Evening star., 1940-10-23
Warns Of Danger
In Third Term
Believes Roosevelt Victory
Would Impair Integrity
Of Presidential Office

VI IIeSIOenIIOI VIItCS
To the Editor Of The Star:
There is a certain tradition in Ameri-
can history as basic as the third-term
tradition. It has never been phraSed.
But it has been recognized. 1t is the
tradition that the President of the
United States and the dominant leader
of a political machine shall not be one
and the same man.
Mark Hanna of Ohio was the domi-
nant political leader of the Republican
party in 1896. He dictated the nominal
ton of William Mckinley, and Nc
Kinley was elected President. But
Hanna himself was satisfied with a
seat in the Senate.
Boies Penrose succeeded Matt Quay as
the dominant Republican leader Of
PENNSYLVANIA. He also was Senator,
and became Republican leader of the
Senate. Even though i'll at the time,
he may be regarded as the dominant
leader of the senatorial clique which
brought about the nomination of Hard
ing in 1920.
But these men had one thing ii COM
mon. They respected, not necessarily
the person of the President, but the
integrity of the presidential Office. Even
with great political power, they were
content with lesser places. Historically,
they now get respect which is in no
sense grudging.
In England the King is one man and
the Prime Minister another. In pre-war
France, the President was one man and
the Premier another. Even in Japan,
the Emperor is one man and the Premier
another. That gives stability Prime
Ministers come, and while in Office they
have power. But when they go, the
head of the state remains as the symbol
of basic national unity.
The symbol of national unity in our
country is that tradition which Hanna
and Penrose respected. 1t is the tradi-
ton OF the occupancy Of the presidency
by man who, in major decisions affect
ing national welfare, is untouched by
personal ambition.
The changing of any basic tradition
is matter affecting the national well
fare. 1t has become a basic tradition
that nomination for second term is an
honored custom while nomination for
third term is suspect of the motivation
of personal ambition.
The specific prohibition was omitted
from the Constitution for valid reason.
Circumstances conceivably could arise in
which very great man might be serv-
ing a second term during critical pc
riod. But there have been onP three
Presidents outstanding in critical times,
all in the previous century, whose mo-
tives have been clearly beyond all per-
sonal ambition Even though another
critical time is here, it is a hardy New
Dealer who undertakes to compare the
present incumbent with them.
If we have a third term there will
be two major countries in which the
titular head of the state IS also the un-
disputed leader of the dominant political
machine Those countries will be Ger
many and the United States of America.
Even in Italy the King remains as titular
head of the state and exerts influence.
Any one who doubts this has only to
remember what he heard coming over
the radio from Chicago. No amount of
persuasive radio oratory can obliterate
that from the recollection of any intel
ligent man. The fact that the stage
scenery was not supposed to be visible
does not alter the more important fact
that it was intended to be there.
Mark Hanna and Boies Penrose were
politically ruthless but basically wise.
They clearly understood not only the
symbolism Of the presidency but also
the vital importance of that symbolism
to national unity. They manipulated
political administration, but they never
thought of laying hands on the basic
tradition of the country itself. They
knew that symbol, to be permanent,
must be unspotted with suspicion. Nc
Kinley was a good President and Harding
was good man. Hanna was right, and
If Penrose was not, it was because of
circumstances which neither he nor
Harding foresaw or desired.
Franklin Roosevelt respected that
symbol during his first two campaigns.
In 1882 he was the candidate. Jim
Farley was the boss of the most clean
cut political machine this country has
ever known, and in that capacity won the
respect of Democrats and Republicans
alike In 1886, the Presidents political
momentum was so great that similar
campaign only increased the majority of
an already assured victory.
Neither Mark Hanna nor Boies Pen
rose ever impaired the American tradi-
ton of the integrity of the presidency.
Jim Farley specifically recognized it by
placing it above his own political career.
If, therefore, there is Democratic
victory in November, more than the
tradition of two presidential terms will
go down. For the first time in our his
tory we will then have in the highest
titular Office of our country man who
is at the same time the undisputed
leader of the dominant political machine.
Del Mar, Calf. G. B. STUDLEY.
October 10