The commercial. (Union City, Tenn.) 190?-193?, 1907-05-03
OPPOSED TO A THIRD TERM.

; supporter of the Roosevelt admin
: istration, comes out in a stron!
editorial in which it expresses EN-
phatic opposition to a third term
The opening paragraph of thi
article says, 'The Tribune is no
for the denomination and re-elec
ton of President Roosevelt. L
does not even favor his election t.
what some of his admirers choose
to call a second elective term. -
Mr.. Bryan is among those who
have so designated the proposition
to continue Mr.. Roosevelt in of.
fee. In explaining at Roanoake,
| Va, why he could not act on the
extraordinary proposition of q
party merger made by John Ten
pie Graves at the Chattanooga
dinner, he said be had always OPP
posed a second term.
The Chicago Tribune says that
while Mr.. Roosevelt "has not serv-
ed two full terms, be has served
seven years in the presidency, and
if he were elected for another
term would serve more years than
Washington or any other Pres
ident." Certainly the second term
idea, as applied to Mr.. Roosevelt's
proposed reelection, is complete
sophistry. If reelected, he would
have served three terms, the first
one lacking but six months of be-
ing complete, and it does not alter
this fact that he got the first term
by succession instead of election.
The difference is made the more
immaterial because he was elected
Vice-President for the purpose of
succeeding to the Office if success
sion became necessary.
Continuing to state its opposi-
tion to a third term, the Tribune
says:
The Tribune, for one, is not willing
to admit that there is bu6 one man in
the United States who is capable of
serving as President.) There are 3d.
600, 900 people here, and among them
all there must be more than one man
who Is fit to occupy the White House
and, discharge the duties Of the Chief
Executive. We believe that there
must be more than dozen in the Re.
publican party alone.
Moreover, it is by no means certain
that the denomination of President |
Roosevelt for a third term would be
followed by an election. The Tribune
may be mistaken on this subject, but
it believes there is deep abiding
feeling 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 pop
llar candidate should be opposed to
Mr. Roosevelt on the other side. 1t
would be proclaimed that we were
lending towards Imperialism, and we
would be. If the tradition in regard
20 the third term should be broken
Town, there is no reason why 1t should
lot be followed by a fourth or a fifth
,erm and as Mr.. Roosevelt is COM
,aratiyely young man, he might
to be elected for several
erms more.
Concluding its article, the Tri- ,
,une says, "No man is good enough !
o be President forever, and the [
Tribune, for one, will not admit a
hat among the $4,000, 900 people !.
'eople in the United States there
) not one so good as Theodore '
roosevelt who may be chosen to f
ucceed him in the White House.
hat is sound doctrine and worthy y
f all acceptation. What Re-
ublic of all things needs most to /
void is hero worship-the idea C
nat one man alone is fit to lead or il
II Office. Undue subserviency t
} one individual and his opin- !
ms is degrading to popular +
berty. There is no one man who Ct
ands for the sumum bonum 7
nong his fellows, and no man a
yer lived whose place in the .
ord or notion could not be sue
'ssfully filled. Nashville Banner. z
The Balance of Trade. u