The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1907-05-09
SAYS TWO TERMS ENOUGH.
Edmunds Believes Roosevelt Will
Not Consent to Run Again

sented Vermont in the United States
Senate for many years, who was a
member of the electoral commission
in 1876, and who has been one of
the wheelhorses of the Republican
party since its birth, is spending
few days at the national capital. Ask
ed II ile thought President Roosevelt
would have to accept another nomin-
alton, he said: Il do not think Mr..
Roosevelt can be persuaded through
any amount of what may be called
popular emotion to allow himself TO
be candidate for, and to take third
term election, for that is what it is,
although they may say he has only
been elected as President once. Pres
ident Roosevelt is a man of wide and
patriotic views. However much he
might be demanded to carry on the
government for another four years,
he would see what an enormously big
precedent it would be. By and by
the man who might go up for third
term might take majority of the
voters of the country with him, and
it would then require a revolution to
get rid of him or else, like some of
our Southern republics, we would
have to take him as President for life,
just as Diaz is in Mexico the supreme
ruler. Diaz is the absolute master
of the situation in Mexico, and has
been for years and years.
Now my belief is that President
Roosevelt can not be forced into set
ting precedent of going beyond
two terms. When General Grant, as
deservedly popular and as beloved as
he was, was put forward by his mis-
guided friends for a third term, he
had so many real friends that they
would not let him consent to be re-
nominated for the very reason that ]
have here suggested. If Grant had
been nominated / have not the slight
est doubt he would have been badly
defeated because the sensible and
thinking patriotic people of this coun
try do not wish, under any circum
stances which can be reasonably ex-
pected to happen, to have a continu-
Gus run of more than two presidential
terms. Therefore l am sure that
President Roosevelt can NOT be bull
lied into it,
do you think any Republican can
didate can be nominated as the lega-.
tee of the Roosevelt policies"
'The general ideas that President
Roosevelt has advanced, can not be a
legacy, because. speaking broadly
there have been no inventions of prin-
ciple by HIM. The application of them
has been carried in some instances
too far and the administration has
from time to time felt compelled to
modify its position. not because the
general principles were mistaken. bui
because they were applying general
principles in an incorrect and probab-
ly in some cases an unconstitutional
way So | believe that the great
masses of the sensible people of this
country-the commercial men, the la
boring men and all the others-who
have become sufficiently educated in
the theory of rcal liberty and real
personal rights. will find themselves
supporting a conservative liberty
which can stand any wind from any
direction. They will be for the prin-
ciple that the real purpose of peoples
rights is that every man shall have
the right to be his own master so
long as he does not interfere with
Similar rights of anybody else."
The New York State Republican
situation was under consideration a
the White House today The Presi-
dent had with him Herbert Parsons
chairman of the Republican commit
tee in New York city. and Congress
man Bennett, of that city. The chief
executive is anxious to do something
that will assist Governor Hughes TO
get his reform legislative program
without offending the Governor, who
has shown disposition to resent in
reference from Washington, seems
to be the problem. When the Presi-
dent dismissed the internal revenue
collector at Rochester two weeks
ago, it was announced that the action
was taken for the purpose of helping
the Governor A commission for a
successor to the deposed official was
made out, but Governor Hughes 1t
it be known that he had not asked
for any action on the part of the
President and the appointment was
held mp.
Some Of the Presidents friends are
now urging him to fill the place i'm
mediately, and stop further friction in
the party on account of the dismissal
Both Parsons and Bennett said, after
their talk with the President that the
rank and file of the party in the State
is warmly supporting Governor
Hughes, but they admit that the poll
ticians are not lending the Governor
any comfort. 1t is very generally
believed here that the Presidenc is
planning to take some positive step
soon. His friends look for him to
take hand whether Hughes consents
or not.