The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-08-21
The world Is full of rubs.
-Richard ii, Act III, Scene 4.
Roosevelt As a Candidate

HUu0tftll no Ouuuiuupp
Now that ex-Presdent Theodore Roose-
welt is practically an avowed candidate
for the presidency in the contest sched-
MED for 1912 his sayings and doings will
be of greater interest than ever. Every
move he makes on the political chess
hoard will be deemed significant and his
chances will be considered from every
point of view.
There will be a renewed discussion of
,hird tsrmism. and the first fact his par
t,sans will press is that he did not serve
as President two full terms-the limit
established by tradition and precedent
He was President seven years and half,
but he only ran for election once SO
he will be called a candidate for the sec
ond elective term. But sticklers for Gus
tom and upholders of the alleged doctrine
against a third term, maintain that
Roosevelt, to all extent and purposes,
filled the office two terms and is. there
fore barred for another term.
Anti-third term sentiment was strong
enough to defeat General Grant for the
republican nomination in 1880, after he
had been out of office four years. There
was some talk in the early part of 1896
of nominating President Grover Cleve-
land, democrat. for another term,
although he had already served two
terms. The New York Herald, in a Sc
ries of editorials, discussed vigorously
and with apparent sympathy, Mr.. Cleve-
land as a possibility for the democratic
nomination. And the gist of its discus
sion was that there was no solid ground
for placing limit on the number of
terms that a man might be chosen Pres
ident. But whatever feeling there might
have been among Mr.. Cleveland's friends
that the incumbent of the executive Of
fee should be his own successor, 1t soon
died out and there was no mention OF
Cleveland as a candidate in the democrat
&c convention of 1896 There was a con-
siderable movement in 1904. however. to
mako Cleveland the democratic standard
bearer that year. The ex-President was
willing but the expected stampede" that
did not materialize. Judge Parker was
nominated and was overwhelmingly de-
feated; and IL Mr.. Cleveland had been
nominated he, too, would have been beat,
because the democratic party was badly
split up, to say nothing of the third term
question.
But there is a notion among many poll
ticians and those who are simply lockers
on that Theodore Roosevelt is in class
to himself All readily admit that the
sx-President is a man of exceptional pop
ularity. His personality is of the COM
polling sort and his political followers
count on that very thing to bring VIC
tory to his standard. On the other
hand a great percentage of the voters of
this country regard Roosevelt as too much
of a dictator; a dangerous man. Should
he become President again he would be
very apt to follow Diaz's example and
organize to stay In office for life.
A four years term for President is
too short. perhaps. Thomas Jefferson
favored a term of seven or eight years,
but the constitution says four years and
Q four years term it will remain. And it
would seem a fairly safe bet today that
Roosevelt, with all of his traits that make
for popularity, will not be able to over
come the so-called unwritten law against
Q third term.