Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-02-02
HIS EYE on THE SENATE
The President Frankly Admits
His Ambition.
NO IDEA OF THIRD TERM
Wants Job at the Other End of the
Avenue.
FIRST WOULD. LIKE TO TRAVEL
Talk of Making Him President of
Standardization Of Former
Chief Executives.
FIRST WOULD. LIKE TO TRAVEL
BY WILLIAM e. CURTIS


Written for The Star and the Chicago Record
Herald
Jacob Riis may seek notoriety by pro-
claiming; a third term for the President,
and other idolaters may hope and pray for
such a thing, but Theodore Roosevelt will
not be betrayed or become entangled by his
fool friends. His destiny Is marked out
for him, and when he has finished his pres1-
Dental term he hopes to get a job at the
other end of the avenue.
In the meantime ne intends, If possible,
to travel and do little shooting He saw
good deal of Europe and went as far as
Constantinople during his college days, but
that was a. good while ago, and things
have changed since. He has a great desire
to go around the world; he wants to visit
India, China and Japan, and the Philip
pine Islands have irresistible attractions for
him. If he could be spared tomorrow he
would start for Manila and have Leonard
Wood ready with a couple of guns and
horses on his arrival for plunge into the
primeval forest He can think of nothing
that he would enjoy more, and talks about
1t continually with his intimate friends.
But that would be only a diversion; he
could not find steady employment as
hunter and traveller and his ambition rests
upon seat in the United States Senate
There has been some talk of making him
president of Harvard College, and If you
Will make inquiries at Cambridge you will
find many people who consider the matter
as good as settled. Down there they will
tell you that although President Eliot is
old and weary he intends to hang on until
the end of Roosevelt's term and keep the
presidential chair warm for him. But, al
though scholar by instinct and devoted to
the welfare of his alma mater, Col Rooser
welt does not feel fitted for such position.
1t does not suit his taste. He wants more
active life and likes politics better than
any other occupation.
There is one thing certain, and that is he
does not intend to be placed on the shelf.
When his term as President expires he will
be a few months past fifty-one years old;
just at the prime of manhood. and the
period of highest usefulness Two-thirds
of our Presidents were older than thai
when they We're inaugurated He has not
the slightest idea of third term; he knows
that such a thing is impossible and in yio-
lation of the traditions of the country, and
not only has authorized no one to suggest
such a thing, but the talk Is very offensive
to him. He makes no secret of his anibi
ton to to the Senate from the state
of New York. He talks about 1t freely and
any one who has doubts on the subject has
only to call at the White House and intro
duce that topic OF conversation. The Pres-
dent will tell him frankly that he intends to
hunt and travel for year or so and then
resume his active interest In politics and
make the Senate If possible. He declares
frankly that his ambition lies there, and
that he hopes to realize it. He cannot help
Detng a leader lie Is DlllIL tHdt way. j
The term for which Senator Plat was
elected expires simultaneously with that Of
President Roosevelt, March 3, 1909 SEN
ator Depew's term expires March }, 1911.
Senator Plat will be seventysix years old
and Senator DepeW will be seventy-eight on
those dates. and It is not likely that either
Of them will care to serve any longer. AT
any rate one of those two seats will no
doubt be available by the time the Pres-
dent is ready to move out of the White
House, and the signs nthe sky do not re-
quire an astrologer to determine whether
he is preparing for such a contingency. He
was always against the machine until he
came to the White House. but, while Pres-
dent he has recognized it as entitled TO
consideration. His first prominence in poll
tics was gained as a mutineer at the Presi-
Dental convention of 1884 and he has never
been in entire harmony with the bosses.
He believes in organization, however, and
youmay be sure that from this time on he
will have hand in whatever happens in
the politics of New York.
Ex-Presidents ought to go to the Senate
as representatives of the country at large.
There ought to be a constitutional amend
ment requiring them TO pass from the White
House 10 the Capitol Immediately upon the
inauguration of their successors, and to re-
main there for life; first because their ex-
perience and knowledge would be of the
greatest benefit to the country; second,
they would be free from partisan and per-
sonal motives, and third, they would be
placed upon a pedestal where their reputa-
lions could not be damaged or their dignity
soiled If Gen. Grant had gone to the Sen
ate he might have been preserved from the
conspira tors of whom he was a victim in
Wall street, and President Cleveland would
not now be sitting as an umpire of insur-
ance SquabbleS.
There are two precedents for Col. Roose-
Welt to follow. John Quincy Adams was
sixty-two years old when he left the White
House and two years later accepted an cleo
ton to the Twenty-second Congress, where
he served eighteen years, and Congress
tod nv lie xx-iSl md int "a
advice. Andrew Johnson came back to the
Senate in 1879 for Vlndication He made
one speech, in which he submitted a state
ment showing the fate of the members of
that body who voted in favor of his i'm
parchment, and gloated over their misfor-
tunes. Then he went back to Tennessee
and died.
George Washington was made comman-
der-in-chief of the army after the eXpira
ton of his second term. Thomas Jefferson
retired TO Monticello built the University
of Virginia and devoted himself to letter
writing and science, but kept his hand
upon the throttle of the democratic party.
Andrew Jackson became political dictator,
and was a recognized leader of the democ-
racy until his Death Van Buren, succeeded
him and elected Polk and defeated Cass
for the presidency. President Roosevelt
can find plenty of other examples among
his predecessors.
But it would be very much more dignifted
for man who has been President to enter
the Senate a right and an inheritance
instead OF BENG electeu aIteT a pOlucal
contest Somebody ought to introduce an
amendment to the Constitution. The sub
ject has been discussed frequently. Every
body is in favor OF it, just as everybody is
in favor of postponing inauguration day to
pleasant weather, but, somehow or other,
the change is not made.
On the last day of the year 1900 Gen.
Harrison made a speech at the Columbia
Club of Indianapolis, in which he referred
to that frequently discussed topic, What
shall be done with ex-Presidents?' and he
said in a. semi-jocular way:
The decapitation Of the ex-Presdent
when the oath of office has been admins
tered to the successor would greatly witty
a somewhat tfresome ceremonial. And we
may some time solve the newspaper prob
lem what to do with our ex-Presiderts, In
that conclusive way. Until then i hope an
ex-President may be permitted to live
somewhere midway between the house OF
the gossip and the crypt Of the mummy. He
will know, perhaps, In a special way, how
to show the highest honor to the presiden-
tfai office, and the most courteous defer
ence to the president. Upon great ques-
lions. however, especially upon questions of
constitutional law, you must give an ex-
President his freedom or the ak; and Il is
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