The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1901-06-12
The Cabinet First Informed
of His Decision.
THEY HEARTILY APPROVE HIS COURSE
If This Statement Had Been Delayed
it is Believed That Many Would
Have Thought That it Was
Forced From Him by
Public Opinion.
(By The Associated Press)

Washington, June 11.-President McKin-
ley today announced that he would not
accept nomination for third term, in
the following statement:
81 regret that the suggestion of third
term has been made. ! doubt whether |
am called upon to give it notice, but there
are now questions of the gravest impor-
tance before the Administration and the
country and their just consideration should
not be prejudiced in the public mind by
even the suspicion of the thought of a
third term. In view, therefore, of the re-
iteration of the suggestion of it, | will
say now, once for all, expressing long
settled conviction, that l am not pow
and will not be a candidate for third
term and would not accept a nomination
for it If it were rendered me.
MY only ambition is to serve through
my secondgterm to the acceptance of my
countrymen whose generous confidence
! so deeply appreciate, and then with
them do my duty in the ranks of private
citizenship
WILLIAM MCKINLEY.
Executive Mansion, Washington, June
10th, 1901
ment this morning disposing of the thir1
term idea suggested by some Of his ad-
mirers created no great surprise among
his friends who have known of his deep
convictions on the subject. When Sena-
tor Depews suggestion ten days ago that
the President should be reelected for a
third term began to be seriously discussed
and when several of the President $
friends felt called upon to endorse the
idea, the President decided that the pub
lie mind should be instantly cleared OF
even the suspicion that he was seeking
to break down the prccedents of the past
by becoming a candidate for another term.
He broached the subject to Secretary
Long late yesterday afternoon. He told
him he believed that an announcement at
the very inception of the discussion would
be wise and last night officially informed
the members of the Cabinet who had
been informally called together, of his
decision 1t met their hearty approval.
There was unanimous concurrence in the
belief that discussion of third term
for the President, if allowed to go on,
would not only place the President in q
false light before the country but would
arouse antagonsm and greatly cmbarraSs
the Administration in the solution of the
great questions before it. The brief an
nouncement which the President had pre-
pared was given out by Secretary Cortel-
you at noon today.
After the Cabinet meeting today one of
the members said they were unanimous
in their approval of the Presidents pro-
nunciamento regarding the third term.
The member pointed out that If the
President had allowed the discussion to
proceed for any length of time, notw!th-
standing the fact that he has nyer en-
tertained even the most remote idea OF
being a candidate for a third term, an
announcement similar to that ma lie today
would have been subject to the ~ soon
structon that he had been forced By PUB
Tic opinion to give up an ambition which
lie had never had.