The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1912-03-01
FRIDAY AFTERNOON, MARCH 4, 1912
MIR. ROOsEyELTs DECLARATION.

At last the erstwhile Hermit of
Oyster Bay has declared himself az
willing to accept the nomination for
the Presidency. His reply to the sew
en Republican Governors who urged
IL is I'D follows: "I will accept the
nomination for President, il it Is
rendered me, and I will adhere to this
decision until the convention has e.
pressed it, preference"
This, too, in the face OF the follow
ing statements made by him:
ION the 4th of March next 7 shall
have served three and half years,
and this three and half years con-
stitute my first term. The wise GUS
tom which limits the President to two
terms regards the substance and net
the form, and under no circumstances
will I be a candidate for or accept
another nomination" November g.,
1904.
"'I have not changed and shall not
change that decision thus announced"
December II, 1907.
MIR. Roosevelt's declaration will
make the campaign one of great &
citement and bitterness among the
Republicans, and the convention in
Chicago, one of great interest.
President Taft II the candidate of the
s- RITf
Republican while Roosevelt has dis
carded many of the historic doctrines
OF his party, and Republican leaders
have taken alarm at number or hls
recent utterances. The fact that the
Roosevelt people want the direct
Presidential primary wherever they
can get Ill, while the Taft followers
do not want it is equally significant
The Philadelphia Evening Bulletin
in commenting upon Mr. Rooseyelt's
address at Columbus, Ohio, last week,
made the following terse allusion TO
his doctrine of initiative, referendum
and recall and the unsafety Of leader
ship by one indorsing such policy:
THE proposition needs only To be
stated to demonstrate its impossibility,
consistent with permanency of law
and government The essence Of con-
stitutional law il stability. Make An
subject to Interpretation and applica-
ton according to the whims of popu-
lar majorities and its stability dis
appears The Constitution il the
guarantee Of justice for the individual
as well as for the mass. Make all
laws and even the constitution sub
ject to maiorities, and minorities are
at their mercy. Make the courts and
their interpretations Of the laws sub
ject to reversal by the people, and
their oath to support and enforce the
Constitution becomes farce. Wheth-
er OF not the abandonment of const1-
tutional law, land the degrading of the
courts il the confessed purpose Of
such policy the result f. inevitable,
and the leadership Is unsafe which
would land the nation IN a morass of
majorities swept by waves
and winds of prejudice and passing
sentiment and with no definite path
OF progress marked by competent au-
thorities, as provided in the judicial
branch of the government. N
% If Mr.
nomination by the Repub-
Ican party is to be capable of inter
probation as an endorsement of such
doctrines and policies, the issue can
not be too sharply drawn ard the re
Spouse of those who still have faith in
and courts and the
proved institutions Of government can
not be too distinctly made"
1t will be interesting to find out
whether Mr.. Roosevelt is as popular
now as he was some years ago, and
how Americans will regard the third
term proposition At any rate "its not
our funeral"