Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1907-01-09
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 9, 1907
THIRD TERM TALK.


east and it is the intention of it's
founders to push the organiza
ton until, it has branches in
every part of the union. The
object is, of course, to force the
denomination and reelection
Roosevelt in 1908. According to
the manifesto issued by the
league Roosevelt is the only man
capable of carrying out the cam.
paign against the corporations.
This certainly speaks well for
Roosevelt, but it does not say
much for the rest of the nation.
If this statement were true the
fate of the nation would hang on
the life of the president, aud if
he should die we would be
doomed to become abject slaves
of the plutocrats. Fortunately,
however, it is not true. For the
work that Roosevelt has done he
was probably better fitted than
any other man, on account of his
impulsive nature and splendid
gift of speech. For what he has
done so far is merely to call at
tention to the fact that there is
something wrong in the distribu-
ton of the products of labor.
Others have said the same for
years, but they had not the back
ing Of official position and great
popularity, and they were
laughed down. Roosevelt spoke
so that the whole nation heard
him and he has started a move
ment that neither he nor any
other man can stop. AS far as
practical results are concerned
we are not much better off than
when the movement started.
Some experimenting has been
done and some investigation has
been started, but the trusts are
still doing business, and when
apparently killed by a judicial
decision they bob up in some
other shape. What the remedy
shall be neither Roosevelt nor
any other man can tell positively.
1t has not been found so far, but
every experiment is valuable to
some extent, for we are dealing
With a new disease and expert
menting is the only way of find
ng a remedy. If Roosevelt is
the only man capable Of doing
this then the only logical thing
TO do is to change the constitu-
lion and elect him for life, and
the hope that he will live for at
least another half a century-for
no thinking man will venture the
assertion that the social revolu-
tion made necessary by the in
lustrial revolution of the last
fifty years can be accomplished
n less time than that.
It would be far better for the
country if the admirers Of the
president would use all their in
luence in making Roosevelt's
present tenn as productive of
good results as possible, and that
can best be done by treating this
rs his last term. If the impress
sion goes out that he may be a
candidate again every act of his
will be constructed as a political
move. His greatest strength
aow is that he is free to act with
out thought as to the effect any
action of his may have on his po-
Litical future. He is now a free
agent; make him a possible can
lidate for re election and he loses
that freedom. Let him do all
that he can and then let all the
friends of reform in the republi-
can party use every effort to
a successor that will
be in sympathy with the work
Ind willing to carry it on. There
Ire many such men, and the
events of the next two years will
bring some of them
TO the front. This movement for
equal rights to all and special
to none" is of too vital
Importance to be made the per-
sonal property of any one man.