Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1912-10-04

constitutional and legal limitations,
and. while out of power, OF proposing
rash changes in the relations of the
judiciary to the other departments of
the Government and to the voters.
Finally at the forthcoming cleo
tion the people are called upon to
express, not directly but by implica-
ton, their opinion on another consti-
tutional change-the question of II
third term in the Presidency. 1t is
ex-President Roosevelt, and the Pro-
gressive party that have sprung this
important question upon the voters.
Fortunately, the issue is clearly jon
ed between the Democratic party,
which declares for single term, and
the Progressive party, which has NOM
mated man who has already held
the Presidential office for seven years
and half.
In all probability to give any
one third term in the Presidency,
either with or without an interval be-
tween terms, would be an undesirable
precedent. All observant citizens
konw that in the cases of Presidents
Roosevelt and Taft. preparations for
securing a second term impaired the
efficiency and dignity of the President
in the last year of his first term.
Every Presidential campaign ought to
furnish the whole country with
valuable lesson in good manners, fair
discussion, sound reasoning and loyal
ty to ideals. 1t would be more likely
TODD so if the President in power
could have no ambitions to be graft
fled and no personal claims on his
party or his country.
In order, however. to arrive at
the conclusion that it is not best to
gives ex-Presideut Roosevelt a third
term it is not necessary to discuss
broadly the question of the best limit
for Presidential service. Is is enough |
to say that ex-President Roosevelt is
parsonage peculiarly unfit to be
placed for third time in the Presi-
Dental office, because he loves power,
ardently desires to exercise the Prcsi- |
dents power again, and has procured |
his own nomination by direct person
nj effort at the cost of splitting the
party to which he owed his previous |
opportunities of a high political |
career. To these facts frank sayings |
of Mr.. Roosevelt himself abundantly |
testify.
Moreover, ex-Presidcnt Roosevelt |
has lately contributed by untimelly |
criticisms, couched in Incorporate |
language, to the defeat of the in
valuable arbitration treaties of the |
United States with Great Britain and |
France, drawn by the Taft Admins
tration, which would have made war
between these countries well-nigh i'm
possible. Holding the opinions he has |
often expressed about the beneficial |
effects of war on the individual and |
on socitey, he can manifestly be only |
a half-hearted believer in the judicial |
settlement of international disputes, |
and would probably nrove dangerous
President should questions of war
arise. Yet internatinal arbitration,
Justice and peace have long been and |
are emphatically today noble policies
of the United States.
''Second and third terms may or
may net be expedient on general |
principles, but this particular..propos-
al for third term is unquestionably
expedient.
These considerations have brought
me to the conclusion that it is best
to vote for Wilson and Marshall at
the forthcoming election
n