The evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1907-1908, 1907-12-12
WON'T ACCEPT
NOMINATION
AGAIN
Continued from FIRST roee.1

the following statement:
ION the night after election I made
the following announcement I am
deeply sensible of the honor done me
by the American people in thus ex-
pressing their confidence in what / have
done and have tried to do. / appreciate
to the full the solemn responsibility this
confidence imposes upon me, and / shall
do all that in my power lies not to for
felt 1t. On the fourth of March next I
shall have served three and a half
years, and this three and a half years
constitute my first term. The wise Gus
tom which limits the President to two
terms regards the substance and not
the form, and under no circumstances
will I be a candidate for or accept an
other nomination l have not changed
and shall moi change the decision thus
announced"
If any man knew of the Presidents
intention to make this declaration at
the present time he kept the Presidents
secret we'll, for there was no intimation
that it would be made for some time to
come.
When the President was in Tennessee
last October, returning from his bear
hunt in the swamps of Louisiana, he
was informed that the Republican lead
ers of that State proposed to hold their
State convention as soon as possible
after the call of the national executive
committee for the national convention,
and that they intended to send a solid
delegation instructed for the renomina-
ton of Mr.. Roosevelt. AS the national
executive committee would meet in
Washington early in December. it was
expected that the Tennessee conven-
ton would be held not much more than
a month later: that is, early in January
of the next year.
The President has told a great num-
Der Of individuals during the last few
weeks that he would not be a candidate
for the Presidency text year, and he re-
iterated this declaration to certain
members of the Republican National
Committee last week. 1t was Mr..
Roosevelt's original intention to wait
until after the election of the first dele
gates instructed for him and then to
issue a convincing disclaimer of his can
didacy. According to the plans then
making for an early convention in Ten
nessee, the Presidents announcements
to the country would have come some
time next month.
The best information obtainable as to
the Presidents intentions looking
toward a third term has always been
that he would stand by his declaration
of 1904, and that he was simply wait
ing for his W time in which to reit-
crate hat declaration. As recently as
last Saturday. however, it did not seem
likely that Mr.. Roosevelt would make
his announcement during the present
year; and 1t seems more than possible
that he would. indeed, defer 1t until
well into 1908. On that day he a ali
hours conference with two of the lead
ing Republicans of Tennessee. n it
became known that the President had
asked them to defer the holding of
their convention. The President said
to a dozen visitors last Saturday that
he thought he had the Southern con-
~vention early projects pretty well In
hand and that none of them would be
held very early in the new year.
There was only one theory for this de-
termination OF the President to head
off the early conventions which eemed
likely to eject delegates instructed for
his denomination. That theory was-aid
for confirmation 1t lacked only he
Presidents statement in so many words
that he wished to hold the political
situation under control as long as pos
sible i'm order tina c~onspirators against
his policies might be kept guessing"
as to his true position, and thereby pre-
vented from concentrating on a reac-
ZIONIST candidate.
That was last Saturday. No informa-
ton is vouchsafed at the White House by
way of supplement to the announcement
issued by the President last night. but II IS
quite cei tain that the Presidents mind
has undergone a radical change within
the last four days. The first sign of this
appeared Tuesday. A letter which was
| addressed to members of the Cabinet un-
der date Of November 10 last, the exist
Cnce but not the text of which was known
to the public, was given out for publica-
ton after Tuesday S Cabinet meeting. This
letter directed that subordinate officers
under the several executive departments
be directed not to accept election MS dele
gates to the Republican national conven-
! ton instructed for Roosevelt. Although
the letter was dated three weeks ago, the
head OF the departments had not sent out
the order, as the President directed that
it be done, and gave out a copy of his
letter Tuesday.
What caused the President to give
ont that letter, when It's substance was
already known and had been widely pub
liSneu, ana why the Bresluent issued MS
third-term statement last night are matters
of conjecture. One theory is that they
had the same direct cause.
A few days ago Representative Clayton,
of Alabama. introduced a resolution In the
House declaring it to be the sense of the
American people that no President should
accept a third term. That resolution was
identical with the resolution introduced in
the House in 1876 by Representative
Springer, Of Illinois. to head off the Grant
third term movement, The Clayton reso-
luton, although o%stensibly made light OF
by the Republican leaders in the House,
really caused them some embarrassment,
and it is known that the measure at
tracted much interest at the White House.
The resolution was talked over at the first
Cabinet meeting after its introduction, and
at the close of that meeting the text of
the Presidents direction to Cabinet Of
fcers in regard to the activities of Federal
office holders was given to the public as
IL TO remind the people of this sign that
the President was not a candidate for re-
election.
Speaker Cannon visited the White House
Yesterday. presumably ut the rcquos, Of
The President. for the Speaker has beea