Evening journal., 1916-04-28
A Theory of Mr. M'Comb's
RESIGNATION
. Iron the New York SUM-

that not in 1912. in 1916, nor in any
other year would he again be a candi-
date for the Presidency; and that 'un-
der no circumstances was meant for
all time.
Theodore Roosevelt gave his sol
emn word that he would not again be
candidate for or accept another
nomination for the Presidency, and he
has now broken that promise under
circumstances created by himself and
his hero worshipping admirers"
Thus Mr.. William f. McCombs kept
before the country during the cam
paign of four years ago the picture of
Woodrow Wilson, pledged by his plat
form to the single term principle and
squarely accepting that platform
when he accepted the nomination;
and also the picture of Theodore
Roosevelt, shamelessly violating a
voluntary pledge of his own not to
be a candidate or accept a nomina-
tion for a third term. With this
choice before them the people voted /;
and they gave just 2,173,53S more
votes for Mr.. McCombs' pledged single
term candidate than for the candidate
pledged by Colonel Roosevelt not to
seek or accept under any circum-
stances a third term.
Now. Mr.. William +. McCombs is
an. extremely conscientious gentle
man. His sense of personal honor and
personal responsibility for those
whose promises he has indorsed is
vigilant and alert He is almost me-
ticulous in his solicitude for the full
flment of campaign obligations. He
must perceive as clearly as any other
man in the United States the immor-
ality involved in the acceptance by
President Wilson of a nomination for
a second term.
Is any other explanation needed to
account for Mr.. McCombs' withdrawal
from the active political support OF
The man for whom he has done so
much? He conducted Governor VIII
sons canvass for the Democratic nom
inatiOn for President Under cOndi-
tions Of enormous difficulty he put his
candidate through Baltimore even in
the presence of Mr. BIyan's overshad-
owing prestige with the delegates.
He saw the single term pledge re-
corded. He used that pledge with
skill. and success to accomplish his
candidates election. He emphasized
for the information of the voters the
contrast between the trustworthiness
of a man like Wilson who could be
depended upon to keep his partys
pledges, who had at the very outset Of
the campaign denounced "the use Of
the organization Of great party to
serve the personal aims and ambitions
of any individual" and the untrust-
worthiness of "A man who was running
for a third term in violation of his
pledge
How could Mr.. McCombs. in self
respect and simple decency, begin un-
der these circumstances a second
campaign for DR.. Wilson's election
and again ask his fellow citizens to
give credit to platform pledges made
in DR.. Wilson's behalf?
We do not believe that Mr.. Nc
Combs could be influenced to become
again the devoted and disinterested
engineer of DR.. Wilson'S political for
tunes by any such sophistry as seems
to have taken possession of the Pres
ident's mind. it is impossible to ina
gine so level headed a person as Mr..
McCombs sharing the delusion tht the
office for which DR.. Wilson is to run
a second time is a higher and greater
Office than that of the President of the
United States. Nobody knows better
than Mr.. MCCombs that there is no
such thing as a Chief Executive of
Humanity. any more than there is a
Chief Magistrate of Gratitude. or of
Loyalty, or of Sincerity. or OF any
other beautiful and desirable abstract
quality.