Evening star., 1947-02-07
Tradition Confirmed
By House Tenure Vote

BY House Tenure Vote
Denial of Indispensable Man
Argument Seen in Record
By David Laurence
Back in 1912 when Theodore Roose-
velt was campaigning for what was re-
garded then by many as third term,"
Woodrow Wilson said in his speech ac-
cepting the presidential nomination Of
his party: There is no indispensable
man."
The phrase has Just been given sub
stantial confirmation by the House OF
Representatives which, for the first time
In history, has passed by a two-thirds
vote and submitted to the Senate for
similar action an amendment to the
Constitution limiting presidential ten
ure to two terms of four years each.
The very theory that one man in
generation is alone able to manage and
direct the policies of the Government
Of the United States is repugnant to
the basic principles Of representative
government George Washington and
Thomas jefferson said so in the early
days of the Republic, when longer
period OF succession would have been
readily accepted It has been repeated
by American statesmen. irrespective of
party, in the later year Of the Re-
public.
Fundamentally, republic that must
depend on one man and cannot find
anybody else to do a good executive
job is in a weak position. The impress
sion that only the late Franklin Roose-
velt, for instance, would have been
capable of steering American policy
after 1910, when a third term was
sought, is based on the notion that
American policy would have been diff
ferent under some other President This
may have been doubted few years ago,
but not after Mr.. Roosevelt died.
No Break After RooseveIt's Death.
For when Mr. Roosevelt was sub
tracted by fate, the continuity Of gov
ernment was not interrupted. AS for
foreign policy, 1t may be said that the
principles laid down before 1945 have
been carried out faithfully and even
improved upon.
The Democratic Party made much OF
the don't swap horses in midstream"
idea In 1910 and again in 1914. But
the argument was largely political and
was actually without substance. Who
can say that Wendell Willkie, If elected
in 1910, would have been any differently
disposed than Mr.. Roosevelt toward the
conduct of the war?
AS a matter of fact, liberals-many Of
them on the Roosevelt side-extoled
Mr.. Willkie as man of Rooseveltian
concept on foreign affairs.
Who can say that Governor Dewey
the man who repressed an opportunity
for political gain out of the secret Pearl
Harbor data that he possessed-would
have been any different than Mr.. Roose-
velt in carrying on the war? And who
can say that the Army, Navy and Air
Forces and the efficient United States
joint chiefs of staff would have operated
any less successfully under a President
like Mr.. Dewey than under Mr.. Roose-
velt?
All 121 Opponents Democrats.
These are the questions inherent in
the proposed constitutional amend
ment, for 1t was seriously contended by
the Democrats in the House who voted
against the amendment that the Ma
tion should be free to keep a Presi-
dent indefinitely What this ignores
is the fact that the party in power
can usually perpetuate itself, especial
ly in time of emergency. Thomas JET
ferson argued that no emergency
should be permitted to break down the
two-term tradition.
The fact that all of the 12l votes
cast against the two-term tradition
were Democrats shows the extent to
which personal government has en-
= tered into the thinking of the Demo-
cratic Party today. The theory that
America must be a government OF men
rather than laws apparently Is deeply
ingrained among the Democrats of the
New Deal type.
There were Al Democrats who voted
for the amendment, but 1t Is shocking
to find such large number Of DEM
ocrats voting against the two-term linn
itation. For in doing so, they are vio-
lating the traditional position of the
Democratic Party. which has leaned
even more toward a single term than
two terms.
The amendment will appeal to the
people as q fair one but If the Demo-
cratic Party takes its stand with the
reactionary devotees of one-man gov
ernment of unlimited tenure, it will
be sorry day for the Democrats If they
again endeayor to present themselves