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174679380
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Letter from Daniel F. Clancy to Senator Scott Lucas
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174679380
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document
title
Letter from Daniel F. Clancy to Senator Scott Lucas
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Records of the National Committee Against Limiting the Presidency
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174679380
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12
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1949-02-12
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2
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1949
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February 12, 1949
Dear Senator Lucas:
In an effort to prevent ratification of the 22nd
Amendment (which would limit Presidents to two terms),
I am forming a National Committee against Limiting the
Presidency and would like to have you as a member.
Mr. Harold L. Ickes has already joined with me in
this metter, and I am now contacting you along with a
limited number of others whose names would lend strength
to this movement.
I hope that you will feel with me that we should
leave the Presidency as it was planned in the Constitut-
ion--and that we can be safe in trusting the people to know
which President they want, and how long they want him.
Present status of the amendment follows: 22 states
have ratified, two have refused to ratify, two do not
have legislatures meeting this year, and 22 with legislatur-
es meeting this year have not vat voted.
The amendment will fail if 11 states of the 24 yet to
vote can be persuaded to refuse to ratify, since 36 must
ratify to write the amendment into the Constitution. The
recent elections, which changed the complexion of many
legislatures, indicate that the amendmenti may yet be de-
feated.
Since 1940, when I wrote a booklet called "The Two
Term Tradition,' I have been convinced that attempts to
limit Presidential tenure are based mostly on partisanship
and are contrary to sound political philosophy. We corres-
ponded in 1940, when you expressed agreement with my pro-
third term booklwt, and I trust that you still feel strongly
about this principle.)
I contemplate a quick campaign of letters to legislat. -
ive leaders, along with literature helpful to them in
fighting the amendment during debate.
Speed is imparative if this committee is to be form-
(
ed, lepislators contacted, and literature mailed before too
many states have acted. Please reply at once if I may and
your name to this committee. Reply must plach meFel, by 23.
Sincerely,
Daniel Francis Clancy
532 S. Fountain Ave.
Springfield, Ohio
DFC:fjs