The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1907-12-17
NO THIRD TERM
FOR ROOSEVELT
Announces Ne win Not Deviate
From Election Night Declaration.
DECISION THEN MADE STANDS
Statement Issued From White House
President Says: II Have Not
Changed and Will Not Change
the Decision Then Announced"

Washington, D. c.. This announce
ment was given out for publication
at the Presidents Office at the White
House:
Son 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 I
have done and have tried to do. 1
appreciate to the full the solemn re-
sponsibility this confidence imposes
upon me, and l shall do all that in my
power lies not to forfeit it. On the
4th of March next I shall have served
three and half years, and this three
and a half years constitute my first
term. The wise custom which limits
the President to two terms regards
the substance and not the form, and
under no circumstance will / be a
candidate for or accept another nom
nation
Il have not changed and shall not
change the decision thus announced. :"
In this manner Mr.. Roosevelt ends
the pressure that has been put on him
from all over the country for the
last few weeks to make some sort of
declaration which would end the I'M
certainty everywhere existing as to
what he would do in response to the
loud demand, partly real and largely
manufactured, which was being made
for his denomination by the Republic
can National Convention at Chicago
next June.
Throughout the clamor of the
third-termers it has been perfectly
well understood, and nowhere better
than at the White House, that it came
from several classes of men. One was
composed of those who honestly and
sincerely believed that the Preside
would be the most available candi-
date to succeed himself whom the
Republicans could name.
One was made up only of syco-
plants who thought that by shouting
for his denomination they could best
please the President and most serve
their own purposes, especially in the
matter of patronage. Another was
composed of men who are really OPP
posed to Mr.. Roosevelt and what he
stands for, and who thought that the
use Of his name as cloak would best
serve to conceal their real intentions
and desires.
Among the closest of the genuine
friends of the President there has
never been any doubt, however, as to
the sincerity of his purpose to stand
by the declaration he made on the
night of his election three years ago.
But the men who were known in
their communities as his friends
created new situation.
Had it been only the known enc
mics of the President who had joined
in the cry for third term, the an
nouncement might NOT have been
made. But in almost every State in
the Union men reported to be friends
/ of Roosevelt made it a business to
circulate the story if the nomination
were rendered to Roosevelt he could
not decline it,
In deciding to issue the statement,
the President acted with the advice
of Secretary Root Postmaster-Gen-
eral Mayer and Secretary Garfield, all
of whom are stanch friends of Secre-
tary Taft, and of Secretary Loeb, who
is an equally strong supporter of Mr.
Taft.