Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1914-01-27
WILSON CERTAIN
TO Be A CANDIDATE
Whether Bryan Likes 1t or Not He
Will Go Before the
People in 1916

The New York Tribune recently
published a dispatch from Washing
ton. of which the following is part:
President Wilson's interpretation
of the 'one-term' plank in the Demo-
cratic platform is such as in no way
to preclude his seeking denomination,
and his close friends are convinced
that not only will he be nominated,
but that he will be reelected in 1915.
Just what President Wilson's inter-
probation Of this plank is the Tribute
correspondent is in a position to an
nounce on the highest authority and
for the first time, no amount of in
quiry having heretofore developed the
Presidents attitude on this subject or
cleared up the mystery which has
attached to it. @
President Wilson and his close ad-
visers take the ground that he Is COM
mitted to the principle of procuring
an amendment to the Constitution
which shall limit all Presidents to a
single term of such duration as may
be determined in the future, but they
are confident such an amendment
cannot be accomplished before 1916,
and that until such a constitutional
limitation is imposed on all Chief Ex-
ecutives of the nation there is no
obstacle to Mr.. Wilson's seeking and
accepting second term.
THAT this is the construction which
William Jennings Bryan. who wrote
the Baltimore platform. intended
should be put on it is seriously doubted
by many of Mr.. Bryan's friends. The
Secretary of State for obviously deli
cate reasons will not discuss the sub
ject
That Mr.. Bryan fondly believed
that in accepting the nomination on
the Baltimore platform Woodrow Will
son pledged himself not to be can
dldate to succeed himself is asserted
by some of the peerless leaders, close
associates. who also admit that the
eminent Nebraskan fully expected to
succeed to the highest office in the
land after having by his support of
President Wilson proved his loyalty to
his party and having by his. adminis-
tration of the Department of State
demonstrated his own capacity for
high administrative office. Indeed,
this belief has SO far prevailed in the
halls of Congress as to constitute to
many a specter of party division, to be
followed by defeat in 1916.
Secretary Bryan's friends now
point, however, to his recent decla-
ration that 1t has always been his am
bition to serve in the United States
SENATE DIS ,luulCatlNe OF a CndnSe OF
purpose on his part.
THE 'one-term' plank of the Balti-
more platform reads as follows:
We favor a single presidential
term, and to that end urge the adop-
tion of an amendment to the Consti-
tuition making the President of the
United States ineligible for reelection,
and we pledge the candidate of this
convention to this principle
I'm due time, however, the Presi-
dent will lay before Congress tho plat
form pledge to amend the Constitution
to provide for o. single term. This, in
the opinion of those close to President
Wilson, probably will form one of the
important recommendation in his mes
sage next December. There is little
probability. however. that even if Con-
gress should take UP the subject next
winter the work could be completed
before 1916. IL
THE political prognosticators In the
Democratic party predict that 1916
will find President Wilson laboring
sincerely and earnestly to carry out
the one-term pledge in the Democratic
platform. while he accepts renomi-
nation at the hands of his party, and
it is even suggested that stranger
things might happen than the spec
tacle of the Democratic nominee ap-
pealing to the country for recollection
on the ground that this phase of his
important work remained still to be
completed"