The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1907-05-21
ALL THIRD TERM
TALK IS ABSURD
Used for Personal Ends by
PoIiticians---Taft's Row
Hard One to Hoe.
mail specIaI to the Advertiser.

WASHINGTON, D. c., May g.
President Roosevelt has not above
the public interest IN politics TO sui
side Of late, although he has bee
woyking more than ever under cover L
carving out his plans 10 commit tn
Republican party 10 the continuation
of his reform policies. In private n
has been dealing an occasional blow
10 the third term talk, which he re
Gently characterized as 'absolute non
sense - While he was no more EN-
phatie on the subject than he has beer
heretofore. he has convinced the doubt
full among his friends that he Will not
be President after March 4, 1909. Al
the same time he has stated that ne
can not publicly reiterate his state
ment OF election night in 1904 be-
cause if be should do so there would
be nothing to prevent politicians from
bringing pressure upon him 10 relter-
ate again, as soon as the third term
talk revived yet once more and then
his enemies would be saying, :" He doth
protest too much" and claim that he
really wanted the nomination.
Secretary Taft is keeping in the lime
light and for the present is the most
prominent of all the presidential
aspirants. He will begin his political
speaking soon in the southwest, for he
is now a full fiedged candidate.
Reports were abroad few days ago
that the President was going to give
out a statement about third term and
that it would be a sockdolager. -
These reports were based on con-
versation the President had, in which
he explained that when the proper time
came. if the third term talk was still
persisted in, he would say something
which would settle the matter for good
and all. But strange as the state
ment may seem at first thought, the
President is rather pleased just now
at the burst of third term talk. He
has intimated as much to certain of
his visitors within a week. In short
he is willing to be the favorite son
of the United States for while, be-
cause it enables him to hold his political
forces together and prevents them from
scattering to the support of other can
dfdates, some of whom the President
might not like to o. K.
So while the opposition to him IS
putting forth favorite sons in several
States, to hold their strength together
IN those States and in the hope of Sc
turing delegates who can be transferr-
I'd to some other candidate at the pro-
per time, whom these opposition in
.erests will approve, the President is
playing the favorite son racket to head
he opposition Republicans off. And
ae seems to be playing that sort of
/ game with some success.
1t should not be concluded that the
President is at all deceived by the
lou oI lIiAu term DetubAlilS- ne hAlo"9 |
hat much of it is sincere. He also
.nows that many Senators and Repre-
entatives are declaring for his re-
domination who do not want him re-
dominated at all, but who think that
uch declarations will help them very
much at home. There are several Unit
d States Senators in this category.
they are coming up for reelection next
ear and few of them will have a
heir legislatures. So they come out
trong for Roosevelt, hoping to gain
he support of Roosevelt followers.
thus they may be able to help them
elves and incidentally they help the
President for the time being, because
hey keep up the third term enthu-
iasm and enable the President to play
us role as the favorite son of the
United States.
There are very many members of
he National House who are playing
he same kind of politics as the SEN
ltors are playing. Their districts are
lose or, it may be, these members
ire hard pressed by other aspirants.
The members know that President
Roosevelt is exceedingly popular with
heir constituents. Hardly a week goes
oy but what half dozen such mem
oers come down to Washington and
give out interviews about their strong
conviction that only Roosevelt will do
for the next nomination.
Patronage figures considerably also
among what might be called these in
sincere declarations for Roosevelt. The |
President does not hesitate to take |
patronage away from Republican Con |
gressmen who do not agree with him.
In every district represented by Re-
publican, outside of some of the large |
city districts. there are many postoffices |
and the commissions of some of them |
ara constantly eypirinU Reuublicau