The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1912-02-27
ROOSEVELT SAYS
MEANT THIRD
CONSECUTIVE
Colonel Explains His Statement
of 1904
IN FIGHT TO A FINISH
Declares That he Will Support Nom
inee of Convention Whoever
He May Be

Boston, Feb. 27.-Col Roosevelt
plunged into the thick of the fight
for the presidential nomination yes
terday. He said unequiyocally that
he was in the fight to the end, and
was glad of it. He replied to the
charge that he would be breaking his
"third-term" pledge If he accepted an
other nomination and asserted that
whether or not he should be the
choice of his party at the Chicago
convention he would abide by its de-
cision. 81 am perfectly happy now"
said he, because | am making
straight-out fight for a principle
The issue is in no way personal
one"
do you intend to support the re-
publican nominee, whoever he may
be-" was asked
"Of course SHALL" he replied with
emphasis.
In response to inquiries as to the
principle for which he is fighting, Col.
Roosevelt referred questioners to his
speeches in Columbus, o., last week
and before the Massachusetts, House
yesterday. In his address yesterday
he defended his proposal for limited
recall OF judicial decisions and
championed the right of popular opin-
ion to control the machinery OF gov
eminent
Col. Roosevelt's position IN regard
to the third term" was explained to
a number of his callers yesterday.
my position is perfectly simple" he
said. 81 stated it as clearly as |
could in 1904 and reiterated 1t in
1907. ! said that | would not accept
a nomination for third term, under
any circumstances, meaning, OF
course, third consecutive term. /
could not have said less at the time
nor could have said more. or
course could not then know whet-
her or not there would be a demand
for me to accept nomination at
some future time. And believing as
/ do that the selection of candidates
for the presidency rests entirely with
the people, | could not say that at no
time in my life would | accept an
other nomination. II must be clear
to any reasonable man that the pre-
cedent which forbids third term
has reference solely to a third con
secutive term. II grew out OF the
fact that a president of the United
States, under the present convention
system of electing delegates, can, II
he knows how to use the machinery
at his disposal, renominate himself
even though the majority OF his party
Is against him. But after he has
been out of office for a term he has
lost control of that machinery. He is
in the position absolutely of any pri
vate citizen. The machinery is ther
in the hands of the man occupying
the Office of president"
Col. Roosevelt devoted large par
of the day to comforting with the mel
who are forming the Roosevelt or
ganization in Massachusetts. He TOLD
them that he would not identify him
self actively, for the present at least
with the organization. He also talk
ed for some time with Gov. Robert =
Bass of New Hampshire, whom he Il
TO meet again today. After taking
lunch with Mrs. Roger Wolcott
widow of a governor of Massachu
sets, and Margaret Deland, the nov
elist, he went to the state house, ant
thence to the home of Speaker Graf
ton Cushing. with whom he spent thu
night. Today the colonel is to pa!
another visit to Harvard, and will al
so meet few more politicians. MI
Roosevelt promised yesterday to sen,
q letter to be read at Roosevelt
rally which will be held at Boston
Saturday night by the progressive re
publican league. Gov. Stubs o
Kansas. ex-Gov. Fort Of New Jerse
and Senator Clapp of Minnesota ar
expected to speak