Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1907-10-05
NATIONAL Conventions
Roosevelt Boomers Want Demo-
Gratis to Nominate First.
AFRAID OF "THlRD TERM" CRY
Think President is Only Man Who
Can Defeat Bryan If the Latter
is Nominated.
is Nominated.

the next republican national conyea
ton be held after the democratic ma
tional convention?
The answer to that remains in the
hands OF President Roosevelt or h 9
friends, and there is an inside tip that
the Roosevelt people are determined
TO force the democrats to hold their
convention first, if that can be done,
and they believe they will be able to
do so.
The motive for this is declared to
be that the Roosevelt people will use
every pressure to have the president
renominated, despite his promise that
nothing can induce him to accept,
should the democrats nominate bryan.
The Rr N bogey is to be used for
all IL is wor to scare the conserva-
tives OF the country into the idea that
Roosevelt is the only man who can
defeat Bryan and that as between
these two it Is the duty of the con.
servatives to reliquish their personal
OPP osition to Roosevelt and unite in
crushing the Nebraskan for the third
time. If the republicans hold their
convention first 1t may not be so easy
to wave the Bran DOGGY and bring
about the nomination of the president
Already there are signs that the coun-
try is beginning to accept the pres
ident at his word and that strong men
will be sent to the convention who
will not permit themselves to be swept
off their feet by a Roosevelt hnrrah,
This is not to the liking of the RoosS
welt boomers and they want the nom
ination delayed as long as possible.
Besides the use that would be made
of the Bryan scare crow, the Roose-
welt people believe that a short cam
paign would be to their advantage
shon'd thew succeed in their plans to
have the president nominated to sue
coed himself. 1t is practically certain
now, prominent democrats declare,
that if Roosevelt should accept a
nomination the democrats would make
the campaign Almost wholly on an
anti-third tern platform, in which the
horrors of a monarchical government
under THEODORE l. would be pictur-
ed and the people would be arous d
as never before with the idea that real
democratic government was slipping
away. The Roosevelt boomers are
said to anticipate this and that is one
of their reasons for wanting a short
campaign--in fact the shortest ever
in this country They fear that Bryan
or whoever is the democratic leader,
might succeed in impressing the coun-
try with the cry of the dangers OF a
third term, II their convention is held
early and Roosevelt should be nomi-
mated Bryan would have opportunity
to sir the country with his eloquent
denunciations of THIRD TERM pos
sibilites He can talk consistently on
this subject. too, inasmuch as when
he was first nominated he expressed
HIS belief that no president should
ho'd office longer thar one term and
promised that he would not seek or
accept another nomination should he
be elected.
Whether President Roosevelt is
aware Of the schemes being worked
by his friends can not be stated. 1t
is at least certain that he will be able
TO control the republican nation
committee and that he can have the
date for the convention fixed as he
personally desires. Six months age
here was a great conspiracy TO cap
tpre the national committee and elect
Senator Penrose, of Pennsylvania
chairman. That would have been ar
administration setback. as Penrose is
not liked by the president end hi'
friends The weakened members o
the committee who stood ready TO JON
in the conspiracy have hunked since
then and given the whole snap ava!
to the president. There is now az
doubt that the administration will cor
trol the national committee when i
meets here in December TO select ;
time and place for the rext natioaa
convention. Then will be fought on
the question of an early or late con
vention The attitude Of the Roose
welt people on the committee is fore
gone conclusion, unless their program
is changed,