The Norfolk weekly news-journal., 1907-05-03


wanted nor would accept, another
nomination. AS result
of the sentiment aroused by this league
a number of prominent men have de-
clared that the president must retract
and become again the republican par
TVS nominee. Steadfastly the presi-
dent has declined to retreat in the
matter or to withdraw his statement
made the night of election. And 1t
remained for Chicago, where the third
term league had operated, to furnish
the first definite movement toward ac-
cepting the president at his word and
supporting him in the contention that
he was wise in refusing another nomi-
nation. The Chicago Tribune, one of
the strongest papers in the west, takes
proposition in principle and that there
are others in the nation capable of
occupying the white house creditably.
The Tribune pays tribute to the pop
ularity of the president but backs him
up in the stand he has taken. This is
what the Chicago paper says
The Tribune is not for the renomi-
nation and reelection of President
Roosevelt. 1t does not even favor his
election to what some of his admirers
choose to call q Second elective
term"
There are a number of reasons why
The Tribune is not in favor of Roose-
velt's reelection.
One of them is that he has solemnly
declared that he will. under no circum-
stances, accept another term if it
should be offered to him - that he
would not be a candidate or permit
nomination to be forced upon him.
In this we think the president is
wise. While he has not served two
full terms, he has had seven years of
the presidency, and if he were to be
elected for another term would serve
more years than Washington or any
other president. He has had seven
laborious and useful years in the
white house, and has more than met
the just expectations of his country
men. His fame could not be greater
than it is. He could not at the end
of another four years term be any
more popular or more firmly in
trenched in the affections of his coun-
trymen.
President Roosevelt is amazingly
popular. The railroad men do not like
him, and great many men engaged
in finance think he might be improved
upon. Even Mr. G.. B. M. Harvey has
visited upon him tokens of his disap-
proval. But it is only necessary to go
about the streets, on the railroad
trains, and in places of public assem-
blage to discover that President Roose-
welt is as highly regarded by his coun-
trymen at the present moment as he
ever was.
The Tribune is opposed on principle
to the third term. 1t risked much in
1880 when it opposed the denomination
of Gen. Grant for a third term. 1t
would risk as much in 1908 if it should
become necessary to oppose the renom-
inatiOn of President Roosevelt under
similar conditions.
The Tribune, for one, is not willing
TO admit that there is but one man in
the United States who is capable of
serving as president. There are So,
900, 600 people here, and among them
all there must be more than one who
is fit to occupy the white house and
strate. We believe that there must
be more than a dozen in the repub-
lican party alone.
-~hf0Feover it is by no means certain
that the denomination of President
til lN1
followed by an election. The Tribune
may be mistaken on this subject, but
it believes there is a deep, abiding feel
ing among the people that two terms
are enough for any man. Part of this
feeling may be latent. 1t may not
have been aroused. 1t would be when
the campaign came on if popular
candidate should be opposed to Mr..
Roosevelt on the other side. 1t would
be proclaimed that we were tending
towards Imperialism, and we would be.
If the tradition in regard to the third
term should be broken down there is
no reason why it should not be fol
lowed by fourth or a fifth term, and
as Mr. Roosevelt is comparatively a
young man, he might continue to be
elected for several terms more.
The people are not ready for that.
They believe change in the white
house is a good thing, as we'll as a
change in other political offices. In
deed, the superstition that the life
tenure for judges is an admirable thing
is rapidly dying out. There are objec-
tons to it which have been sufficiently
demonstrated in England, and some
times in this country. The life tenure
of federal judges has its drawbacks.
There are some federal judges who
should not be in Office today, and who
would not be if it were a question
either of reelection or reappointment
A long term and large salary, as in
New York, would be preferable TO the
| life term A life tenure seems to be
an invitation to the arbitrary use OF
power, and sometimes to laziness, self
indulgence, and self-exploitation, in
stead of devotion to business.
No man is good enough to be presi
dent forever, and The Tribune, for
one, will not admit that among the
SO,000,000 people in the United States
there is not one so good as Theodore