Evening star., 1940-08-11
By Raymond p. Brandt.

second term, and he himself was re-
elected in 1904. He refused third term
although eight of the II Legislatures
memorialized him to take another four
years 1t was in answer to the petition
from Vermont that he made his famous
statement which henceforth was quoted
whenever President was talked of
for third term:
THAT I should lay down my charge at
a proper period is as much a duty as to
have borne 1t faithfully. If some termi-
nation to the services of the Chief
Executive be not fixed by the Constitu-
ton, or supplied by practice, his Office,
nominally for four years, will in fact
become for life; and history shows how
easily that degenerates into an inherit
ance. Believing that representative
government responsible at short periods
of election is that which produces the
greatest sum of happiness to mankind
feel it duty to do no act which shall
essentially impair that principle; and I
should unWillingly be the first person
who, disregarding the sound precedent
set by an illustrious predecessor, should
furnish the first example of prolongation
beyond the second term of Office"
Feared Executive Rule.
Like many who remembered the days
of British rule, Jefferson was fearful of
executive domination of government
During the Confederation period of
the 13 States elected their governors
annually and today, after more than $50
years, II States have constitutional in
hibitions against consecutive terms and
one, Delaware, has a constitutional pro-
vision that its Governor may not be
elected for third time.
Jefferson was fortunate in circum-
stances which permitted him to pass on
the Presidency to James Madison, who
he knew would carry out his policies.
Whether Franklin D. Roosevelt would
have considered third nomination had
he been able to secure the selection and
election of Attorney General Robert H.
Jackson or Secretary of Agriculture
Henry A. Wallace must remain one of
the interesting lit might have been"
questions.
Madison was followed by James Mon
roe. Both adhered to Jefferson's pro-
nouncement against third term, and
the aging sage of Monticello wrote:
"The example of four Presidents vol
unfairly retiring at the end of their
eighth year and the progress of public
opinion that the principle is salutary
have given it in practice the form of
precedent and usage; insomuch that,
that should President consent to be
candidate for third term, I trust he
of ambitious views"
Adams Memoirs Quoted.
John Quincy Adams, Monroes sue
cessor, served only one term after his
election by the House. In his memoirs,
Adams opposed the anti-third term ira
dition, observing:
This Is not principle of the Con-
stitution, and I am satisfied it ought
not to be. It's inevitable consequence Is
to make every administration a scene Of
continuous and furious electioneering for
the succession of the presidency"
Jackson, after his election in 1928,
recommended in his first and five sub
sequent messages to Congress a con-
stitutional amendment abolishing the
electoral college and providing for popu-
lar election to the presidency.
I'm connection with such an amend
ment," he wrote in 1928, "it would seem
advisable to limit the service of the
Chief Executive to single term of four
or six years"
Although he advocated a single term,
Jackson accepted a second term. He
refused third for two reasons: He was
ailing and almost 10 years old in 1886,
and he had selected his successor, Mar
tin Van Buren, who served only one term.
William Henry Harrison, who was
elected in 1910, recommended in his in
augural address constitutional amend
ment establishing single presidential
term and announced that: Under no
circumstances will I consent to serve a
second term"
u. S. Grant was more ambiguous than
Calvin Coolidge on third term. To-
ward the end of his second administra-
ton he took notice OF reports that he
might seek reelection, so he wrote to
Gen. Harry White of Pennsylvania:
Nov for the third term. I do not want
it any more than did the first"
He added, however, that there was
nothing in the Constitution against a
third term and observed that the time
might come when . change at the end
i