The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1912-07-11
THAT ONl..Ti:RM PLEDGE.

The excited theory hat the Balti-
more platform makes Woodrow Will
son Ineligible to reelection, granting
that he serves one term, finds no solid
support in the why and wherefore of
the conventions action or in the
wording of the plank itself. The con-
vention had early decided that the
platform should be framed to fit
around and be at one with the candi-
date. This is a basic fact that pre-
cludes the assumption that anything
the platform contains could be made
to work out ~gricvously in restraint Of
the candidates personal fortunes.
In other words, the democratic
party was pledged to follow its leader.
If afterward, under stress of circunl-
stances, the expressed purpose OF the
convention was not literally carried
out, no such contingency could oper-
ate TO the political or personal dlSad-
vantage of Woodrow Wilson. The re-
sponsibility and consequences rest on
the convention. The campaign must
be fought and, in case of his election,
the administration conducted along
the lines Woodrow Wilson may elect
to blaze out. The Bryan resolution to
that effect-a revolutionary proceed
ing truly--unNualifiedly substitutes
person for party. Democracy is m
bodied i'm tho candidate. Mr.. Bryan's
object was to r%eliupnish the power of
leadership into the hands of the nomi-
nee in the sume full measure hat he
himself had enjoyed that power, and
to say that he aftcrward furtiVely in
serted in the platform a clause that
nulliticd his resolution is given the lie
by thc exceptional candor and
Observation-Disclosures that character
lied the Nc~lraSkan's course during
the convention.
However. the author Of the So
called 'i0ker" in the platform needs
no c~Npoundor. only n shallow read
ms of tho onc-term clause could give
rlausibility 10 the theory that Bryan
scllemed to put Woodrow Wilson on
.he shelf m 1916. and thus clear the
wa for his own nomination. Here
is ,.le ".ioker' in question:
We favor Il single presidential
term, and to.that end urge the
adoption of an amendment 10 the
constitution making the president
Of the I'ait,d States ineligible for
reelection: and We pledge the
candidate of This convention to
the principle.
Now. suhordinating for the mo-
ment the fact that the convention had
tic,i its hands in the matter OF i'm
posing pledges upon the candidate.
let lis consider nat value attaches
TO the words Eve pledge the candidate
of this convention to this prtnciple."
Seeing that moro than four Years
must elapSe before the amendment
machinery could bring about the pro-
posed change in the constitution, is it
not fair and reasonable TO assume that
tn" clause only pledges the candidate
mot to use the power of tn" presi-
dency to work against and thwart the
will of the convention" But even
waving that Interpretation and con-
ceding that the pledge is all tina the
theorists claim for it, what does it
amount to as against the vital fact
that the life of q convention pledge
is but four years, or until the 1916
convention assemblies
That the Baltimore convention did
not presume to pledge its successor
to the one-term principle let us see
that the platform makers We're kccnly
alive to the limitations Of their au-
thority and also hat the next con-
vention would be free to altel. or
undo anything in this years platform,
and this incontestably applies TO the
candidate as we'll. The next owen
ton will be free to put the platform
before the nomination and include n
,,1o11, r;r;~ 1,,, =, - --1
term for the president, either with or
without his solicitation. That "'joker''
is a DOGGY.