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Show SfiTO i Our Founding Fathers Found FoundThe Found- Found FoundThe - " The Babyon Baby on Their Doorsteps DoorstepsKept I Kept Uncle SamuellD Samuelin Samuel in lD Stew 153 Years-Hamilton Years Hamilton YearsHamiltonWanted YearsHamiltonWanted Years - HamiltonWanted Wanted Presidents 'During During 'Durmg Durmg ' Good Behavlor- Behavlor Behavior- Behavior BehavlorOneTerm BehaviorOneTerm Behavior ' - One-Term One Term - Bills Pop Up Frequently Fref1.1ently Fref11ently ( . . EDITOR EDJTORS S A 1\ 1 \ 1OTE \ OTElJetween OTEIjeiween OTE -lJetween lJetween -Ijeiween Ijeiween - Between nolO new nolOand newand nowand and the summer .ummer ummer . day when the she Democrane Demo Demoeratlc Democratic eratlc crane party nominates nominate . Us II U . , , candidate canthdaie for forPresident forPresident forPresident President the ( he third tlurd ilurd term issue .ue ue . u.ul uul uill It . III be beone beone beone one of the most dsCUsed dscrissed d scusscd sCUsed scrissed $ questionsof quesllon questions questionsof . of the 19W 1910 campaign That dISCUSSion dISCUSSionmay discussionmay discussionmay may continue unl1 unl11ovember unl Wit I November 1\ovember 1 ovember Povember \ , 4in 4 increasing In Increasln8 increasing creasln8 creasing in intensity InUJn5lty sniensiiy as IU election elecllon day daydralu daydratts daydrau.s daydraus dralu dratts . near To help OUT our readers readen Judge Judgefor judgeI judgeor judgefor for I or tl :1 1 tlermelveJ :1emselvei : emselves ermelveJ emselvei the merits of the Ihe argu arguments argument3 argumenu ments ment3 for or against agalnsl a PresldenllCll Presidentwl PresldenllCllthird Presidentwlthird Presidentialthird third term this thu newspaper presents prcienti/ prcienti prcientierewith erewith 1erewith 1 / 1er er Wllh ( > tle :1e : tf tl :1 1 e first in a . series .erles erles of oj three threeart threeart threeartcles art des des which IUhuh IUhuh81t : 81t giie gite e .ome ome some . omc of of1le the 1le ; hu his hutoncal historical histoncal toncal torical backfn-ound backfn ound bac"ound bacound background " , " - of th Ih t issue usue It 11 u is isneither uneither isneither neither FOR nor AGAINST AGAIVST AGAIVSTa AGAINSTa a third thirdlenn thirdterm thirdterm lenn term it II s mply scan scans . the past and81veS and end 81veS gives 81veSan givesan givesan an impartial Impartialreport report ofIts of its findings findingsI I THE TDE TIlE FOUNDING rATDERS rATHERS rATDERSAND rATHERSAND FATHERSAND AND CONGRESSQHALL CONGRESS CONGRESSQHALL QHALL the President of ofLi of0 SHALL Li these United Umted States be beelected beJelected elected for a certain certam term of ofyears ofyears years and thereafter be m in ineligible meligible9 meligible9What el1glble eligible ? ' What shall that term be beSix ? ' SIX years years7 ? Seven years years7Twenty ? ' Twenty years years7 years7Or ? ' Or shall he be permitted to toserve toserve toserve serve during durmg good behavior 7Those 7 ? 7Those Those were some of the queshons questions queshonswhich questionswhich questionswhich which the Founding Foundmg Fathers meet meet- meeting meeting meeting - - ing m in Philadelphia Pruladelphia 153 years ago agotried agotried agotried tried to answer as they struggled struggledWIth struggledwith struggledwith WIth their gigantic task of devising devisinga a frame of government for the new newrepublic newrepublic newrepublicConsidered newrepublic republic republicConsidered Considered Seven Tear Year TermOn TermOn Term TermOn On May 29 Gov Edmund Ran Randolph Randoiph Randolph dolph doiph of Virginia Vlrgmla and Charles P nck nckney nckney nekney ney of South Carolina both present presented presented ed resolutions resoluhons providing for an exec execuhve executive executive uhve utive to be chosen by the national nationallegislature nationallegislature nationallegislature legislature for a term of years yearsand yearsand yearsand and to be ineligible a second hme time hmeThree timeThree timeThree Three days later a vote was taken takenon takenon takenon on a seven year term tor for this executive exec execuhve executive uhve utive Five states voted for it and andfour andfour andfour four against agamst itThe ItThe it itThe The next day a motion to make makethe makethe makethe the executive inehg inelig ble after seven sevenyears sevenyears sevenyears years also was carried earned by a vote of of7 7 to 2 Apparently that matter wassettled was wassettled wassettled settled But two weeks later it was wasbrought wasbrought wasbrought brought up again and Alexander AlexanderHamilton AlexanderHamilton AlexanderHamilton Hamilton proposed that the supreme supremeexecutive supremeexecutive supremeexecutive executive authority authoJ:1ty authoJ1ty : be vested In aGovernour aGovernour a aGovernour Governour to be elected to serve servedurmg serveduring serveduring durmg during good behavIOrThe behaviorThe behavior behaviorThe The delegates turned thumbs thumbsdown thumbsdown thumbsdown down on this idea and on June 19 19voted 19voted 19voted voted tor for a seven year term for the thePresIdent thePresident thePresident PresIdent who should be Inehg inel1g inelig ble blefor blefor blefor for re election elechon A month later how however however bowever ever they changed their minds mmds and andstruck andstruck andstruck struck out the meligibility mel1glblllty ineligibility clause clauseThen clauseThen clauseJThenJoUowed Then followed a long debate During Good Behavior ' Once more the during good be behavlor behavior behavior havlor havior clause bobbed up but againit agam again agamit againit it fa failed ed to pass There was a sug suggestlOn suggestion suggestion gestlOn gestion that the Chief Executive Execuhve be beelected beelected beelected elected for 20 years and another that thathe thathe thathe he be chosen by the legislature With Withthe withthe withthe the provision that no person be el ci ciig elig I IIg Ig ble for more than six years Inany In Inany inany any 12 years Both of these plans planswere planswere planswere were rejected andeventually and eventually they theywent theywant theywent went want back to the seven year term termwith termwith termwith with its ineligibility meliglbllity a second hme time hmeproviso timeproviso timeproviso timeprovisoThis proviso provisoTlus provisoThis This Tlus was in July and tor for the next nexttwo nexttwo nexttwo two months the presidential presldenhal term termwas termwas termwas was repeatedly debated On Sep September Septernber September tember ternber 4 it was brought up agam again againwith againwith With the suggestion suggeshon that the Presi President President President dent s term be made tour four years yearsA yearsA yearsA A motion to change this back to sev seven seven seven en years and another to six years yearswere yearswere yearswere were defeated andon and on September 15 i5 15It i5it 15it It was finally agreed agrced that the Presl Presi Presldent President President dent should be chosen by an elee eleetoral dec dectoral electoral toral college for tour four years no limitto lImit lImitto limitto to his re eligibility ehglbillty being bemg fixed fixedProblem fixedProblem fixedProblem Problem Bobbed up AgamAlthough AgainAlthough Again Agam AgainAlthough Although the adoption ackJphon adiption of the Con Constltutlon Constitution Constitution stltutlon stitution on September 17 1787 17B7 ap apparently apparently apparently parently settled this question queshon of ofpresidential ofpresidential ofpresidential presidential tenure sat sfactorily It itas itw " , as a question that was dest ned to tocome tocome tocome come up again agam and again agam m in future futureyearsespecially futureyearsespecially futureyears years-especially years especially - especially in m the legislative legislativebranch legislativebranch legislativebranch branch of our government After Alter Afterthe Alterthe Afterthe the contested election of 1800 1800a a resolution resoluhon was presented in thesenate the thesenate thesenate senate that no person who has hasbeen hasbeen hasbeen been twice successively elected electedPresident electedPresident electedPresident President shall be eligible as Presl Presi Presldent President President dent unt until four years elap elapse elape e when whenhe whenhe whenhe he may be el ci gible to office for four fouryears fouryears i iyears years and no longer But the senate senaterejected senaterejected I IreJected reJected this by a vote of 25 to 4Twenty 4Twenty 4 4Twenty Twenty years later however the thesenate thesenate thesenate senate passed fiassed assed a joint jomt resolution by bya bya bya a vote of 36 to 3 providing provldmg that no noman noman noman man should be chosen President for formore formore formore more than two terms But the housefailed house housefailed housefailed failed to act on this resolution so sonothmg sonothing sonothing nothmg nothing more was done about pres presl presldential presidcntlal I Identlal dentlal dential tenure until the contested contestedelectIOn contestedelection contestedelection electIOn of 1824 brought it up agam again agamThcn againThen agamThen Thcn Then no less than 10 20 amendments amendmentsto to the Constitut Conshtut on Intended to 1 mil mIt milthe mItthe mitthe the President Presldcnt to one term were de- de do- do debated dobated de debated - - bated m in congressMany congressMany congress congressMany Many Resolutions OfYeredDurmg OfferedDuring Offered OfYered OfferedDuring During Durmg Jackson s 15 admin stratlon stration stration21 21 Jo nt at resolutions deal ng rig with a aI aI I 1 mitation mltahon of the presidential term termwere ten tenwere termwere were introduced mtroduced in m congress but butnone butnone butnone none was acted upon Some of these theserecommended theserecommended theserecommended recommended a single smgle term of tour four touror fouror fouror or six years otheis othelS proh bited bUed blted a athird athird athird third term and st 11 others were wereaga Wereaga wereaga aga nst nat more than two consecutive consecutivet"rms Consecutivetrms consecutivefarms t"rms trms " In Van Buren s a admin admm stra strn $ - \ jc ( _ , , C - J \ GEORGE GEORGI : WASHINGTON WASD1'lGTON WASD1lGTON WASUINGTON WASHINGTONtion WASUINGTONtion ' tion tlon 10 one term joint jomt resoluhons resolutions resoluhonswere resolutionswere resolutionswere were introduced mtroduced but tailed failed to passFor passFor pass passFor For the next 30 years the th rd rdterm rdterra rdterm term terra issue was dormant , , mainly mamly be because because because cause there was a succession of one oneterm oneterm oneterm term Presidents But during durmg the theadmmlstrahon theadministration theadministration admmlstrahon administration of Andrew Johnson Johnsonthere Johnsonthere Johnsonthere there were 12 joint resolutions resoluhons rec recommendIng recommendlng recommending ommendIng ommendlng single smgle presidentialterms presidentialterms presidential terms without any action being bemg taken tak taki taken taken i en upon them But B1.t B1t Bit . m in 1875 when It Itseemed itseemed itseemed seemed likely that Grant would be bea bea bea a cand date for a third term William WilliamM WilliamM M Springer Sprmger of Illinois IllmOIS introduced WilliamI a aresolution aresolution aresolution I resolution in m the house . That in the opinion opmlon of this thisHouse thisHouse , Douse House the precedent established establishedby I Iby by Washington Washmgton and other Presi Presidents Presidents Presidents dents ot of the United UDited Stales States tn in re retiring retiring retiring tiring from the presidential of office offlee office fice flee after heir their ( second seeond term has hasbecome hasbecome hasbecome become by unlversi unlversl universl concur concurrence concurrence concurrence rence a part of our republican republicansystem republIcansystem republicansystem system of government and that thatany thatany thatany any departure from this time timehonored timehonored timehonored honored custom would be un on unwise onwise onwise wise unpatriotic nnpatnotic and fraughtwith fraught fraughtwith fraughtwith with peril to oar our free msl1tu uistitu msl1tutions uistitutions mstitutions mstitutionsTh tionsTh tions Th s 15 a resolution was adopted by a avote avote avote vote of 234 to 18 with 38 not votmgTwo votingTwo voting votmg votingTwo Two years later after President PresidentHayes PresidentHayes PresidentHayes Hayes in his inaugural address hadrecommended had hadrecommended hadrecommended recommended a constitutional constitutionalamendment constitutionalamendment constitutionalamendment amendment limiting limitmg the President Presidentto to a single smgle term of six years Springer Sprmger Sprmg Spring er offered another resolution resoluhon em embodying embodying embodying bodying Hayes recommendation recommendationand and other reforms But no action actionwas actionwas actionwas was taken on the resolutionThe resolutionThe resolution resolutionThe The third term issue remained in inthe inthe mthe the background until unlil 1892 when whenGrover whenGrover whenGrover Grover Cleveland who had been beenfirst beenfirst beenfirst first elected m 1D in 1884 18B4 and de defeated defeated defeated feated m in 1888 IB88 i888 was again elected electedThen electedThen electedThen Then no less than 13 amendments amendmentswere amendmentswere amendmentswere were Introduced m in congress to l1D1lt limit l1D1ltthe limitthe limitthe the presidential presldenhal term in various variousways variousways variousways variouswaysBrought ways waysBrought waysBrought Brought up np in 1912Again 1912 1912Again 1912Again Again there was a lull of 20 years yearsuntil yearsuntil yearsuntil until 1912 when the house commit committee committee committee tee on the judiciary submitted a afavorable afavorable afavorable favorable report on a resolution resoluhon pro proposmg proposing proposing posmg posing a constitutional constltuhonal amendment1 amendmentI amendment 1 I miting millng the President to a smgle single singlesix smgleSIX singlesix SIX year term but no further achon action achonwas actionwas actionwas was taken During Durmg this 'ear ear } ; ) ' ear some some21 21 such amendments were mtro intro mtroduced introduced mtroduced duced In the house and in m 1913 the thesenate thesenate thesenate senate passed a joint resolution resolubon by bya bya bya a vote of 47 to 23 proposing proposmg a Slml simi Slmllar similar similar lar amendment but the house re refused refused refused fused to act upon itIn itIn it itIn In 1927 when talk was started startedabout startedabout startedabout about the poss bility billty of Calvin Coo-1 Coo 1 Cool Coo- Coo Cooidge - - - l idge dge seeking seekmg re election the anti antithird antithird antithird third term resolubons resoluhons resolutions began to come comethIck Comethick comethick thIck and fast The first one of offered offered oftered fered by Rep Beck of Wisconsin a aRepublican aRepublican aRepublican Republican was practically prachcally the thesame thesame thesame same as the Springer resolution of ofIB75 of1875 IB75 1875 suggesting a conshtuhonal constitutional conshtuhonalamendment constitutionalamendment constitutionalamendment amendment agamst against a th rd term termThen termThen termThen Then Senator LaFollette LaFoIlette introduced Introduceda a s 15 a milar milan resolution resoluhon in the senateResoluhons senateResolutions senate senateResolutions Resolutions Resoluhons Not Acted Upon UponIn UponIn UponIn In the meantime Representative RepresentativeFairchild RepresentativeFairchild RepresentativeFairchild Fairchild of New York a Republican RepublI RepublIcan Rcpublican can had offered a conshtutional constitutional conshtutionalamendment constitutionalamendment constitutionalamendment amendment that No person shall be beellglble beeligible beeligible ellglble eligible to the office omce of President |