The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-07-07
NO THIRD TERM.

k1SO0AAyn Ea&lE HINe4 ntU1Omn why
 Roosevelt Cannot Be Candidate.
 Editorial in The Brooklyn Eagle.
 The President should adhere to his announcement that he will not run. at ,f tne .s end S or his us second term' to ootain'
 He should believe none who tries to convince him that his candidacy will be necessary to insure the continuance What will stand the test of time in his policy can be undone by no suc- cessor. Republican or Democrat. What no ee osse of thes party
 Mir. Roosevelt, as a Republican voter, has right to prefer Mir; Taft for his successor. sAdr. Roosevelt. as Prest- prevent the nomination of any Repub- iican.
 Andrew Jackson reduced his fame in forcing the nomination of Van suren en- republic and the Democracy dear, Pres ident Grant was damaged in striving for Conkling's nomination in 1878. and renominate Grant for a third term in 1880.
 It is probable the President could force his own renomination. Nothing as forced process. It would be stig- matized as a violation of his freely and solemnly pledged word. He would 6e for d the a1ty 5 s as or of abuse of power to advance him the securities of his countrymen. tenn that all his successors have re- spected 1t. In fact, all these charges would be brought against him and the pIausibility of them all would make many believe them all, and would make der denial of any one of them dif1cuit in a campaign that would surpass all other campaigns in the mere quality Of shock, to say nothing of moral im-
 There are not wanting those who will tell MT. Roosevelt that he can force his renomination without any or these dire consequences to his his, tame. @ prise distinct kinds of folk: Men who do not reckon the moralities among their assets or liabilities; men Whc betters e % or of gamblers; men who fail to realize the Historic hold of the ex- ample of the great Presidents on tne convictions of sentient ana essentlaI- ly religious citizenship; men who ar que that the strong personality Of the President has wrought a suspension or a reversal of the feeling against a third term in the breasts of patriot'e
 The President has confessed his aver sion to and dread of third term. He did So when he was not asked or ex- pected to do so. Of all Americans: ms infideIity to that principle would be tue most startling and scandalous.
 There are many Americans not ayerse to or afraid of a third term. They have not, however, denounced or renouncea 1t. They are free. MT. Roosevelt Is not. He Is in bonds and not free on
 The President should believe none who tell him that his word need only be regarded by him as a wlsp of straw: none wko ten him that, indeed, he IS indispensable to. the welfare of 2 na- him; none who tell him that the best men will forgive or forget his viola tIon of his volunteered promise; none who hatter him with the fanacy that batween the nation and immortal smash he only stands: none who would tempt him to be less truthful to the people than he was to his honored par ents, when he as a child gave to them his word; none who disguise from him that fact that third term; renounced and then accepted by him, would not reduce his resistance to the idea Of a fourth and a fifth term-and so on: 10 the possible MexicaniZation or Central or South Americanization of our gov ernment
 There may be a time when third terum will be optional to our people. 'Twould be difficult to regard 1t as optional to a man who has solemnly declared 1t to be obnoxious to his own conscience and to his own sense or patriotism and of personal duty. They are meaning or unmeaning enemies or Theodore Roosevelt's fame who would persuade him that his word Is to Dc fightly regarded, not only by the peo- pie, but likewise by himself.