Arizona republican., 1906-12-30
PHoENIX. ARIz.. DEC. 30, 1906,
THE THIRD TERM.


 The Republican hereby acknowl- edges the receipt Of copy of the plat from of the Roosevelt Third Term National League" along with a letter requesting our cooperation and. any way. desiring a copy of The Republi- can containing comments on the move ment.
 The platform sets forth that the period Is critical: that there is in our social and political life a fermentation of distrust requiring firm control. Another very alarming fact is pro- mulgated and that is that President Roosevelt has become a public neces- sity. an essential part of things in the social and political fabric" We may ask with justifiable apprehension. When and how may the president cease to be an essential part of the fabric? Suppose in that case he should be torn away from us by death. the essential part of the fabric gone. would not the rest Of our social and political system be only a tattered and worth less rag? Necessarily so.
 This country has stood some hard losses. The mighty Lincoln. the great est and w.sest of presidents. was taken from us in a time indeed critical. There stepped into his place a man who had not been chosen for it and who was not only unable but unwilling 10 carry out the plans Of Lincoln for the rebuilding Of the nation. Yet the government lived.
 We do not know who compose the Roosevelt Third Term National League" The president of it Is Edward 4. Horner and the secretary is F.. c. Hsyek. both of Chicago. Their names alone adorn the platform. It is ad- miited by the platform that President Roosevelt had declared that under no circumstances would he be a candidate for. or, would he accept another nomi- nation" But the platform challenges his right to refuse to accept the presi- dency for a third term in the face Of the peoples demand"
 This Is not the first time that Chi cago has taken the lead in the making of presidents Out of the whirlwind in 1896 there arose a man whose name We remember as Bloss, claiming in long circulars of simplified spelling and bad grammar Co have been the "orig- inal Mckinley man" and to have been thrown out Of his band wagon and down by those who were forced to climb in 10 avoid being run over.
 All Americans, democrats and repub- licans. join in admitting the greatness and usefulness of President Roosevelt. They are proud of him and doubtless a majority of them would like to see him president a third term. but no good American, one who has faith in his cOuntrymen and in our public in stitutions. would for an instant admit that any man is essential to their per petuation. Nor do we think that any considerable number of loyal Ameri- cans would concede as an impossibility or even as a difficulty. the finding of many men who could direct the affairs Of the government with ability as marked as has been MT. RooseveIts direction of public affairs.
 MT. Roosevelt himself was so good an American on the night of the last national election as to manifest con- hdence in a successor. whoever he might be, four years later. when he declared he would not again be can didate. He did not then believe that he was essential and he has said noth- ing since which indicates a belief that he has become essential.
 His determination has frequently been reiterated in his behalf and his friends in congress and out of it. dis cussing the third term possibility. al- ways refer to his election night declar- ation as a pledge" which in no cir cUmstances will Mir. Roosevelt violate.
 There probably would not be an overwhelming opposition to Mir. Roose- welt for third term, but we are cer- tain that no large body of even the warmest friends and admirers of the president would get together on a plat form declaring his essentially rather than his desirabilitv.