New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-09-28
THE RESULT AT SARATOGA.
ALI, DOUBT AS TO ROOSEVELTS El'lHl'
BILITY CLEARED AWAY.
inv TrLrGnArH TO, rHE 1RTBUNE.I

gone gone irretrievably."
That was MT. Lauterbach's exclamation over
the proofs Of Colonel Roosevelts residence III
this State He was the man who first raseu tho
question and called It to the attention OF Wv
ernor Black and in turn to the managers OF the
Roosevelt campaign. He made no bones apo"'
his desire to find that Mr.. Roosevelt was III
eligible He defended himself from the charse
that he would take an underhanded adVah'aee
of his opponent and Mr.. Roosevelts representa-
tives take pains TO declare that he did .he
proper thing TO call attention at once TO a punt
which unless explained by the facts behihd IT,
did cast some doubt on Mr.. Rooseveits c't'ze"-
ship IF he was not eligible 1t was right 10 kho"
the fact and Mr.. Lauterbach simply des'reu "
know the fact. even II. as he told the coiiVen-
ton he hoped the fact while casting no as
credit on Mr.. Roosevelt. would remove him as a
competitor from the path OF Governor biacN'
Rut though scrutinizing the facts as pre-
sented by Mr.. Root infinitely. he confessed tha'
the evidence Of eligibility was perfect ana ap-
solute and he was satisfied. SO was everybody
else.
Mr. Depew made eloquent speech "h'O.
stirred the Convention to the highes' pio' "
enthusiasm, and gave the orators OF the "'a.e
hints nv tho handful as to Colonel Roosevets
they can set forth in every hamlet But more
than Mr. Depew could do for his candidate was
doae by the candidates own letters In the hahdS
of Mr. Root After the adjournment for supper
a delegate was heard TO remark:
Roots speech was the speech OF the CohVeh-
ton It started off little tame, put IL iei'
Roosevelt beyond attack.
II was a little tame at the start IN tha' II was
a lawyers bold and simple statement Oh lao'''
and state conventions like something 10 c"ee'
over. and not something to think ABOUT Ne'o'-
,ho,oss {, yvas listened TO with close attention.
which showed how much suppressed iil'eie''
was felt in the eligibility question: ho'"i'h-
etandinr the Willingness OF the delegates TO vote
bIndly on the mere assurance or the 'eaue''
that II was all right. They were surprlseu at
the explanation being given at ALL Tor carrier ~
tho dav # mad been understood that Mr.. Root
would not attempt to defend what WAS ho' AZ
tackled on the floor Of the Convention and Mr..
Iauterbach had said he did not mean 10 attack
Colonel Roosevelts eligibility. but had simply
raised the point for his friends to consider ana
n they were satisfied and were ready to use
tholr votes 70 nominate him, that was their
affair, not his.
I, was fortunate that Mr.. Root did conciude
~ submit his proofs II would have been better
n they had been submitted to the public earlier,
az Mr. Root and the organization managers
arree but Il took time to get at the desired
papers 10 make tho case complete and so the
exclamation was delayed. But when II came IL
was more than satisfactory, for II not only
showed Mr. Roosevelt's citizenship. but IL re-
vealed touches OF his character which appeaied
10 every person in the convention nail lie VIII
be stronger rather than weaker because TINS
question was raised. the intentions or the
man. both as regards citizenship and taxes as
shown in these intimate letters to his relatives
and counsel which never were intended TOT pup
lcation. are so plain and 40 absolutely credit
able. In them he Is the same frank. manly rel
low who wants his rights and hasn't thought
Of getting more than his rights whom people
have thought they recognized in all his public
nets and now when the closet In opened TO show
tho skeleton supposed to be hidden there they
find thcv were not mistaken in their estimate
He SAYS in a characteristic breezy fashion
,bo. no doesn't want to sneak out OF anything
I quote from memory and Is ready to pay any
thing that Is fair but his residence is oyster
Raw He cautions his counsel repeatedly that
ro,hins would induce him to lose his vote a
second time I'm New-York state for he had lost
4, tho wear before by moving from one county
~ another close about election time There IL
no EXPRESSION Of n desire to avoid taxation, no
hint ~ n on the contrary he says he wants
,o do the square thing. He prefers 10 pay In
OYSTER Bay hut rather than make any trouble
or risk his vote ne will pay In New-fork. thoush
he thinks the amount assessed is too HIGH ana
he doesn't want to pay more than Is right for
he is spending far more than his income this
year spending It. as Mr. Root remarked IN
equlppng Rough Riders and surrendering the
salary Of Assistant Secretary Of the Navy TOR
that NJ a lieutenant colonel II the Democrats
find an issue in those letters. the Republicans
may we'll hire halls for them 70 speak In
But ALL this does not touch that affidavit say
Ing he was a resident OF Washington wen.
Thomas c. Plat said he was resident or New
/ York city and was ready 10 swear TO IL any
number Of times to enable him 10 hold an office
there But the Court OF Appeals decided tnat
he was mistaken. and that Notwithstanding his
intention he had not carried II out In fact ana
as n citizen Of Owego elected him from office.
Colonel Roosevelt. even II he said he lived In
Washington. had no intention TO make It his
doncile and had no more taken the right steps
to move than had Mr. Platt In his case act and In
tention combined and mistaken assertion could
not change his residence even II no had made
such an assertion But Mr.. Root showed that
under the rules OF law there no contradic-
ton between Mr. Roosevet's having n domicile
I'm oyster Bay and while In Office being a resi-
dent In Washington. and he was perfectly right
in saving that he lived there in his affidavit
Mr. Root did not gay so in his speech. but he
subsequently remarked that the case Of Demile
against Demille fully justified Mr. Roosevelts
counsel I'm setting up the defence OF residence
In Washington. using the term residence In Its
temporary without implying the lack OF a
domicle elsewhere. az n reason for not paying
personal taxes in New-York City. Certainly
Mr. Roosevelt's own letters showed that he had
no thought either Of leaving New-York state or