Polk County observer. (Monmouth, Polk County, Or.) 1888-1927, 1912-05-07
THE THIRD TERM.

Friends of Theodore Roosevelt scoff
at what they term the third term
bogey" and try to show, by elaborate
explanations and the citation of nu-
merous scientific authorities, that
there is absolutely nothing in it. That
it is chimerical phantom that exists
only in a misty precedent which mod
ern thought and calm reasoning will
dispel. While supporters of the Col
onel look at it this way 1t is well for
them to stop moment and calmly
investigate what the American people
have thought about it in the past.
Only twice in the 1876 years since
the slogan of liberty rang forth from
Faneuil Hall, has there been a candi-
date for a third term in the presden-
tial chair. One of these men was
forced into the fight against his bet
ter judgment, but he could not be
nominated. The other has forced
himself ito the the race under the
plea, or implied assertion, that he is
the only man who can save the
country"
Before the Republican national
convention of 1880. Ulysses S. Grant
was a candidate for the presidential
nomination for a third term, after
four years spent as a private citizen
in which he had traversed the globe
and in which foreign princes and po-
tentates had united in honoring one
of the worlds most prominent fig
ures. In his day General Grant was
fully as popular as Roosevelt is to-
day. He went into that convention
with a total of 304 delegates, Is less
than required to nominate. Friends
of Roosevelt assert that the latter's
success in Illinois and Pennsylvania
make 1t certain that he will win. Yet
Grant had "a of the 40 delegates
from Illinois, 32 of the So from Penn
sylvania, 81 of the 20 from New
York, headed by Roscoe Conkling
then the acknowledged leader of the /
Republican party in the United States. I
Moreover. Grant had 29 of the 80 del
egates from Missouri and practically .
all of the Southern delegates Yet,
in spite of this showing, in spite of .
the eloquence of Conkling and his
matchless political skill and leader
ship, the convention was deadlocked
and. on the thirty-siXth successive
ballot, the hero of Appomattox re-
ceived 500 votes. The third term
"bogey" was too much for even the
tremendous popularity of General
Grant. The tradition promulgated by
Washington and endorsed by Abra-
ham Lincoln was too strong for
Grants friends to overcome. Call it
what you will, it was there. in the
hearts of the delegates to that con-
Vention, in the minds of the Ameri-
can people who, nevertheless, loved
the leader whom they had twice hon
ored with the presidency, but they !
would not break down established !
custom.
Even in the face of Roosevelt's
success i'm Illinois and Pennsylvania, t
we find that he was overwhelmingly Z
defeated i'm his own state. New York. !
was beaten in Massachusetts in Yer e
mont, in New Hampshire, i'm Iowa. [
In North Dakota, in Wisconsin. in b
Indiana, In Michigan. and in {
The South on the face of the re- G.
.urns his showing is considerably less il
han was Grants in 1850. He cannot q
se nominated at Chicago. \
Friends OF the Colonel base their Is
relief In his success upon the tremen- X
lous popularity that has been his i'm d
he past. They figure that because Il
he was once elected by the greatest &
majority ever given presidential u
in the United states that W
lc must still win by mere force Of I
lis personality. They forget that he W
las deceived the people by his decla- o'
ations against a third term and his
requent assertions that he would not
e candidate. They forget that he 81
as taken radical position upon We
uestion of vast import which has not ST
cen endorsed by hundreds OF thous- Of
nds OF his former friends who are IN
n vet ready to substitute his judic- m,
. decision recall propaganda. for Of
resent safe and sane methods. They IN
, not realize that his course. during no
e past four years has been such as WI
wean from his thousands Of his ov
rmer supporters without gaining pc
m new ones and that. today his VII
pularity Is but a remnant OF what Ma
once was. are
Theodore Roosevelt has rendered voi
] country valient service. He has Tor
IN honored as highly as his coun- 20
men can honor him. But. even cas-
cannot oppose the time-honored din
dition OF 116 years OF American ite