East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1908-04-02
ARTICLE ON ROOSEVELT WHICH
TOOK SENATOR BOURNE'S $1,000

Owing to the widespread interest ir
Senator Bourne5s $1,000 offer for the
best article written on the reasoni
why President Roosevelt should ac-
cept second elective term, the East
oregonian publishes the article by
Judge Frank II. Norcross OF Nevada
which won the $1,000 prize:
The article is as follows:
The assertion that "the sovereign
people and not Theodore Roosevelt
the individual and public servant, will
decide who shall be his successor" is
so manifest that 1t will not admit OF
argument to the contrary The views
of the president are entitled to most
respectful consideration. but they are
not necessarily conclusive, even where
the question Is whether he shall sue
ceed himself
The position of the president re-
gardlng his own candidacy is well
known. Immediately following the
election In 1904 he issued statement
to the people, which statement he re-
terated on the 18th of December last,
upon the occasion Of the call Of the
republican national committee for
the convention at Chicago That
statement Is as follows:
II am deeply sensible OF the honor
done me by the American people in
thus expressing their confidence In
what have done and have tried to
do I appreciate to the full the SOL
enn responsibility this confidence
imposes upon me, and / shall do all
that In my power lies not to forfeit
IT, On the 4th Of March next / shall
have served three and a half years,
and three and half years shall con-
stitute my first term. The wise GUS
tom which limits the president to two
terms regards the substance and not
the form, and under no circumstances
viii beaa candidate for or accept an
other nomination"
There is no reason why the fore
going announcement should be ac-
cepted by the American people as
conclusive simply because 1t comes
from Mr. Roosevelt. II there is room
for a difference OF opinion as to fact
or reason, or both. the good judgment
OF the whole people must be, and is,
decisive.
Old Custom I'm Force
The only custom that prevails in
this country regarding the terms of
office of our presidents to elective
terms, the president, unquestionably,
does not come within the letter of
this custom. If the custom is to un-
dergo modification, Mr.. Roosevelt
certainly has not the right to all the
say regarding that modification.
Doubtless, when Mr.. Roosevelt is
sued the foregoing statement, he was
prompted more or less by modesty.
For him to insist, however, that the
views therein expressed are conclh
sive would be the height of arrogance.
1t is probably the fact that the peo-
pie do not care for any innovations
upon the custom in question.
The great mass OF American people
are well pleased with the administra-
tion of President Roosevelt Fhey
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 advo-
cate of short measure in any of his |
dealings with the people.
There Is neither reason nor consist
ency in his saying now that the peo.
pie shall accept three and half
years as a full term when they are
entitled TO four. The citizens OF this
country are always entitled to the
full hushel OF wheat If, in order to |
ohtain 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 ia
have all that is coming to them? /
The only reason offered by the
president why he will not again be-
come a candidate is that it will vio-
late the Substance" of the custom.
To insist upon such a conclusion, in
view of AL the facts to be considered,
would place Ibis own personal de-
sires or egotstical opinions para
mount to the combined wishes and
of the republican party
and the electorate of the nation"
Only One Roosevelt Term.
AZ u 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 frove this, all that is me-
cessary is to quote from the language
Of the president and cite a little re-
cent history
In that darik hour of universal sor-
row following Immediately upon the
death of our beloved President Nc
kinley. Vice President Roosevelt was
notified Of the presidents death BY
he members Of MIR. McKinley's cab
net, then present In buffalo and ad-
'ised to at once take the oath Of Of
Ice as president The reply of the
hen vice president ts significant: