The Caucasian. (Shreveport, La.) 1900-192?, 1905-05-21
Third Term Talk.

Third Term Talk.
There is an ancient proverb which
runs in this wise. PROMISES, like pie
crusts. are made to be broken.
Whether Colonel Theodore Roosevelt
50 regards the matter this deponen1
saith not because he knoveth not. Il
Will be remembered that on the night
Of the election he declared that he
would not be Il candidate in 1908: that
he considered the three and onchalt
years which he served prior t. March
+, 1893, us his first term. That dccla-
ration gave great JOY to divers and
Sunlry aspirin" >tateSlnen 1t seemed
to clear the field. Consequently some
thing like q dozen Of them were pull
ing wires, setting up PINS, iollying the
public and ovcrWorkihg their press
agents even before President IsoaSe-
welt was sworn in for his four years
term i'll his own right. Now certain
SlAUG politicians. some Of them 10
Gated in editorial SanctlllnS. are tlCttlv
preparing the way for the candidacy
Of President Roosevelt in 1908. chiefly
for their own good. They are trying to
arrange Il set Of circumstances in
which it will be his patriotic duty to
run again for the highest earthly office
a set of circumstances in which it
will be made to appear that he and he
only can save the republic from 60
ing to what the late Mr. Mantalini
would denominate the demnitiOn bow
vows Whether they can make
President Roosevelt believe that such q
crisis exists remains to be seen. The
mere suggestion of such condition of
affairs. however, must cause a sort Of
heart failure in the breasts of the
divers and sundry ambitious states
men aforesaid
If President Roosevelt chooses to
change his mind and to become a can
prevent. "Wise men change their opin-
ions; fools never so it is said. There
is no written law or constitutional pro-
vision against third term, but there
is deep seated, perhaps an ineradi-
cable, prejudice against it. President
Mckinley at the flood tide of his pop
u'arity SO fully recognized it that he
promptly and emphatically sat down
OIL Senator Chauncey Mitchell Depew
and General Charles Henry Grosvenor
when those palpltating patriots pro-
posed third term for him. He vastly
increased his prestige by so doing
First and last, there have been three
presidents who might have had third
-erms had they so chosen-Washingto
Jefferson and JackSon-but with a wise
patriotism, which is one of their clear
EST and strongest titles to the love
md gratitude Of thei' countrymen, they
out away the great temptation from
before their faces. By so dong they
rendered great service to their coun-
ry. President Mckinley confirmed
md strengthened their example. In tn,
L16 years of our existence unde. the
only one man. General |
Ulysses Simpson Grant. has openly as
'ired to a third term, and. greet aH, |
popular soldier as he was, it was de-
lied to him after a struggle which
hook the Republican party to it's cen
er. 1t has been repeatedly asserted
hat Grover Cleveland wanted a third
ERIN, an assertion which has not been
roved. Whether it could be proved |
O not know.
OF course President Roosevelts case
not wholly similar to that of Wash
lgton, Jefferson ct al. He will have
arved seven and half years on March
1853, but he has been elected only
nee. That fact might or might not
finnish the widespread prejudice
gainst third term
Nobody appointed me his adviser
ersonally like him. If, as his per-
onal friend, l were called on for an
o1nion, I would unhesitatingly advise
i'm to adhere to his declaration not to
and again for the presidency. He is
zceedingly popular No man with
ense will deny that If he adheres to
IS declaration. everything he says and
oes during his present term will re-
J the words and acts Of man seek
6 to build a noble fame by purely
ltriotic conduct No man ever had a
1er opportunity to win a high place
history. On the other hand, the mo-
ent 1t is known that be is a candidate 6
r another term-or even, like Barkis
Willin'-he will be viciously assaulted s
men and papers within his own
|rty-for the ''outs" always outnum- T
r the ms Thousands who are now :
,alting his horn in hope of getting
ice for themselves or their kinsmen
I'd friends will turn upon him and {
nd him when he is known to be a +
ndidate, if they have not been pro- +
ded for. AS he cannot possibly take +
re Of all the patriots anxious to sac .
ice themselves on the altar of their r
untry, there will be plenty Of RepuJ- +
ans ready and anxious to even I'd y
score with him. By again becom- q
a candidate he will afford them n
golden opportunity for revenge; By
eadfastly declining they will have to
he it out in sulking. If be is again
minated, all the disgruntled Repub-
ans-and their name will be legion
10OS-will join with Democrats to