The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-11-25
NO OFFICIALS
 AS DELEGATES Officeholders Are Barred
 from Convention. NO THIRD-TERM DELEGATIONS Roosevelt Wants None Pledged to
 "Seeond Elective" Issue. Di.satisned With News from Alabama and Tenne..eA. President Ha.
 Omcers to Send Forth Mani-
 festo to Employes.

Federal officeholders in Alabama, as well as in other Southern States, are receiving missives from the depart ment heads in Washington relative to their participation in politics. in which 1t is pointed out in no uncertain terms that they must not be delegates to the Republican National Convention next year under pledges to vote for a second elective" term for President Roosevelt.
 Some of these letters, which are from the department heads and not from the White House direct. have been received by Federal oficeh olders in Montgom- cry during the past day or two. They are in substance as follows:
 "Presfdent Roosevelt must not be nominated by a convention dominated by Federal officehoIders. Consequent ly, no Federal employe Is to be dele- gate to the National Convention under instruction to vote for the President s renomination."
 The cause for an apparent perturba- tion of the Executive mind over a turn in affairs relating to himself, is made clear in the following, printed in The Washington Star:
 N"President Roosevelt Is not bit sat- isfied with the news floating up from Alabama. Tennesse and elsewhere are preparing to control their State con- ventions and send thirdAterm delega- tions to the Republican National Con- vention. Through the proper heads of departments word will be passed to the officeholders that examples will be made of them if they advocate in any convention his renomination for go to National Convention instructed f0r him f0r annfhar farm
 Briefly put, the President does not propose to be nominated for a third term by Federal officeholders, and he will loosen some of them from their jobs if they attempt anything of this kind. On the other hand. 1t is stated on good authority that here is no ob- jection to officeholders taking part in State Conventions and being elected delegates to National Conventions, but If they are so elected they must not permit themselves to be instructed for him for another term.
 There is absolutely no clearing up of exactly what the order of the Pres ident will mean. unless 1t has the ef- feet of putting he President before the country as against being nomin- ated again. If such should be the case by employees of the Government draw ing salaries from the Government. His
 
 and not from officeholders. The fact that there Is no inhibition against off1ceholders taking part in State convention and privately pulling the wires to suit themselves fs regarded as of immense significance. All that Is exacted Is that they must mot be instructed for him.
 'In practically every Southern State. as notoriously known, the officeholder controls the State conventions. He plans the whole thing, often paying the railroad fare of delegates. What ever he tells the convention is done. The plan in Alabama and Tennessee. matched by Federal officeholders, has been to hold early conventions and in- struct the delegates for a third term for the President. Most of the office holders would have gone to the com vention. Under the new order what will be done at the convention? With out making any noise,i as they have been doing, the officeholders will con troI the delegates. Will the conven- tions instruct for third term and , leave the officeholders at home or will there be no instructions?
 "In some quarters the notification of the President Is construed to mean that he plainly intends that he is not to be worked or voted for another time, and that, so far as offlceholders are concerned, he can and will punish them. One interpretation is that the President now reiterates, in a round- about way, his famous declaration of election night. 1904, that he will not be a candidate and will not accept ahother term. For. reasons of his own. the argument is made, he does not want to come out now in a declaration, but believes that the hint will be suf- 6riapt j"