The Norfolk weekly news-journal. (Norfolk, Neb.) 1900-19??, 1908-02-21
MESSAGE TO NEBRASKA

interview given by President Roose
welt to number of Nebraskans tn,
other day, to prove that the genuin,
friends of the administration are no
the people who are still insistent il
trying to coerce the president to breal
his word and make third term race
but those who have taken him at his
word, believed in his sincerity anC
acted upon the theory that he mean,
what he said when he announced that
under no circumstances would he ac
cept another nomination
Among callers at the white house
was Congressman Pollard After he
had finished his interview, Mr.. Pol
lard was asked what he had to say
regarding the action of the Lancaster
county republicans in instructing for
President Roosevelt for a third term
And this is what Congressman Pol.
lard, in a Washington dispatch is
credited with having said:
| h"'O Juol ltdu lull account OIL
the convention. 1t seems that the SUP.
/ porterS OF the present administration
are divided between the president and
his secretary OF war, Mr.. Taft Under
existing circumstances it seems to me
there ought to be no question as to
the attitude of the party in Nebraska.
| have talked with the president MANY
times about the presidential situation
and have repeatedly urged him to sim.
ply remain inactive and that the coun-
try would unquestionably renominate
him. He has invariably and repeated
y said that his published statement
Immediately after his election three
years ago, which was recently repeat-
ed, expresses his position clearly and
! honestly and that he trusted the party
would accept his statement without
question. From my conversations with
the president ! am convinced that I'M
der no circumstances will he accept
| the denomination for a third term
He is very strongly of the opinion that
| the precedent established by George
Washington at the expiration Of his
| second term ought not to be set aside.
The president has repeatedly told
me that his only desire was that the
republican nominated to succeed him
should be man thoroughly in sympa-
thy with his administration and that
the policies he has inaugurated should
| be prosecuted vigorously until finally
written into law Secretary Taft has
been the presidents closest adviser
and counsellor He has contributed
more than any other man in the cab
a nP he "a
| administration-in fact, he is part Of
| it.. The president has a wider a.
| quaintance among public men unan
| any man in official life today. He is
in better position to Judge as to who
| is best capable of perpetuating the
policies of his administration than
anyone else. The fact that President
Roosevelt is giving his faithful sup
port to Secretary Taft and his repeat
ed declination to become a candidate
for denomination ought to be sufficient
| for all those who are at heart in favor
of the reforms he advocates.
II | thought the president would
accept nomination for a third term
| would be most heartily in favor of
his denomination. Being convinced in
my own mind, however, that he will
not, think 1t is bad policy for those
who believe in the president to COM
plicate the situation by sending an
| instructed delegation to the Chicago
| convention for him. A careful study
of the situation here in Washington
convinces me that there is a deter
mined effort being made to nominate
an tra.conservative or reactionary
candidate. Nearly all those states
| that have large representation in the
national convention have favorite sons
whom they will support for the presi-
dency The one making the best
| showing will likely receive the support
of the others. In view of the fact
that the field is united against Mr.
Taft, who alone stands for a continual
| ton of the policies of the president,
it seems to me that all the friends of
the administration ought to rally to
the support of Secretary Taft.
1t is becoming more and more evil.
dent that the people who are casting
doubt upon the presidents sincerity
in his statement that he will not ac.
cept another term, are not in any way
really giving their support to the
president,
And it is also becoming more APP
parent that the president is anxious
that his successor shall be Secretary
Taft, and no other man.
More than that, with his gains in
Illinois and other states, It is more
and more apparent that Secretary
Taft is going to be the nominee.
AROUND TOWN