The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1912-11-02
Roosevelt and the Third Term

The following letter from Horace
Boies, democratic ex-governor of Iowa,
and only democratic one ever elected
in that state, was written to The
Davenport Democrat from Waterloo,
the home of Mr.. Boies:
To the Editor of The Democrat: To
me at least it seems there is one sub
ject in the present political discus
sion that is not receiving h attention
1t deserves. That subject is the eff
feet of. Mr.. Roosevelt's election on the
precedent established. by Washington
of two terms only for a president and
religiously observed by every occupant
Of that position from his day to this,
for the effort to nominate Grant for a
third term vas 10 act Of his own but
instead thereof an effort OF others who
because of his distinguished services
in saving the union believed him en-
titled to honors more pronounced than
any ever before accorded to a living
American, but great as his services had
been, deeply indebted as the American
people were to him the sober second
thought of his own party denied him
the honor of a third nomination and
thereby preserved the precedent Of
washington.
1t must be plain to everyone that
the election of Mr.. Roosevelt this fall
would mean the final and conclusive
overthrow of that precedent and the
exposure of this government to every
evil it was intended to guard against.
I know Mr.. Roosevelt now claims
the precedent applies TO consecutive
terms only, and as / understand as
signs the only eason for it. the abil-
ity of a retiring president to renomt-
nate and re-elect himself through the
aid of patronage he was able to bestow
while in Office. Mr.. Roosevelt is the
first man in American history that
ever discovered that fact II 1t is a
fact, and he discovered it only when
1t became necessary to find 1T in order
to justify his own course.
If patronage would enable q presl-
dent to renominate and re-elect him.
self Mr.. Roosevelt has it behind him
today in the person of every man on
whom he bestowed it during his two
terms of office with the bare excep-
ton of those who have since died or
removed from the United States and
that objection applies to him much
more strongly than it did to his OPP
ponent in the Chicago convention.
The reason for the precedent Is far
deeper and wider than the one as
signed by him. It's basis Is the injus-
tice to others which would result from
allowing one man to enjoy the distinc-
ton of first place in a government like
ours for more than two terms, thereby
depriyinR all others equally entitled to
the honor of a like distinction.
If Mr.. Roosevelt is elected president
this fall he will necessarily be entitled
TO a denomination for another term to
follow it. A refusal of such a nominal
ton by his party would be a distinct
- ztzura IA IN him fnN II uynII11
be nothing less than a public repudia-
ton of the man as unfit for The place
he had filed and for him to refuse the
nomination would be an admission on
his part OF his unfitness lori the place.
The result is If Mr.. Roosevelt Is, elect
ed now and equally successful four
a from now, We will have a period
of twenty years in the history of this
nation. in which n man has been
its chief executive magistrate sixteen
a of that time. Then let us sup
pogo he is gwilIingtto retire for another
four years at the end of which time
he thinks he discovers thai he is
needed again for another term n IL
successful still another term In APP
rroyal Of the former and Is again sue
cessful, the result would be for a
period OF substantially a full genera
ton in the history of this nation one
man would nave occupied the place OF
president twenty-four years and some
other man or two men at the most,
for the period or eight years. and ey-
cry other man in the nation would
have been deprived of the distinction
although equally entitled to it.
How long does anyone suppose this
government would endure under such
Conditions and yet to elect any one
man in this nation for a third term lis
to expose this government for all time
to come to the danger which Wash
ington foresaw and tried to prevent?
we have only to look to our sister
republic of Mexico for a sample of the
results which flow from SO long con-
tinued occupancy by one ma OF first
in a republican form of govern
President Diaz, the most gift
ed Of her sons, is driven by armed
from his seat as president to
which he had clung term after term,
ii now an exile in a foreign land.
while his country is a stencil in the
nostrils Of the civilized world.
The following is a wat ling from
Abraham Lincoln, which no nan in
this campaign ought tn overlook. ADJ
dressing an audience Of young iner
he said.