The Washington herald., 1908-02-16
THIRD TERM BOOMING
Movement Has Got Far Be-
yOnd RumOr Stage.
TAFT PEOPLE NOURIsHING IT
Threats Intended 10 Strengthen See
retaFy's Following Seems to Have
Become "a Regular Boom Itself.
what Observers from Many Sec
fiOHs of the Country Say.

The persistenoy with which the idea is
disseminated that President Roosevelt
will force the Chicago convention TO re-
nominats him II Mr.. Tafts candidacy is
unsuccessful is beginning to have its
effect upon prominent Republicans in
| Congress, who had been of the opinion
that talk Of that sort was mere chatter
and meant nothing
| Mr. Taft's friends here have not been
/ idle In circulating third-term gossip, but
/ their efforts in this direction were re-
sarded as part Of a plan to frighten the
| Republican party into the belief that the
country can be saved from another four
years Of Rooseveltism only through
choosing Taft as the partys leader in
this years campaign
/ II is from other sources Of information
that Republican Senators and Represent
atives have heard statements that have
made them sit up and take notice"
Hughes HaItS Taft Wave.
! The threat to make Mr. Roosevelt the
I Republican nominee was practically syn
chr0nous with the check 10 the Taft
wave which seemed 70 be sweeping the
country up to few weeks ago. Gov
/ Hughes promise to deliver a speech in
which he would set forth his views on
public questions marked the beginning of
the difficulties encountered by the Taft
/ boomers.
Then the managers Of the several ia
yorite son" boOmsNentered into a working
/ agreement. the effect Of which was seen
/ in the Florida Republican convention
/ Everything indicates that Mr. Taft's
/ friends We're frightened. and in order to
transfer a bit Of their scare to their Op-
ponents. they started the cry of Taft
Taft. or you'll have 20 take Roosevelt"
/ Message Lent Color 10 RumOT.
On January 81 the day that Gov
Hughes kept his promise to explain his
views on questions Of the day, President
/ Roosevelt sent to Congress his remark
able attack upon those who criticise his
/ policies. That message gave an impetus
to the talk that Mr.. Roosevelt would be
renomInated. and since then the .dea has
grown until IL has come to be adopted by
many who regarded the President as en-
trely out Of the race.
Cecil Lyon. the Republican national
committeeman from Texas and one %
the Presidents closest friends. has re-
fused TO become a party to the Taft
movement and has said so 20 Mr. Roose-
ycit He was AZ the White House yester-
day. just as much third-termer as ever
Senator Jonathan Bourne. Of Oregon. who
prefers 10 speak of a third term as Il
second elective term. was White
House visitor also. with more reasons to
show why a second elective term" isn't
a third term.
Hale Joins in Chorus.
Another White House visitor was Rep
resentative Nathan Hale. of Tennessee.
and he declared that while he was hon
estly and sincerely for Taft. and was con-
hdeHt the Republicans of Tennessee
would instruct for him. conditions are
such that I cannot help feeling that when
the great. thrilling moment comes at
Chicago. President Roosevelt will be
uomiuated. and to this the Tennessee
Congressman added: 1t will be exceed
ingly difHc.lt to stop such an outcome
Then Representative Hale told very
pointed story. "A party down in my
State went fishing with dynamite. which
is against the Law he said. They would
hitch the explosive TO stick, set the
stick floating in the river. light the fuse,
and then hUrriedly row ashore. r'The party
had water spaniel, which came 90 the
conclusion that il would be "a grand
scheme TO swim 10 the stick containing
the dynamite and hustle to the shore
with it.
When the men in the boat saw what
was taking place they rowed for all they
were worth, and when they reached the
shore lit out in all directions. The dog
barely got TO the shore when the cx-
plosi0n occurred. They didn't ind any
pieces OF the animal II looks 10 me as
if there viii be something like that at
Chicago. A grand scampering viii take
place when the dynamite goes of.
Not All Idle Chatter.
In this little narrative, Representative
Hale expressed the view of a large num-
Der Of Republicans here who are con-
cerned seriously over the third-term talk
The fear among them is that if the Taft
forces are in danger of defeat, they viii
try 10 stampede the convention for Roose-
welt. Everywhere in Washington talk OF
that sort is heard. and significance is at
tached to the fact that it is being further
ed, instead of discouraged. by friends of
the President and the Secretary Of War
The action of the Republican committee
Of Lancaster County. Nebr. Friday. in
declaring for a third term for the Presl-
dent has staggered the Nebraska Repub-
licans here. Senator Burkett and other
Nebraska Congressman have been assert
ing that the whole State was for Taft.
and they are at loss to explain the
meaning of Lancaster COunty's attitude.
May Mean Whole State.
Lancaster is the county in which Lin
coin, the State capital, and William J.
Bryan's home are situated. It has been
known as the index county" of Nebraska
in Republican politics, from the circum-
stance that usually it represents the
trend of Republican sentiment in the
State. Nebraskans here are inclined to
believe that the Republican committee
of Lancaster County has diagnosed the
sentiment in the State correctly, and
that It took steps to make known that
the third-term sentiment existed
1T looks as If the people had decided
TO take the bit into their own teeth" was
Senator Burketts comment