The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-04-17
ED HOCH's COMMENT.

Marion, was picked by the promoters of
the square deal" movement in the Re
publican party in Kansas as their first
gubernatorial candidate. This was
when these promoters, Who are now the
Republican 'insurgent'' leaders in Kan
sas, made their first successful impress
sion on that wing of their party which
they are pleased to term the machine"
No one will deny that Governor Hoch is
a man of progressive ideas, a man who
stands for righteousness in all things,
even if most of the insurgents who
helped to elevate him to public prom
inence have been turning the political
cold-shoulder on him since long before
his service as governor was concluded.
This is probably because Ed Hoch soon
impressed them with the fact that his
idea of a square deaP' was not to
give them decidedly the best IF it. And
because Mr.. Hoch was selected by the
square dealers as the political Moses
to lead them out of the house of bond
age; because of his progressive beliefs
and his soundnesS of political doctrine,
some remarks he has to make on Col
onel Rocsevelt's candidacy are intense
ly interesting. They appeared over his
signature in the Marion Record which
is now being conducted so ably by his
son, Homer Hoch; and are, as follows:
1 am opposed to a third presidential
term for any man, and regard the
desperate attempt of Mr.. Roosevelt to
annul the sacred unwritten law on the
subject, held sacred since the estab-
lishment of this government a century
and third ago as one of the worst eX-
hibitions of ambition that has ever
challenged the thought and patriotism
of the American people. An honor re-
fused by Washington and refused to
every man since his day should not now
be conferred upon any man. The issue
is greater than parties and greater than
any that now divides parties. It strikes
at the root of our institutions. If a
third term is ever given to any man
then every president will aspire to this
honor, and to deny it to any will pc
regarded as a humiliation. And if the
custom is once annuled, then why not a
fourth or a fifth term. To break the
precedent means to put a premium on
egotism and on unholy ambition. 1t is
a menace to the Republic and mans Il
long step toward Mexicanizing it. This
country is not so poor in men that any
man is essential to its safety. Let US
hope and believe that the Republic will
live long after Mr. Roosevelt is dead
We will have to get along without him
some time, somehow, and we might as
well practice on the experiment now. I
can not believe the Republican party
which has commanded my suffrage and
service all my political life will ever be
the agency through which the wise Gus
tom of limiting the presidency to two
terms will be deliberately violated. 1t
would be far wiser for the party to lead
in the movement to limit presidential
possibility to one term of six years.
But three terms, never! And the quib-
BILE about three consecutive terms is
unworthy of serious consideration. Con-
cede to Mr.. Roosevelt that which has
never been conceded to any other man
in all our history and the vase is
broken, the perfume is scattered, the
damage is irretrievably done.
And is not the character of Mr..
Roosevelt's candidacy to be regretted
by every thoughtful person? His at
tempts to explain what he meant when
he said he would not be a candidate for
third term has been a mere Juggling
with words unworthy of a great man.
Then his later explanation that in con-
senting to accept the nomination if it
came to him unsolicited and I'M
sought" as the seven governors tauto-
logically expressed it, he was not vio-
lating his positive declaration on the
subject is simply ridiculous in the light
of his present whir1wind campaign to
have this honor come to him Jun
solicited and unsougtt." Now, honest,
isn't this a spectacle sufficient to rouse
the risibles of a marble statue, to say
nothing of men of flesh and blood and
bone? Again, can you conceive of a
Mckinley or Garfield or a Ben Harri-
son or an Abraham Lincoln indulging
in the personal disparagement of sue
cessor such as Mr.. Roosevelt is daily
indulging in concerning Mr.. Taft, and is
not the dignity of the president in re-
fusing to descend to this sort of petty
politics, even under provocation, to be
admired and commended. Fellow Amer
lean citizens, and especially fellow
Kansans. what are we coming to when
such things can be applauded by
thinking people?
No more demagogic appeal has ever
been made to the passions and preju-
dices of the people of this country than
this modern slogan I'VE N trust the
people in behalf of proposition to
change our form of government, to I'M
dermtne the structure reared by the
fathers, and to get the people to swal-
low a lot of nostruns proposed by some
quack political doctors. No greater
compliment can be paid the people
than to say that in forming the govern
ment, and in perpetuating it so far,