Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-11-20
Not Satisfied With 0fficehoId-
ers Controlling Conventions.
PRESIDENTS NOMINATION
Must Not Be Advocated by Them i,
the South.
MAY MEAN NO THIRD TERM
How Recent Order is Regarded by
Different People-Alaska's Dele
gates Instructed for Taft.

President Roosevelt is not a bit salts
fed with the news floating up from the
south that federal off.ceholders in Ala
bama, Tennessee and elsewhere are pre-
pairing to control their state conventions
and send third-term delegations to the
republican national convention. Through
the proper heads of departments word
will be passed to the Office holders tnat
examples will be made of them if they
advocate in any convention his renomina-
ton for the presidency or permit them
selves to go to national convention in
structed for him for another term.
Briefly put, the President does not pro-
pose to be nominated for third term
by federal officeholders, and he will
loosen some of them from their jobs II
they attempt anything of this kind On the
other hand il is stated on good authority
that there is no objection to offlceholders
taking part in state conventions and be-
ing elected delegates to national con-
yentions, but If they are so elected they
must not permit themselves to be IN
structed for him for another term.
There is absolutely no clearing up OF
exactly wiia. The order, of the President
will mean, unless it has the effect OF put
ting the President before the country as
against being nominated again, if such
should be the case, by employees of the
government, drawing salaries from the
government. His nomination must come
from the people and not the officeholdsrs.
The fact that there is no inhibition
against officeholders taking part in a
state convention and privately pulling the
wires to suit themselves is regarded as of
immense significance. All that is eXacted
is that they must not be instructed for
him.
Oficeholders Control Conventions
In practically every southern state. as
notoriously known, the officehoder con-
trolls the state conventions. He plans the
whole thing, often paying the railroad
fares of delegates Whatever he tells the
convention is done The plan in Ala bama
and Tennessee. hatched by federal office
holders, has been to hold early conven-
tionS and instruct the delegates for d
third term for the President. Most of the
officeholders would have gone to the con-
vention. Under the new orGer what will
be done at the convention? Without max
ing any noise. as they have been doing
the officeholders will control the dele
gates. Will the conventions instruct for
third term and leave the officeholders
at home or will there be no instructions :?
May Mean No Third Term.
In some quarters the notification of
the President is construed 20 mean
to be worked or voted for another
time, and that, so far as officeholders
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 1901. that he will not
be candidate and will not accept an
other term. For reasons of his own,
Nthe argument is made he does not
want to come out now in a declaration.
but believes that the hint will be suf-
ficient
Still Another Interpretation. q.
Still another Interpretation is that
the President realized that harm was
being done him personally and mis- po-
litical future by the noisy clamor of
southern officeholders for another term
for him and their openly announced
project of holding early conventions
and instructing for him. Shrewd poll
ticians saw in all this trouble for the,