The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1907-12-13
WASHINGTON LETTER.

The long expected has arrived, that is
to say, an announcement from President
Roosevelt on the subject of the third
term. He says just what he said on the
night of his election, namely that be con.
sidered he had served two terms and that
he did not want the third nomination
and would not take it. This was just
about what might have been expected
when the President got ready to say any
thing, but the politicians of the country
have fished for the announcement for
long time, some of them hoping and
some fearing something different.
The announcement was made at the
White House this week in conversation
with Mr.. Samuel Watts, banker of
Lewiston, Pa. Mr.. Watts had been talk
ing of the satisfaction the people of Penn.
sylvania felt with the Presidents admin
istration and expressed the hope that he
would accept the nomination for another
term. To this the President replied ::
"That cannot be. cannot serve beyond
my present term. / am grateful to the
American people for their kindly feeling
toward me, but somebody else must carry
on the work."
The President has been besieged and
besought to make some definite statement
on the subject of another term for months
past. but he apparently thought that what
he had already said ought to be taken at
its face value. However, as the time for
the nomination was approaching and
especially since Justice Brewer had
openly accused him of playing hide and
seek with the public, he apparently felt
that it was just as we'll to reiterate his
determination 1t has been pointed out
all along by those who are close to the
President that he did not want third
term. 1t is not only that it would be
breaking an unwritten but very binding
rule for any President to accept third
nomination, but the physical and mental
strain of two terms in the White House is
quite as much as even the most rugged
constitution can stand. The President is
no exception to that rule, and gluttou as
he is for work, the rest that will come
with retirement from the White House
cannot help but be grateful
The announcement that he will not
accept another nomination clears up any
lingering doubts that may have remained
in the minds of the many other caudi.
dates for the Republican nomination as
to pressing their own claims. The
National Republican Committee met iu
Washington Saturday, and the delegates
were quite free in talking over the
chances of the other aspirants. The con-
census of opinion is that everything de-
ponds on the outcome in Ohio. There it
is frank fight between the Taft and
Foraker parties. A victory for Secretary
Taft in the State of Ohio would make
him the almost certain nominee of the
party. 1t is possible even without a
decisive victory over Senator Foraker in
his own State that Secretary Taft would
be able to marshal Nebraska, Missouri,
| Kansas and the Dakotas under his ban.
ner, but a failure to beat Foraker decis-
lively would probably cost him the Re-
publican delegations from the far South.
Whatever the Ohio outcome, there will
be favorite son delegations from Pennsyl
vania, Indiana, Iowa, and Illinois, tho
1.-The votes of these States may easily
switch after the first ballot. What the
state of New York will do is a very wide
open question. Its action will carry
much weight and there is always the
chance of the convention stampeding for
Hughes up to the time the last ballot is
cast.
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