The Washington herald., 1908-03-25

lien. Frank II. NOrcrosS, Justice OF tn
Supreme Court of Nevada, in competi
ton with hundreds of others coming
from every State and Territory. ha.
been awarded the prize Of $1,000 offere,
by the Hon Jonathan Bourne, Unite,
States Senator from Oregon, through
the National Magazine, for the stronges
and best-written argument in favor ot
the reelection Of Theodore Roosevelt
for second elective term:
The assertion that "the sovereign peo-
pie and not Theodore Roosevelt. the in.
dividual and public servant. will decide
who shall be his successor is 50 manifest
that it viii not admit or argument 10 tho
contrary. The views OF the President arc
entitled 10 most respectful consideration
but they are not necessarily conclusive
even where the question is whether hs
shall succeed himself.
The position OF the President regarding
his own candidacy is well known. I'm.
mediately following the election in 100
he issued statement to the people
which statement he reiterated on the 11th
OF December last. upon the occasion OF
the call Of the Republican National Com
mittee for the convention at Chicago
That statement is as follows
Il am deeply sensible OF the honor
uohe me py the American people in thus
expressing their confidence in what I
nave done and have tried 10 do
appreciate 10 the full the solemn re
sponsibility this confidence impOses
upon me. and shall do all that in my
power lies not 10 forfeit II. On the
4th OF March next / shall have served
three and a half years. and these
lhree and half years constitute my
nTSt term. The wise custom which
limits the President to two terms re-
CARDS the substance and cot the form.
and under no circumstances will 7 be
candidate for or accept another
nomination"
Judgment OF People Decisive.
There IS no reason why the foregoing
announcement should be accepted by the
American people as conclusive simply he
cause il comes from Mr. Roosevelt. II
there is room for a difference Of opinion
as 10 fact or reason. or both. the good
judgment Of the whole people must be
and is. decisive.
The only custom that prevails in this
country regarding the terms Of Office OF
our Presidents applies to elective terms.
The President, unquestions5ly. does not
come within the letter of this custom. II
the custom is TO undergo modification.
, Mr.. Roosevelt certainly has not the right
10 all the say regarding that modification.
Doubtless. when Mr.. Roosevelt issued the
foregoing statement, he was prompted
more or less by modesty. For him 10 IN
sist. however. that tie views therein ex-
pressed are conclusive would be the
height OF arrogance. II is probably the
fact that the people do not care for anv
innovations upon the custom In question
The great mass Of the American people
are well pleased with the administration
Of President Roosevelt. They want him
for two elective terms. and they have the
right to say whether his reelection will
be a violation Of a custom OF debatable
wisdom. Mr.. Roosevelt has never been
an advocate of short measure in any Of
his dealings with the people There is
neither reason nor consistency in his
saying now that the people shall ACCEPT
three and a half years as a full term
when they are entitled TO four. The citi-
zens of this country are always entitled
10 the full bushel OF wheat If. in order
10 obtain it. they must take it heaped
and running over. who will object. unless
it be those who. for personal reasons. do
not want the people TO have all that is
coming to them?
Does Not Violate Custom III Substance
The only reason offered by the Pres-
dent why he will not again become a
candidate is that ii will violate the sub
stance OF the custom. To insist upon
such conclusion. in view Of all the
facts to be considered, would place his
own personal desires or egotistical opin-
ions paramount 10 the combined wishes
and intelligence OF the Republican party
and the electorate of the nation" AS a
matter of fact, the people will not have
had the substance OF two administrations
of President Roosevelt at the close Of his
present term. To prove this all that ,s
necessary is 10 quote from the language
Of the President and cite a little recent
history. In that dark hour OF universal
sorrow following Immediately upon ,he
doath OF our beloved President Mckinley
Vice President Roosevelt was notified OF
the Presidents death by the members OF
Mr.. McKinley's Cabinet. then present in
Buffalo, and advised 20 at once take the
oath Of Office as President The reply of
the then Vice President is significant:
u shall take the oath at once. in ac-
cordance with your request. and i'm
this hour OF deep and terrible national
bereavement ] wish to state that n
shall be my aim to continue abso-
lutely unbroken the policy OF Presi-
dent Mckinley for the peace and pros
perity and honor OF our beloved coun-
try"
\ This declaration quieted the fears Of
the people that there might be a change
n the policy of the administration, the
uncertain nature of which would have a
tendency TO upset, to a greater or less
extent. the financial and commercial in
terests of the country In line with his
solemn declaration, the President re-
quested the members of McKinley's. Cabi-
net 10 remain at the head OF their re-
spectlYe departments and constitute his
official family. as they had constituted
his predecessors This invitation was
accepted What Mr.. Roosevelt is pleased
10 call his first term was. in reality. the
second term OF President Mckinley. by