Evening star., 1940-09-06
Roosevelt Is Quoted
As Backing Coolidge
Against Third Term
Senator So lnterprets
1882 Speech on Long
Tenure by One Porty
By BLAIR BOLLES.

BY BLAIR BOLLES.
Franklin D. Roosevelt once ap-
proved an anti-third term state
ment made by Calvin Coolidge,
. Senate Judiciary Subcommittee
was told today by Senator Wiley,
Republican, of Wisconsin.
Senator Wiley first read what he
considered anti-third term views ex-
pressed by Mr.. Coolidge when he
was running successfully for the
vice presidency, October 81, 1920.
He then read Mr.. Roosevelt's an
nouncement of his agreement with
the Coolidge view, given Novem-
Der ;, 1882, just before his election.
The Wisconsin Senator put into
the record this excerpt from Mr..
Roosevelt's 1882 remarks really di-
rected more against the idea of long
continuance of a single party in
control OF the presidency, rathe;
than Of single person.:
Let me propose text which in
my opinion expresses thought vide
ly held this year. 1t is stated so
clearly. so distinctly and so ad-
mirably that I would not change
word Of it even though it was
spoken IL years ago.
Change Of Parties Is Theme.
Coming from great figure in
our national life, it deserves serious
consideration, and coming from
q great Republican, it deserves
patriotic consideration from Repub-
leans.
"For one reason or another (Mr.
Roosevelt quoting the past), even a
wisely led political party given a
long enough tenure of Office finally
fails to express any longer the will
OF the people. and when it does so
fail to express the will of the people,
1t ceases to be an effective instru-
ment OF government.
at is far better for such a DO
litical party, and certainly better for
the State, that it should be relegated
to the role of critic and that the
opposing political party should as
sumo the reins of government. This
condition appears to have arrived in
America
"That, my friends (said Mr.. Roose-
velD, is the sober conclusion of a
cautious public man not long ago
President of the United States,
Calvin Coolidge. With every word
Of 1t I heartily agree"
Quotes Coolidge.
Senator Wiley. providing one of
the hearings few direct references
to the fact that Mr.. Roosevelt now
Is running for a third term, also put
into the present record Mr.. Coo
ldge's observation that a President
after two terms is too physically
his position and is apt to become
subject to self-delusion as to the
extent of his own wisdom.
Mr.. Roosevelt made no reference
to this part of the Coolidge state
ment.
Senator Burke, Democrat, of Ne
braska, subcommittee chairman,
pointed out that. the current hear
ings have no application to the
present situation. He is author of
4 blu that would pave the way for
q constitutional amendment limiting
the Presidents incumbency to one
term of six years.
Bishop Edwin Holt Hughes of the
Methodist Church urged, at the
hearing. that the third-term issue
be put to the country after this
election day, when our likes and
dtslikes, warranted or unwarranted,
have ceased to be excited"
Mr.. Burke said it is only "coinci-
dence" that the hearings are being
held so days before the third-term
question will have its first test at
the polls.
The anti-third term tradition is a
safeguard against dictatorship in
this country, former Representative
Pettengill, Democrat, OF Indiana
told the committee.
Burke Invites Explanations.
Earlier Senator Burke sent pub
lie invitation to l8 Senators to teSti-
~ why they voted against third
term for any President in 1928"
With tongue in cheek, the Ne
hraska Democrat, who has an
nounced he would oppose President
Roosevelt for a third term, chal-
lenged his colleagues to explain why
they would or would not do the
same.
The challenge went out as an
echo to a spirited "third-term" dis
cussion In the Senate chamber yes
terday as result of the Burke sub
committee hearings.
Chairman Ashurst of the Judi
ciary Committee told the Senate
he was a victim of torrents of criti-
ciSm" because of the Burke subcom-
mittee hearings, but defended the
right of Senator Burke to conduct
the inquiry.
Burke's Authority Questioned.
Democratic Leader Barkley and
Senator Byrnes, Democrat, of South
Carolina questioned the authority
of Senator Burke to conduct the
hearings because the subcommittee
once had reported without hearings.
Recalling that both Senators
Barkley and Ashurst had voted for
an "anti-third-term" resolution in
the Senate in 1928 under the Cool
idge administration, Senator Burke
promptly invited them to explain
their change OF minds.
Senator Ashurst insisted he had
not changed his mind about a third
term. although insisting he had the
right to do this. Then he added,
but I am confronted with such a
situation that I must vote for a
third-termer or third-rater, and I
prefer to vote for a third-termer
rather than a third-rater."
Senators Listed.
Senator Barkley, after observing
that q wise man sometimes changes
his mind. fool never" insisted that
changed conditions now existed.
l..