The Washington herald., 1907-06-23
ROOSEVELT IN 1908
Open Letter Urging Him for
Second Elective Term.
DUTY TO AMERICAN PEOPLE
Ii Is for Them to say who Shali
Serve as Chief Executive-RefOrm
ried to COmpletiOn-South Carolina
Writer Reviews Work of President.

A former South Carolinian, for many
years a resident of Washington, Mr.. r, S.
Tharin. has addressed the following open
letter 10 President Roosevelt, urging him
TO heed the call Of the people to serve
four years more:
Mr. President. Believe me that it is not for any
desire by association Of names 70 obtain for the
present writer a prominence beyond my station OF
merit but let me assure you that as an aged cit
izen, I wish 70 avail myself Of these columns %
promote the general welfare BY adducing reasons
for the faith that is IN NE
Believing, yes knowing, that your modest dis
caimer Of a "thiri-teru" candidature is based upon
a mistake-tha only one. except one ether / can
predicate against you-and yoclng tie opinion Of The
vast majority Of the American people, be It mine to
initiate your strenuous courage u honest CONVICTION
by pointing oat % YOU IN this public manner, that
sou have been elected only once % the great ofloe
YOU have made even more than ulUstrious. You are
now exercising the first term 70 which sou have
been chosen President and your next term would
not be your third but your second When you TOOK
the oath as President because Of the death Of your
late lamented predecessor il not only the unCG
pired term Of Nir Mckinley, but you 50 regarded It,
and declared your intention 10 execute tho policies
u your worthy precursor as bis representative
Your second mistake is 10 substitute for yourself
and name sour candidate a distinguished member
o. your Cabinet. This course B not safe prece-
dent for NY observation Of the Presidential incun-
bents who have held that Office during ms lifetime
leads me- 10 conclude that there may come time
when such a nomination would iorcstlil the un-
biased choice of the people, who should name and
elect their Chief Executive.
So Mr.. President as the people are sovereign.
and our safety the supreme law" sou are CON
frnnted with a wide and rreprCssille demand 10
use ycur own strong word that you permit yourself
to yun for a second term, all excuses being laid
aside" in an Office which also demands your con
tluuancs therein for many and C-seut reasons.
Before euumcrating some Of these y0W memory is
appealed 20. ON the night when Che returns came
90 you at the White House. showing your election
uy sweeping majority. you voiced tgo great utter
anCes. one was that sou would not ruu for third
term; the other was ia these wUIds. Hereafter
politicians may request. let the people dCman1i
Mr.. President that night the scales fen from the
eyes q the present writer, and / hlheld Theodore
Roosevelt as he is not as he had been misreITe-
s5nted. For the first time I felt that my country
safe. The civil ceased 20 w0uy with is
bad urCcCients. Tho reign 0f arti1Cialism ended
with the new which then dswued. 90 bs followed
by the s5archLslt VI publicity. th- uumasling OF
couspiracies tae awakening ot this llusllce1ed
people. the impartial exposure Cf The secrets q
undesirable citizens uf every kind. and above an,
the eradication Cf the uu-Americau idea 0t class
CJnEcJuslCsS' IN a country where 5tE-ltclJi0n Of
society Cn the artificial distinctions 0f Old World
IN spirit ar5 W-Am.rCan in essence. We declared
on the ith Of July, l7l6 that we were zone people
We were So recognized by the nations u The earth
and ty-CCusciIusress a. Gods only vices
ger1nt In this iand every other country needs no
trans-Atlantc infusion e Old World Classification
% enable Us 90 live happily under Constitution u
which the Declaration 1f Independence IS thg spirit
decided by the highest court Except lneI "a the
land.
Your course reminds me Of the saE-acrGce of
the immortal Washington. who finding that the
country was tCemiEE with his Uemigs-fLe rCha-
bilitated Tories and their dupes-msds O d,cuaticu
10 nun for a third term, mind y0u. the occasion Cd,
his Farewell Address. IN which be Uuuaskgd the
/ "artful and enteursing minCuues" who were en-
leaToriug % ALLEVIATE one section from the rest
and 20 weaken those sacred lr1nstituti0nGl bonds
which united them 1S a common whole. TO o1. Wurl
the irroads cf socialism threatened % remove the
fundamental law Il The land as not worth the
paper IL is written upon by counter stroke uf
patriotic genius gOu translated the Constitution
into document more liberal than socialism's mos.
decorated dream. Socialists may not BE- conscious
Il rs mission but socialism is the emissary and
friend Of imperialism, prefeUIng plastic executive
20 a lau-abiding President
We demand that you have a second elective term
| not fer yofIr personal profit, but for car good
When the sovereign people are practically waai-
nous. through them. when tcy are right God
I speaks il may not De agreeable 10 may rot seem
consistent, II NAV dsarpairt asrirau's u may dis
may combinations Of one kind or II another but
politicians let them request They have 700 long
dictated. Nyv. hCUc.flrth and forever "let the
/ People demand " Yea lCt Roosevelt clubs, without
distinction Of party rush everywhere into being and
| formulate tho popular demand, reminding Ulr pub
| lie srrrant 0f his promise % comply. when the
demand is 20 the point and the objection one that
cannot safely be considered.
Mr.. President son have shown your fidelity %
true Amaricanizn. You have forged 70 the font as
| a statesman and q humanitarian, bcariag rr han
/ nsr IN peace aud IN war What 4 you should b. al
/ most the only citizen who undertakes yUr utility
/ the only tru8 American who cannot see g0ur duty.
II any other man was in your place, with your rec
ord. you would be the writer Of an open letter %
/ him. ar0lsing him from his dream of retirement
and pointing 10 the not unc0Udei horizon you would
strCuU0uslv remind him Cf duty yet 10 be performed
Of opportunity not % he regarded a selfish udll-
/ gcHCr, but as a glorious 5elf-saUidCr.
You not the only ergat American. The last
/ decade has developed a host Of great meu-edit0rs
| statesmen orators, writers rrist5 and ag1tat-rs-
| whose WORK would have fingered IN the background
if yuu had not united IN Yourself their virtues cur
rectcd their mistakes and localized their wisdom IN
the searchliyht which Is still travelling around the
! horizon.
Shall that searchEht be dimmed7 On the con
| ttafy the people demand that it be intensified to
! inCandCsCunCe. Just here Nj. President il should
be stated that IL would be a public calamity If the
scrutiny Of our real condition should through mis-
/ placed pity, be suspended for instant II would
be danger 20 the republic 10 swap horses until the
| stream be crossed. Pledges are not what we want
from untried asnirants. Certainty is essential and
/ uf yOu we are sure. There are some things which
1 the people not only demand" but command. You
must be elected second time. McKinloy's term.
not yours by election is not 10 be included in your
Presidential term. Had yCU shown incspacity. the
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