Term limits (Public office) | - Theodore Roosevelt Center

Political hide and seek

Responding to remarks like Supreme Court Justice David J. Brewer’s accusation of President Roosevelt playing “hide and seek” with the potential of seeking a third presidential term, an article in the Chicago Daily News reassures its readers that for all his faults, Roosevelt respects the constitution too much to run for a second elected term. The delegates at the Republican National Convention will nominate a different statesman.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1907-11-22

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Frederic Harrison

President Roosevelt is pleased to receive Frederic Harrison’s letter and has often considered the topic himself. As the end of his presidency nears, Roosevelt must square his desire to serve with the people’s fear of long running service leading to dictatorship. Ultimately, Roosevelt feels that he can retain the people’s belief in his sincerity by taking their fears into account, demonstrating that his actions have not been driven by a desire for power but by a “devotion to a high ideal” and the greater goal of putting an end to greed. He hopes Harrison will read Jeremiah Curtin’s recent book on the Mongols.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1907-12-18

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Leonard Eckstein Opdycke

President Roosevelt appreciates a letter to the editor Leonard Eckstein Opdycke wrote to The Spectator defending Roosevelt’s decision not to run for a third term. The president is happy to hear the Opdycke children have both recovered from their recent illnesses and enjoys the battleship drawing made by Archibald B. Roosevelt and Opdycke’s son Leonard.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1907-11-25

Letter from Algernon Edward Sartoris to Theodore Roosevelt

Algernon Edward Sartoris informs President Roosevelt that Sartoris is now the father of a baby boy and his wife is doing well. He urges Roosevelt to run for a third term, deeming the practice of holding office for merely two terms “absurd in these days.” Due to Roosevelt’s established record, Sartoris feels he is the choice of the healthy young Republicans and of many Democrats of the Cleveland School. While in Paris, Sartoris met Roosevelt’s daughter, presumably Alice Roosevelt Longworth, whose impression he found pleasant.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1906-08-21

Letter from George W. Perkins to Theodore Roosevelt

George W. Perkins outlines the plank he discussed with Theodore Roosevelt that would prevent the president from serving two consecutive terms. He believes that the plank will be received favorably.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1912-06-11

Letter from Andrew Carnegie to Theodore Roosevelt

Andrew Carnegie expresses his admiration for Theodore Roosevelt and President Taft. He is distressed that Roosevelt and Taft are now rivals and believes that if Roosevelt had supported and cooperated with Taft in 1912 another presidential term would have awaited Roosevelt in 1916. Carnegie hopes that Roosevelt and Taft can meet and resolve their differences before history records both of them as fools.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1912-03-01

Letter from Henry Cabot Lodge to Theodore Roosevelt

Senator Lodge relates an incident that occurred at the White House in which was unexpectedly asked by Herbert Parsons about his support for President Taft’s renomination as the Republican presidential candidate. He said that he supports Taft and knew that Theodore Roosevelt was not seeking the nomination.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1912-02-05

Letter from John R. Arbuckle to Theodore Roosevelt

John R. Arbuckle of Arbuckle Brothers Coffee provides President Roosevelt with complimentary coffee through a prepaid express receipt. Arbuckle discloses a conversation he had with a Supreme Court judge, where they agreed that Roosevelt has acted for the good of the entire country, and is the ablest and most intelligent man to have been president.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1907-07-05

President plays hide-and-seek

An article reports on an event featuring Supreme Court Justice David J. Brewer and New York Governor Charles Evans Hughes as speakers. Hughes spoke on public officals’ duties towards the people, rather than self-serving ambition, while Brewer accused President Theodore Roosevelt of attempting to seek a third term. The event was hosted by the Civic Forum, a new organization with the purpose of promoting debate on issues of public interest, which included Secretary of War William H. Taft as a vice president.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1907-11-21

President Roosevelt’s promise

Leonard Eckstein Opdycke responds to an article in The Spectator alleging that as President Roosevelt originally came into office as a result of William McKinley’s death and not through nomination, the norm limiting presidential terms to two does not apply to him and he should be free to run for another term. Opdycke argues that Roosevelt is justified in his unwillingness to seek a third term, and that The Spectator‘s assertion that he would easily win another national presidential election are not rooted in fact.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1907-11-22

The American presidency

The Spectator publishes an article arguing that not only should President Roosevelt run for a third term despite norms limiting the number of presidential terms to two, it is his duty to the people to do so.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1907-11-22

The president, the judge and the third term

An article reports on allegations made by Supreme Court Justice David J. Brewer that President Roosevelt has been playing “hide-and-seek” with the American people regarding whether he will run for a third term. The article holds that Roosevelt has made his unwillingness to run again clear enough and criticizes Brewer for inserting himself into political debates as a justice on the Supreme Court.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1907-11-22

The state of American presidential politics

The London Morning Post explains the current state of American presidential politics to its English audience, summarizing the nomination process, the controversy surrounding a possible third nomination for President Roosevelt, and the strengths and weaknesses of potential candidates from the Democratic and Republican parties. The writer also speculates on the possible political and military motivations behind the movement of the Great White Fleet.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1907-10-01

Deserves a second term

Postcard with images of George Washington, U. S. Grant, Theodore Roosevelt, and William H. Taft. Captions under each image read, (Washington) “declined a third term,” (Grant) was “denied a third term,” (Roosevelt) “demands a third term what Washington refused and Grant could not get,” and (Taft) “deserves a second term.” Each side also features a Roosevelt quotation praising Taft.

Collection

Fritz R. Gordner Collection

Creation Date

1912

Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Charles Fremont Amidon

Theodore Roosevelt thinks that a man should be allowed to be President as many times as the people will elect him, but only if there are Presidential primaries and acts against corrupt practices and against office holders doing any more than voting. Additionally, Roosevelt thinks that the principle of the recall should be applied to the Presidency.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1912-07-30