Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-12-17
MUDD'S STATEMENT
HIS ATTITUDE TOWARD sELEC-
TON OF MD. DELEGATES

Representative Mudd of Maryland gave
out d statement to the press last night
defining his attitude toward the selection
of delegates to the republican national
convention from Maryland. Mr.. Mudd
declared that he was neutral on the ques-
ton Of presidential candidates, and felt
that Maryland republicans might do we'll
to postpone instructng delegates until the
will of the republican party at large
seemed to be more crystallized. Mr.. Mudd
went on to say:
Il am not committed, SO far as my little
cerned, to the cause of any candidate for
the presidency. L have entered into no
alliance, and am not now contemplating
any, for that matter. with reference to
the delegation to the national convention
I do not believe the political situation is
such that we can as yet safely conclude
just what is best for the party to do in
the way Of selecting Il candidate for Pres
ident.
Il have generally thought President
Roosevelt would be, the nominee 1t is
quite manifest that there Is some doubt
of that now. since his last authentic dec
laration upon that subject. though there
Is by no means any certainty yet that he
will not be the nominee.
Gas pretty fair index of what my
views are. or at least what they have
been, / might quote here the exact lam
guage of letter-every word Of 1t except
| a brief personal reference-that I wrote to
Representative Burton on the I'd day of
May last in response to a letter that he
wrote to me expressing hope that
might. so far as my power lay. help out
the candidacy of Secretary Taft in Mary
land.
His Views Then and Now.
:. He then quotes that letter in full and
Continues:
That was my view then: it is not alto
getfler. but to considerable extent, yet
my view.
Il am frank to say that there seems to
me a larger element of doubt as to the
likelihood Of Secretary Taft's nomination
at this time than there was then. I think
he might have been nominated, and would
have been nominated beyond appreciate
doubt. as he yet may be. but for the
| course. that he seems to have adopted
either upon the advice of some one else.
or upon his own initiative. cannot tell
which-looking toward the defeat of Sena-
tor Foraker for a reelection to the United
States senate as a part of his campaign
for President.
IT do not believe in that. ! do not adj
mire that: and j would not, under any
circumstances, be a party to that by any
means. directly or indirectly.
feels spark of manhood about him, and
who appreciates it In others. in either
branch Of Congress. would be slow to
subscribe to a doctrine that a senator or
from public life because he saw fit to diff
fer: In his respective capacity, with any
other branch of the government or with
the majority of the legislative branch.
| IF that fate should be dealt out to
Senator Foraker. how much Elore readily
could it be dealt out to a man of infinitely
| less power and influence. as are most OF
US in the House, as are many of them in
the Senate. I shall never. hope, what
ever of attractiveness in the way of per.
sonal or political advantages 1t might
bring. so act In national convention. ~
elsewhere as to deliberately write myself
down. in my position, as a member OF
Congress. as an echo. or as a weakling
or as a coward.
Position Of One Who Participates in
| Such Movement.
THAT seems to me to be the position
of any man who participates in a move.
ment to drive out Of public life a sena.
tor. or a member of Congress who would
not stifie his personal judgment at the
| behest OF any man or any number OF
man. or shift his position upon public
| matters at the behest Of either an al.
| verse majority in the branch of which he
|
OF any other branch of the government.
| II happen to have differed in my hum.
BILE capacity with the majority of the
House Of Representatives and the ex.
ecutive department both in some matters
since have been in Congress l voted
in the last Congress against the state.
| hood biz as 1t was recommended by the
| executive and passed by the House OF
representatives. I am rather sorry now
| voted for as much of it as l did. We
kept out Arizona and New Mexico and
| / don't think we would have made any
great mistake had We kept out Oklahoma
| Now. then. would not vote for the
nomination Of a man as candidate fol
President whose candidacy involved =
| declaration to the effect that I and al
those who may have cast such q dissent
ing vote ought to be driven out of public
life. That ia why I qualified my state.
mant as to Secretary Taft. whose candi
dacy l have generally considered, in it.
SELF. to be an ideal one
|