The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-06-09
BAN ON THIRD TERM
PRESIDENT SEEKING TO RESTRAIN
 WEST vrHGIyIANs.
Trusts Want Him ts nnn--Big Business Interests Aiding Movement for
 Roosevelt Stampede.
stan Correspondent Washington Post.

r
 Roosevelt requested that these deIe- gates be informed he wanted no one protesting to be a friend of his to vote for him in the convention or continue this talk of third term. On the con trary, he urged that these men abide by their instructions and support Sec retary Taft, whom he said he desired to see nominated. .s
 Any other course. the President said in his letter. would bring adverse crit icism upon them and be exceedingly embarrassing to himself. He regarded 1t as their absolute duty, as honorable men. to abide by their instructions. The President stated, also, that he was firmly convinced Taft would be nomt- mated on tho first ballot
 This is an epitome of the contents of letter written by the President to a personal friend in this state after ne heard of the declarations of Charles F. Teter and George w. Curtin, the former delegate at large from West Virginia, and the latter from the Fourth district that they intend to bolt their Taft instructions and vote for the renomination of the President. The re- cipient of the Presidents letter was unwilling that his name should be used, nor would he. in any circurn- stances, permit the text of Mir. Roose- vclts letter to be printed.
 The purport of it's contents was giv- en to representative of The Post by the man who received the letter and who is charged with the duty of let ting these two delegates know that the President is displsased with their mis- directed good intentions toward him. self and is anxious that Secretary Taft sould receive every vote possible at Chicago.
 Those who have conversed with MT. Roosevelt are convinced of his absolute sincerity in regard to the Taft candi- racy, but notwithstanding this atti- doubt that a movement is on foot look ing to the denomination of the Presi- dent at Chicago.
 The Republican party in this state manages some things differently than does the party in other sections of the country. It is an unwritten law that no Senator or Representative can go to Republican national convention.
 Senator Elkins was most anxious to attend the convention as a delegate. but he understood the custom too well to make the attempt. The convention in the Third district that renominated John H. Gaines for Congress gave an excellent illustration of the West Vir- ginia Republicans intolerance of con- trol by Congressional leaders.
 Teter and Curtin are men of large business affairs. and, looking at the political situation from the business viewpoint. they say the nomination of the President would absolutely dispose of all doubt for the future, and bust ness men could go ahead with their enterprises without fear as to what the result of the election might be. It is because of these business. reasons that they profess to believe MT. Roosevelt should be nominated, and ip this view 1t is understood T. D. Houston, one of the delegates from the Fifth district, concurs. MT. Houston is an extensive coal operator. MT. Curtin has millions invested in lumber, and MT, Teter is a large operator in real estate and coal. er
 This personal friend of the President. who talked with Col Teter after the receipt of Mr.s Roosevelt's letter. drew the inference from what Col. Teter said that under ordinary circumstances; he would be loyal to his instructions; but if the convention were stampeded to Roosevelt. or the attempt were made to stampede 1t and others break their instructions, he would do the same, as he believed the best interests of the party would be subserved by making MT. Roosevelt the candidate. The indi- cations now are, though, that Taft may be nominated before West Virginia is reached in the voting of States.
 Developments of the past week i'm dieate that the movement to force the renomination of the President, no mat ter what his personal attitude may be, apparently, has much more behind it than generally has been supposed. Not only are a number of politicians en- gagged in manipulating the situation with a view to, bringing about this end, but elements that in the past have furnished the funds with which cam paigns are wased and without which success may be difficult, have had their emissaries abroad interviewing dele gates and spreading the doctrine that any other candidate than Roosevelt spells defeat for the Republican party if Bryan is nominated at Denver. Agents of the Standard Oil Company have been engaged in this propaganoa. and many of the arguments of these men are the arguments advanced by the bolting delegates in West Virginia.
 The representative of The Post was told today of the work of a special agent of the Standard oil Company. and who admitted he was one of the many now actively discussing politi cal questions and the availability Of candidates among delegates wherever it was thought vote could be changed to Roosevelt from Taft or from unin- structed districts
 It is an anomalous condition of af- fairs to find the very men who were hit the hardest by the enforcement of the policies of President Roosevelt now urging that administration of the gov ernment be continued in his hands for another four years. but their unfailing answer is. Business conditions demand it."
 According to this report, managing heads of the railway systems of the country, of the big steel mills. of the Standard Oil Company, and allied in- dustries, demand Roosevelt's renomi- nation, not because they love him par ticularly, but because they believe he has the people with him and his nomi- nation would be equivalent to an cleo tion. no matter who the opposing can didate may be.
 Nominate Roosevelt on the 17th day of June" they say, and. when they talk to the politicians and delegates, "and the period of uncertainty and suspense always present from the day of the nomination to the day of election will not exist. Business at once can adjust itself; prosperity will return with hls nomination. shops will open up full time money will not be closely guard ed awaiting the result of the ballots. No man can defeat Roosevelt; the peo- pie are with him, and MT. Roosevelt can control them.
 With Taft as the candidate" these special interests assert, there is strong element of uncertainty, and the country will be kept in a turmoil until after the day of election. There are