The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-11-23
TWO TERMS
 AND NO MORE Said to Be ROOSeyelt'S Policy For All.
 -s-- OFFICEHOLDERS ALARMED PlauSibility Lent to Reported Limited Tenure.
 - Roosevelt Himself Announced That He Would Not Seek Another Nom inatiOn--AgitatiOn for Re- vision of the TariR Laws. 

Something akin to consternation Is fluttering around in the bosoms of Fed eral office holders in Washington and the dread sensation is likely to go wherever anybody holds United States Government job by the Presidents ap- pointment, who has been in office more than four years. 1t Is because of rumor that 1t has gone out from the White House that no Presidential ap- pointee shall serve third term.
 Plausibulty Is lent to the report in view of the fact that President Roose- welt himself has flung away ambi- tion" to succeed himself after the ex- piration of the term to which he has just been elected. Mir. Roosevelt has. thus committed himself definitely. t would seem, to a limited tenure of of- fee somewhat along the line advocated by William J. Bryan in 1900, although the then Democratic candidate went so far as to include the civil service em- ployes of the Government In the cate gory of the limitation.
 The advice that the President com templates this important step will lilSe- iy spread dismay among wide circle of Federal ofiiceholders. When Pres ldent Roosevelt issued the statement on election night that he would not ask for another term after that to which he has been elected, nor would he ac- cept a nomination for the office of President, few officeholders imagined that the same principle would apply to them.
 Small Comfort Received.
 Of course they did not dream but that in the event of the election of Mir. Roosevelt they would stay in office as long as their conduct was good. Per- sons who have called at the White House seeking to sound the powers there as to their probable lease of of- flee have in the main received no sat- isfying advice, although there is at lease one instance in which promi- nent oficehoider was assured that ex- ecutfve action respecting new appoint ments and possible changes would be shaped with regard strictly to the good of the public service in other words, in cases where it would be obviously a detriment to make a change the in- cumbent would be retained. while in cases in which improvement would be likely or even where all things were propitious for equally good service at the hands of a new appointee. then a change would follow as expeditiously as possible.
 'T understand" said a Republican OL GOAlEAEnSt NAA~ Nhp ~ NANA al appointees who have served eight years fin March next will be asked to step down and out and give others a chance. This strikes me as q fair prop osition, If eight years Is long enough for a person to fill the Presidency, 1t ought to be long enough for the post masters, the revenue officers and the army people whose terms run for four years only"
 Many OmcehOlders.
 If there be truth in this report, which has enough of substance in it to war rant a statement that the President Is at least contemplating the advisabtlity of the policy, it would undoubtedly stir the emotions of faithful pap-suckers throughout the country. There are something like 75,O00 postmasters ap- pointed for four years, the commission of each of whom must be renewed at the expiration of that period, If the good place fillers that will have held for eight years on the fourth of March ara not still to hold on by executive indulgence, there will be something like 10000 good jobs for good Republi- cans. including revenue collectors, cus- toms collectors and all that 1t means in their numerous retinues of deputies. If is customary for members of the
 
 secretaries and officers in the diplo- matic and consular service to tender their resignations to the President soon after he is inaugurated. A President retaining ofice usually reappoints a great majority of these officers. If tbara ,s anything of truth in the re- rort sbout no third terms, President Rccsevelt will go into office almost like A new administration and the resigna- tions will be abundantly acceptable next March. It will be easy for Dem oorats now to shake from the snow of the recent avalanche and contem- plate the dizzy agitation of the eight wear Republican Oficeholders. It would not he unprecedented Rooseveltism, eIther for some Democrats to get some of the vacated jobs.
 Granting that the report is correct Washington will soon see large vis- l itation of office holders and office seekers. and there will be something doing of an exceptional kind in news way. ..-..
 There Is no abatement in the tariff revision agitation which has been coming to the national capital since the election. The most important ac- cession to the ranks of the revision ists Is Eugene N. Foss. of Boston, who was defeated for Congress by John A. Sullivan, Democrat. MT. Foss has been to the White House and told the President some unmistakable facts about the feeling in Massachusetts on the question of practical tariff reform. The Democratic candidate for governor W L. Douglas, Mir. Foss points out, was elected governor mainly through the votes of Republicans because of his persistent and intelligent advocacy of a reduction of tariff rates for the benefit of the manufacturers and working people of Massachusetts.
 "Douglas was undoubtedly elected says Mir. Foss, "by reason of his posi- tion on tariff revision and Canadian reciprocity Republicans may attempt to disguise that fact as much as they desire, but the fact remains that those were the only questions urged by Doug las in his speeches. They happened I to be questions that were near to the people, and he was elected. I have asked the President to take up the subject of tariT revision in his mes sage to Congress. Of course we un- derstand that revision cannot be ac- ' aNm