The Washington herald., 1912-06-09

cerned, but it made Bryan's defeat GER
tain. The Roosevelt Republicans can,
by pursuing the same tactics, make Il
all the more difficult for Taft to win
Some of them, and notably Mr.. Roose-
welt, are undoubtedly bitter enough to
contribute their share to this destruc-
tive programme. Il must not be for
gotten, however, that while the Demo-
Gratis frequently divide and then stay
divided, the Republicans have a won-
derful faculty of getting together on
election day. They are very practical
politicians, these Republicans, and they
have not often been guilty of allowing
factional quarrels to keep them from
crowding around the feshpots.
If Roosevelt should be an independ-
ent candidate he would be much more
Of a factor than any man in like po-
sition in the history of the country.
There is no gainsaying the fact that
Roosevelt has a tremendous following
in this country. With all his idiosyn-
crasies, with all his vulnerability, with
all his disregard of solemn pledges, and
his radical ideas, with all his ambition
and lust of power, he has a popular
strength which is remarkable. If Roose-
welt had lived in the days when the Con-
stitution was being framed and when
many men honestly believed that a con-
stitutional monarchy would be more
enduring than an experimental republic,
Roosevelt would have been their idol,
and might, indeed, have changed the
whole course of the country's history.
Even as it is, his personality has been
sufficiently dominating to overcome the
long-established and apparently we'll
settled tradition against a third term.
This is one of the inexplicable features
of the campaign. When he first gave
intimation of his candidacy it was be-
lieved, and with some foundation, that
his third-term ambition would alone be
his undoing. On the contrary, the third
term proposition has hardly created a
ripple on the surface. 1t has, of
course. been uppermost in thinking
minds and it has influenced those who
acquainted with the nations history, re-
member how the trainers of the Con-
stitution foresaw and deprecated the
danger of a President elected for sue
cessive terms until he had successfully
achieved a life tenure in the Office.
1t may be asked why this fear was
not expressed in terms in the Consti-
tuition. AS a matter of fact, one of the
earliest provisions adopted by the Con-
stituuonal Convention of I787 gave to
the President a single term of seven
years. Throughout the lengthy discus
sion Of the document this provision
remained unchanged, but in some mys-
terious way, in the last twelve days Of
| the session. it was amended into the
shape in which it now stands. 1t is
easy enough now to see that it would
have been better if no change had been
made: but inasmuch as there is now
no constitutional limit upon Presiden-
tial reelection, it is certainly inter
esting to observe the present, apparent
indifference upon a question which in
the past has been a vital factor in
checking personal ambition.
Ordinarily. the Democratic situation
would vie with the Republican in in
terest. The Taft-Roosevelt rivalry has.
however, been so overshsdowing that
the struggle between the Democrats
has been almost ignored.
The feeling that the action of the
Baltimore convention will be largely
influenced by the outcome at Chicago
continues prevalent. 1t must not be
overlooked, however, that Champ Clark
has far outdistanced his rivals in the
race for delegates He now has 452 to
his credit. and it is not unlikely that he
will 90 into the convention with bare
majority. Although it requires a two
thirds vote to nominate in a Democratic
convention, there is a tradition to the
effect that the candidate who first OBJ
tains a majority always secures the
nomination. It is evident that Mr.
Clark's managers are determined to take
him into the convention with lead Of
such proportions as to discourage the
other candidates at the very beginning.
This is unquestionably good politics.
There is strength in numbers. At the
present time. therefore, Mr.. Clark has
the best of the situation.
He is subject, of course, to the evil
effect of a combination on the part Of
the other candidates against him, but
the possibility of successful action in
this direction is tempered by the fact
that there is no bitter antagonism to
him even among delegates with whom
he is not the first choice. This makes
the suggested combination less likely
than would otherwise be the case. The
main thing which he has to fear is the
matter of political policy. The Demo-
Gratis this year are determined to. win
If possible, and they will nominate a,
o