Letter to the Editor by Daniel F. Clancy

To the Editor: As a former Hoosier, I was interested in the recent Indiana General Assembly debate over ratification of the 22nd Amendment to the U. S. Constitution. Representative Glenn Slenker, House GOP majority leader from Monticello, taunted Representative Joseph Klein (D., Gary) for opposing the amondment limiting Presidents to two terms rithout ever having introduced legislation to allow Indiana governors to serve more than one term. I suggest that Representative Klein introduce legislation to remove the one-term bar on Hoosier governors. Indiana is one of only 17 states having such limitations. Of. these 17 only 14 forbid a governor to succe ed himself, while the other three prohibit more than two successive terms. The wise state utilizes ability and exploits experience. One of the major arguments against such a reform would be that it would permit a governor to perpetuate himself in office with patronage. Actually, while a governor might control party nominating conventions with patronage, he would have no greater control over elections than has been exercised in the past under the one-term rule when a party has utilized patronage power built up under one governor to elect another. But who would dare propose that either party be barred from more than one term in the State House?