Show I SHORTEN THE TERM A good many people demand that the presidential term shall be increased to six years and that no president I dent lent shall immediately succeed himself They Ther urge as a reason that the presidential campaign is a great disturber of business and ought to be avoided except when absolutely necessary We Ye are more and more mora I impressed as this campaign goes on with the belief I that the presidential term should not last over one year that there should be a national convention every year ear that in electing delegates to the national convention convention con con- the people of each state should express their t preference for president and then that the national I II I convention from the men so voted for should select selecta a candidate for president and another for vice dent That would t take ke away all the objectionable fea- fea hires and it would prevent any man being a president presidentS S I too long Poor human nature is weak md we can cun imagine two kinds of men either of whom hom it would 1 be a misfortune to have ha in office six years Jears The fhe one kind is the incompetent crowd the other kind the competent ones who have at the same time so much vanity and egotism that with continued power and continued success they get to believe that they were born to be president and ought to be president for life An election every year ear would prevent men from making months of calculations how the they would be affected affected affected af af- af- af in their private business by a presidential elec elec- tion If the election Ayas as once a year no man with congress instituted as it now is could do a great deal of harm but might do a great deal of good We believe Massachusetts elects her governor every year The result is that her people are always alert always on the watch and just by bJ association get to be well posted upon the issues which concern the state and the nation We Ve have havo not tried the one term terra but we believe I we have tried the four and the eight and most of the people have learned the fact that eight years rears is too j long for any man to be president When a man is reelected reelected reelected re- re elected president after serving four years he has to tobe tobe be a most resolute man not to quietly nurse in his own soul the that he does e thought not need the country country country coun- coun try any more but that the country cannot get along without him That is a dangerous position for any man to occupy and the power to do it ought be taken |