The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1900-08-20
GOV. ROOSEVELT EXPLAINS
WHIT HE REALLY SAID IN HIS ST
PAUL SPEECH.

49,
Declares His Utterances Were Garbled
and FnIsified His Attack on Demo-
Gratis Strictly Confined to Those Ask
Ing Support for Kansas city Platform
Their Policy One OF In fanny.
New York, Aug Ex-Governor Roose-
welt at oyster Bay, L. l.. to-day gave
out for publication letter which he
had written on August to General
John M Palmer of Springfield, ILL.,, rel
atlve to the st. Paul speech made by
the governor in which he had been
quoted as making derogatory remarks
concerning democrats. The letter reads
My dear General Palmer: L notice
that in your recent very manly inter-
view stating why you could not support
the populistic-democra and the Kan
sas City platform and nominees, you al
luded to a statement l. was supposed to
have made attacking democrats gener-
ally in my st. Paul speech. You have
evidently seen q report which was not
merely ga1b,ed but falsifed. 1 stand
by that speech absolutely and have
nothing to explain in connection with
it; but do wish to point out where its
meaning was deliberately inverted,
II do not feel that this is in the least
a merely party campaign. feel that
we have a right to appeal to all good
citizens, whether in the past they have
been republicans or democrats, no mat
ter what their political affiliations have
been, to stand in with us now.
"Ir my speech l began by saying: we
appeal not only to republicans, but to
all good citizens who are Americans in
fact as well as in name, to help us in re-
eecting President Mckinley
Il ended by saying, Study the Kan
sas City platform and you cannot help
realizing that their policy (the policy of
it's makers and sponsors) is policy Of
infamy, that their triumph would mean
misery so widespread that it is almost
unthinkable and a disgrace so lasting
that more than a generation would have
to pass before it could be wiped out.
They stand for lawlessness and disorder,
for dishonesty and dishonor, for license
and disaster at home and cowardly
shrinking from duty abroad. We ask
the support of all Americans who have
the welfare of the country at heart, no
matter what their political affiliations
may have been in the past. We ask
the support of all sound headed men
well being swallowed up in an abyss of
disaster
I'VE appeal to all good men who be-
i .l..,
the tant of financial dishonor and we
appeal to all brave men who are proud
of the national name and reputation;
ask them to see to it that we are not
humiliat ted before mankind. and that We
do not abandon the position We have
taken in the forefront of the great ma
items of the earth
You VIII see that here I most ex-
plicity draw .he line between the men |
who support and ask support for the |
Kansas City platform and all other citi-
zens, whether democrats or republicans. |
l feel that as matter of fact. the |
greatest possible credit IS due to men |
like you, my dear sir, and to the other |
gold democrats who four years ago,
stood and now stand for national honor.
II hold up the policy advocated in the
Kansas City platform as base ard
cowardly policy, to emphasize our right
to appeal to the countless thousands of
high minded democrats who abtor base
ness and cowardice, and are quick to
see and disown them. We appeal to
these democrats to strike hands with us
at this crisis of the nations history; for
they have been betrayed In the house
1f their friends; and If they are far
sighted, they must necessarily see that
every principle Of courage, of patriotism
md of national self-respect demands
hat they repudiate the action of the
1pulistic-democracy by which they
nave been at this moment betrayed just
rs under similar circumstances the
northern democrats during the civil
war, repudiated the principles of the
nen like Va'lardingham just as in 1872
a the northern federalists repudiated
heir party under like conditions
In short, | feel that the Kansas City
platform makers, and their followers
iave forfeited the right to appeal to any
democrat who Is kaenly sensitive to
he national honor
They claim the late General Lawton
vas n democrat. Doubtless he was It
ire time, but the bitterest arraignment
# the Kansas City platform is contain
ID in the words Lawton wrote just be-
Gre his death:
" If I am shot by Filipino bullet it ,
night as well come from one of my own
nen, b'cause I know. from observation,
onf1rmed by captured prisoners, that
he continuation Of the fighting is chief
Y due to reports that are sent out from ! !
.merica.'
Very respectfully yours,
Theodore Roosevelt"