The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1900-06-19
ROOSEVELT HOLDS OFF
Issues a Statement Regard
ing His Attitude Toward
the Vice Presidency.
DOES NOT WISH NOMINATION
CAN BEST SERVE THE PARTY IN
NEIV YORK,

Looking to denomination I'm That
Stste Where He Can Help the National
Ticket as In No Other ay-EarnestIy
Asks That His Wishes be Respected
Does Not Say, How ver, That He VIII
Decline II fNominated--Hts Boom Be
lfsvcd to Have Been Laid at Rest.
philadelphia, June IS. - Governor
Theodore Roosevelt has made as speci-
fic a refusal Of the nomination for vice
president as he could possibly make IN
view of the fact that the nominating
convention has not met and that few or
the delegates have caucussed. He made
the following statement to-day reading
If from couple of sheets of manuscript
RooseveI;'s statement.
"In view of the revival of the talk of
myself as vice presidential candidate
l have this to say: 1t is impossible to
too deeply express how touched | am
by the attitude of those delegates who
have wished me to take this nominal
tion Moreover. it is not necessary to say
how thoroughly l understand the high
honor and dignity of the office, an office
so high and so honorable that it is well
worthy the ambition of any man in the
United States. But while 1 appreciate
II he f,,1I r n6Iprth61aGS feel
most deeply that the field of my best
usefulness to the public and to the party
is in New York state, and if the party
should see fit to renominate me for gov
ernor 1 can in that position help the ma
tional ticket as in no other way. | very
earnestly ask that every friend OF mine
in the convention respect my wishes
and judgment in this matter
Nothing DIorcto Say.
The document was in his own hand
writing and in lead pencil copy, and he
read it with the same comDlacence that
he would have given platform speech.
Sitting near him as he spoke was Con-
gressmen Littauer and Sherman of New
York and Professor jerks of Columbia
college, who have all along urged the
governor not to accept. Just behind
the row of newspa per men stood Frank
Platt, Lemuel E. Quigg and B. B. Odell
of the New York organization. AS the
governor read and waited for the news
paper men to write down the statement
he frequently glanced in the direction
of the group of politicians. When he
finished he said Gentlemen, that is
all; l have nothing more to say"
Wise and Um.vtse.
Mr.. Littaeur said he thought the
statement timely and believed that 1t
would give the delegates who were ia
vorable to Governor Roosevelt an idea
of the situation. ~ don't mean by
that" he said rather aggressively, "the
Pennsylvania delegation Of those whofor
Interior motives, are pressing the gov
ernor's nomination. Then Mr. Quigg and
Frank Platt simultaneously declared
that they believed the statement un
wise and they left the room refusing to
talk to the waiting newspaper men. |
The sta tement acted as a cold water |
douche on those members of the New |
York delegation who had planned to |
nominate some other candidate for gov I
ernor than Mr.. Roosevelt. However, /
the statement was received by many of |
the delegations as a mere reiteration of /
Roosevelt's original declaration of lack |
of desire for the nomination. Several /
delegates expressed the opinion that the
situation was not changed and that if
Roosevelt's name was presented to the
convention he would be nominated and
would not dare to refuse.
Roosevelt Uoes Not Decline.
1t is pointed out as significant that
Governor Roosevelt will not assert that
he will decline the office if nomina ted.
Ee hopes, however, with the aid of SEN
ator Hanna to defeat the plan to name
him.
Senator Lodge contradicts the report
his utteranctes in the con-
ference in Governor RoOsavelts rooms
to-day, in which he participated with
the governor and Senator Hanna He
says that he went to Governor Roose-
velts room as supporter of Secre-
tary Long and that the governor knew
his position. Il have been a personal
friend of Governor Roosevelt for many
years. he said "and as his friend it
would be impossible for me to take the
use language placed in my mouth. He ,
does not want the office and there is no
reason why it should be forced upon
MIN. He knows how / feel and he
knows that l am for Long, first, last
ana all the time. The whole story is
tissue of Inventions"
Day OF conferences.
1t has been a day of conferences on
he vice presidential situation. Begin +
hing with a gathering in the room of :
Governor Roosevelt, attended by Sena- 9
or Hanna, Senator Lodge and Mr.. q
)dell of New York, it was continued in ,
he rooms of Senator Hanna later which 7
learly all the leaders in the city We're .
rom time to time in conference with q
he chairman of the national commit .
ee. There were Senators Allison. Scott, c
carter, Lodge, Elkins, Burrows and +
'houp, also Mr. Bliss, besides many +
representatives of the New York lead +
rs both Governor Roosevelt and Sen =
tor Platt being represented.