crisis very
different-the crisis of third con-
secutive presidential term which
would enable the present incumbent
again to be a candidate, and perhaps
again be elected. One crisis was,
from without, war-like and nebulous
in character; the other, from with
in. very, very close to us all, more
subtle but more important
Various astute and clever pOliti-
clans who knew just what they
wanted soon prepared the means by
which one crisis could minister to
the other. The game was played
then and every endeavor was made
to whip up war scare and war
hysteria. This proved fairly easy
because of the rapidity and ruth
lessness with which the aggressor
nations were acting. The people
were made to believe that st. Louis
and Omaha were about to be
bombed and every species of propa-
ganda was called into use to in
crease their fears. And then mys-
ferrous whisperings were heard about
changing horses in the middle of the
stream, and then the indispensable
man was born. may add, paren-
thetically, that Americans have very
little use for the indispensable man
and when it was found how little
use he was to those who had created
him he gradually retired from the
picture and the crisis.
Recalls RoOsevelt's
Discreet Silence"
The President maintained a dis
cj1oaao until 0f =,
Democratic Convention, and al
though those of us who had been
suspiciously viewing the trend of
events were neither shocked, nor
surprised at this assumed unwilling
ness to become candidate. he
apparently knew full we'll that his
months of preparation and his am
biguous declarations could mean
but one thing, and that the assumed
unwillingness would ripen into
graceful offer to bear the burden of
the great Office and be candidate
again. For the first time in the
history of the Nation We have a
third-term presidential candidate.
And this presents in greater degree
than a flaming war, with its cruel
destruction of peaceful nations. a
crisis purely American. This is the
greater crisis, and perhaps is more
far-reaching than any other I en-
phasize this is an American crisis
alone, and for that reason, we must
solve it ourselves as Americans, in
order that our coveted and boasted
American liberty shall not perish
from the earth.
It is because 1 deem so important
this issue of third term, paling
into insignificance every other is
sue, that I come before you tonight
as an American. who loves his coun-
try above all else, who believes in
its traditions, and its customs, and
in its treasured institutions. to argue
for few minutes upon this most
important subject.
One who has reached his allotted
span, who has no animosities to-
ward any man, and no partisanship
of any sort, I speak neither as Dem
ocrat, nor Republican, nor Progress
sive. I speak from full heart just
as an American, and I choose in
this campaign the man opposed to
the third term. 1t makes no diff
ference to me whether his chance
of election be of one sort or another.
1t makes a vast difference that I
shall preserve that which has been
most dear to me in my life-my
independence and my country's veal.
Washington Set Precedent,
Jefferson Established it.
Let us look at the historical rec
ord for a moment. I choose prin-
cipally the record Of the Democratic
party for wish to speak mainly to
my Democratiac friends.
George Washington set the prece-
dent of a two-term limit for Chief
Executives, although Thomas Jeffer-
son established it. Jefferson is the
patron saint of the Democratic
party. Until the recent Democratic
convention you have heard him
quoted and praised by all Demo-
Gratis. It remained for this last con-
vention to boo him when Carter
Glass was nominating Jim Farley,
and quoting Jefferson as opposed
to a third term. What a long way
we have travelled! Until at last we
find, after Jefferson had been VEN
Grated for more than a century, his
words praised as pearls of wisdom;
whose advice has been so clear and
persuasive that it has always been
followed, this popular hero, this
Democratic saint is booed in a
Democratic convention! And Moth
ing more distinguished that con-
vention, or extinguishes it, In the
opinion of thinking people, than
those boos heard in 1910 at one
whose name had ever been received
with veneration and acclaim, and
one who had measured up in his life
to the Hottest heights of patriotism.
But Jefferson established the prin-
ciple of a two-term limit for Presi-
dents. Washington set the prece-