第60章

MyopponentsduringthecampaignhadlaidmuchstressuponmysupposedpersonalambitionandintentiontousetheofficeofPresidenttoperpetuatemyselfinpower。Ididnotsayanythingonthesubjectpriortotheelection，asIdidnotwishtosayanythingthatcouldbeconstruedintoapromiseofferedasaconsiderationinordertosecurevotes。Butonelectionnight，afterthereturnswereinIissuedthefollowingstatement：“ThewisecustomwhichlimitsthePresidenttotwotermsregardsthesubstanceandnottheform，andundernocircumstanceswillIbeacandidatefororacceptanothernomination。”

Thereasonformychoiceoftheexactphraseologyusedwastwofold。Inthefirstplace，manyofmysupporterswereinsistingthat，asIhadservedonlythreeandahalfyearsofmyfirstterm，cominginfromtheVice-PresidencywhenPresidentMcKinleywaskilled，Ihadreallyhadonlyoneelectiveterm，sothatthethirdtermcustomdidnotapplytome；andIwishedtorepudiatethissuggestion。Ibelievedthen(andIbelievenow)thethirdtermcustomortraditiontobewholesome，and，therefore，Iwasdeterminedtoregarditssubstance，refusingtoquibbleoverthewordsusuallyemployedtoexpressit。Ontheotherhand，IdidnotwishsimplyandspecificallytosaythatI

wouldnotbeacandidateforthenominationin1908，becauseifIhadspecifiedtheyearwhenIwouldnotbeacandidate，itwouldhavebeenwidelyacceptedasmeaningthatIintendedtobeacandidatesomeotheryear；andIhadnosuchintention，andhadnoideathatIwouldeverbeacandidateagain。CertainnewspapermendidaskmeifI

intendedtoapplymyprohibitionto1912，andIansweredthatIwasnotthinkingof1912，norof1920，norof1940，andthatImustdeclinetosayanythingwhateverexceptwhatappearedinmystatement。

ThePresidencyisagreatoffice，andthepowerofthePresidentcanbeeffectivelyusedtosecurearenomination，especiallyifthePresidenthasthesupportofcertaingreatpoliticalandfinancialinterests。Itisforthisreason，andthisreasonalone，thatthewholesomeprincipleofcontinuinginoffice，solongasheiswillingtoserve，anincumbentwhohasprovedcapable，isnotapplicabletothePresidency。Therefore，theAmericanpeoplehavewiselyestablishedacustomagainstallowinganymantoholdthatofficeformorethantwoconsecutiveterms。ButeveryshredofpowerwhichaPresidentexerciseswhileinofficevanishesabsolutelywhenhehasonceleftoffice。Anex-Presidentstandspreciselyinthepositionofanyotherprivatecitizen，andhasnotoneparticlemorepowertosecureanominationorelectionthanifhehadneverheldtheofficeatall——

indeed，heprobablyhaslessbecauseoftheveryfactthathehasheldtheoffice。Thereforethereasoningonwhichtheanti-thirdtermcustomisbasedhasnoapplicationwhatevertoanex-President，andnoapplicationwhatevertoanythingexceptconsecutiveterms。Asabarrierofprecautionagainstmorethantwoconsecutivetermsthecustomembodiesavaluableprinciple。Appliedinanyotherwayitbecomesamereformula，andlikeallformulasapotentialsourceofmischievousconfusion。Havingthisinmind，Iregardedthecustomasapplyingpractically，ifnotjustasmuch，toaPresidentwhohadbeensevenandahalfyearsinofficeastoonewhohadbeeneightyearsinoffice，andtherefore，intheteethofapracticallyunanimousdemandfrommyownpartythatIacceptanothernomination，andthereasonablecertaintythatthenominationwouldberatifiedatthepolls，Ifeltthatthesubstanceofthecustomappliedtomein1908。Ontheotherhand，ithadnoapplicationwhatevertoanyhumanbeingsavewhereitwasinvokedinthecaseofamandesiringathirdconsecutiveterm。

Havinggivensuchsubstantialproofofmyownregardforthecustom，I

deemitadutytoaddthiscommentonit。Ibelievethatitiswelltohaveacustomofthiskind，tobegenerallyobserved，butthatitwouldbeveryunwisetohaveitdefinitelyhardenedintoaConstitutionalprohibition。ItisnotdesirableordinarilythatamanshouldstayinofficetwelveconsecutiveyearsasPresident；butmostcertainlytheAmericanpeoplearefittotakecareofthemselves，andstandinnoneedofanirrevocableself-denyingordinance。Theyshouldnotbindthemselvesnevertotakeactionwhichundersomequiteconceivablecircumstancesitmightbetotheirgreatinteresttotake。

Itisobviouslyofthelastimportancetothesafetyofademocracythatintimeofrealperilitshouldbeabl