Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-07-31
THIRD TERM TALK
Two Opinions in Democratic Circles
on the Presidents Duty.
One CALLS FOR PROMPT DECLARATION
The Other Advocates the Policy of
Continued Silence.
THE HOPE IN della Y

The latest story respecting Mr.. Cleve-
lands attitude toward a third term rep
resents him as comforting freely with his
more intimate friends on the subject. The
ames OF those friends are not given. The
story in certain quarters is attributed to
cabinet officer. The politicians are puz-
Zied. But little more than a week ago
Secretary Carlisle, in a conversation with
a. friend. afterward printed in the news
papers, stated that close as he was to the
President. the subject of a third term had
never come up between them. Secretary
Lamont has also declared that the Presi-
dent has never mentioned the subject to
him. Is there anybody, in the cabinet or
out of it. with whom the President confers
more freely about public questions and his
own relations to them than with Mr.. Car
Isle and Col. Lamont?
Some ThinI He Should Speak Out.
There are two opinions in democratic
circles on the subject of the course the
President should pursue in this matter,
and they represent faithfully the wishes "
those who entertain them. The men who
oppose a third term think that the Presi-
dent should seize the earliest opportunity
to speak out. They assume that he must
know how popular the topic has become
versation, and they hold that it is not
topic to be safely left too long to specuIa-
ton. Delay, as they believe will injure
10th Mir. Cleveland and his party. He Will
suffer because of the assumption, which
will grow, that he is willing TO violate the
great precedent If only he can assure HIM
self of success, and the party will suffer
because of the impression given to the
country that 1t contains but one man upon
whom the hope of winning at the polls can
with anything like confidence be hung.
Two ways are suggested in connection with
the question of how the proper announce,
might write letter in reply to a letter,
or he might improve the occasion of send
ing his next message to Congress to make
his intentions known. Either method, 1t is
held, could be made tie means of setting
the whole matter entirely at rest
The Policy of Silence.
But there are third-term democrats-men
who see neither danger to the country nor
any sort of improperly in the proposed
renewal of Mr.. Cleveland's lease of Office
and these men hold that MIR. Cleveland
should not, under any circumstances, say
word on the subject at this time. Why
should he? they ask. 1t is not his duty to
take notice of general speculation in the
newspapers or elsewhere on any topic.
He cannot afford to assume anything re-
speeding himself. A third term has not
been offered him. For him to come for
ward now, therefore, with no better reason
for doing so than general speculation and
decline another term as President would
these men declare, be an act of most cues
tionable taste. They do not believe Mr..
Cleveland capable of it. He shoNld they
insist, let this matter settle itself, and
they think that such will be his decision
The Hope In Delay.
The hope of the third-termers is in de-
lay. They are confident that if Mr. Clevc-
land maintains silence, and issues no pri-
vate word of warning to his friends, the
sentiment of the democracy will again de-
mand his leadership. He stands, as they
Insist, not only for more than my other
man in the party, but conspicuously for
the very things that the country next year
will be most interested in. The argument
is the same advanced by the friends of
Gen. Harrison in his behalf. Here is the
man who has been tried Whatever the
party claims credit for, and asks indorse-
ment on, he represents. Put him up and
he'll answer FOR both candidate and plat
FORM Fail to put him up, and the general
sentiment Of the party will experience 4
chill And, curiously enough. the men who
are advocating another term for Mr.. Cleve-
land believe that Gen. Harrison Will lead
the republicans again next year, while the
Harrison republicans are predicting that
the democrats will again take Mr.. Cleve-
land