The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1907-07-27
WILL ROOSEVELT RUN ..
AGAIN FOR PRESIDENT
Contemporary Politicians Believe
He is Manuevering for a .
Third Term.
Writer Who Does Not Believe the
President Will Change An
nounced Purpose.

late 1t has been openly stated that
President Roosevelt was sparring for
denomination by the Republicans,
and that he was simply using men,
bers of his cabinet to tide him over.
Tammany's silver tongued orator de-
clared at an Independence Day cele-
oration In New York that President
would run again.
c. E. S. Wood. known among stu
dents OF economics as forcible writ
er, takes issue with the leading Demo-
Gratis ABOVE quoted, and in a recent is
sue OF the Public he discusses under
the caption Of 'The Third Term Her.
esq.," the improbability Of the presi-
dents candidacy. He saws:
At the time of his reelection Presi-
dent Roosevelt. announced that he
would not again be candidate for
the Office Of president of the United
STATES. In this prompt announcement
he took his place with washington and
JEFFERSON as patriot who recognized
that continuing hope for office was
against the welfare of the public. He
did what he could to make stiM more
fixed and immovable the principle
enunciated by these great men and
their successors that no man must
plan or hope for more than two terms
In the presidential chair. To say that
this applies to two elective terms onlv.
Is an unworthy quibble, for the prin-
c1ple remains the same, namely: that
the man holding the greet power, Of
president Of the United States must
not be encouraged to use that power
IN an effort to succeed himself moro
than once. That is the real principle,
and it Is immaterial whether he OBJ
tanned his first term Of power by elec-
ton or succession.
President Roosevelt has in the inter-
est Of public policy reiterated his de-
termination to adhere to his resolution
as trst announced, and to be known
as one who has made stronger the I'M
written constitution. He has reiter-
ated 1t so clearly and SO repeatedly
that for him to again come forward
with the same declaration would seem
unworthy. It would b.. Almost as If
he were the easy mark of the fakir-
politicians and newspaper gossips who
for the third, term. Some Of these
''rooters" are the presidents enemies
In disguise, who seek to discredit him
or make him discredit himself; mono of
them are his friends. The best that
can be said of them is that they seek
personal advertisement.
There are two forces which swav
men, reason or impulse. Only the
few are reasonable beings; the masses
are impulsive, and their impulses are
often mere insubstantial hysteria, as
witness the popular tumult over Adj
miral Dewey and his achievements.
'Where Is their hero now? To the hys-
terical many who have seen in Presi-
dent Roosevelt the personal boldness
to be master, to order the politicians
rather than obey them, and to come to
to blow with the plutocratic power. it
may truly seem that he and he only
can be the savior Of the country; but
what Is the country to do If he should
die? And die he must some day. If
ever the country's life seemed to hang
on that Of one man 1t was Lincoln's:
yet the death Of this great man, DOW
erful to resist the politicians and die
tate his own policy when need be, yet
tactful and gentle to reconcile every
body so far as he could-the death of
Abraham Lincoln made not a. jar in
the progress Of the Republic. as we
now know it. Reasonable men have
long ago learned that no mans life is
necessary to his community. his coun-
try or the world; and it ought to be
clear to anybody and everybody that
the principle of our unwritten consti-
tuition against third term is more
valuable to the: Republic than the life
or services Of any man.
When successor, was to be ap-
pointed to Chief Justice Chase, there
were several candidates put forward
from the Supreme Bench itself, and
in discussing these: with Attorney
General George H. Williams, General
Grant said: that he would appoint
none Of them. for. said he, "Every
time that the Supreme Bench is made
to feel that there. can be no promo
ton to the chief justiceship for any
of it's members, the principle grows
stronger, the precedent more firmly
fixed; and If adhere to this prece-
dent it may be that the hopes and
ambitions of the associate justices and
the necessary political intrigue con-
nected Herewith, will cease and 1t will
be understood from now on that no
associate justice can ever be chief
justice; but If I disturb this prece-
dent, all the wisdom OF my predeces-
sors has gone for nothing and have
opened up forever storm of political
intrigue and sdissension among the as
sociate justices whenever there is a
vacancy in the chief justiceship, and
perhaps even before that vacancy
takes place. It.Sbeing urged upon
General Grant that certain one Of
the associate. justices was by. natural
ability and experience far ahead OF
any other candidate. he admitted this,