The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1907-04-09
PEHR0SE'S DENIAL
Senator Declares There is No
Truth in Roosevelt Plot.
IS A FRIEND OF PRESIDENT

Does Not Believe There ls s5,ooo,-
900 Conspiracy Fund TO Defeat the
Presidents Policy-Knox His Choice
For President.
Philadelphia, April G.-Unted States
Senator Boics Penrose emphatically
lenied the truth Of the dispatches
from Washington that he, In common
with combination OF corporation
leaders and certain rich men. had en-
tered into a conspiracy to defeat Presi-
dent RoOseyelt's policies by controlling
both OF the national conventions next
year.
The senator pointed to his own rec
ord in the senate and the Republican
ism Of the Pennsylvania delegates to
national conventions as proof that he
and his friends have always loyalty
upheld the president and his policies.
When asked concerning the Wash
ington news, the senator had this to
say:
There Is absolutely no truth in
these reports from Washington, and
have not the slightest idea how such
dispatches were inspired. So far as
am concerned, | never heard of any
such conspiracy, nor do believe that
one exists As for me being estranged
from the president, | think that a
study of all my votes in the senate will
show that have always upheld his
policies and supported his administra-
ton
80 far as the Republican organiza-
tion OF Pennsylvania Is concerned. -
added the senator, Il might add that
our delegates were the first TO urge
and support Roosevelt for the vice
presidential nomination at the Phila-
delphia convention in 1900 and at the
Chicago convention in 1904 We're a
unit for his nomination for the presi
dency II will also be remembered that
our delegates stood firm in the face
OF Instructions which favored other
interests.
"As to these published reports.
may say they are being spawned every
now and then. and it IS hard to tell
who IS responsible for their origin As
for myself. / am not going to try to
find out | was one of the first TO sup
port Roosevelt for the presidency, and
every body knows the record vote that
Pennsylvania gave him in the election
in this state.
Relative to the combination Of in
terests referred 10 in the dispatches
| don't believe there is any such ex
isting nor is there any $5.000.0O0 con
spiracy fund. Further than that, the
talk Of me attending any recent dinner
is all rot | have just returned from a
three weeks cruise on the Dolphin
with Secretary of the Navy Metcalf
and Senator Finn of California, and
during the entire time that was away
/ did not even see an American news
paper
When asked about the presidential
| nDUiiudtiDN W W ulduC u-AN gSoiJ DNA
ator Penrose said:
1T Is yet too early to say who will
be the choice OF Pennsylvania for the
presidency. So far as our delegates
are concerned, Senator Knox is the
natural choice. but at this time public
sentiment is not crystallized. There
are. too. many other good men in the
country who. If nominated and elected,
would carry out the policies OF the
president. At this time, however, no
one can tell who will be nominated.
zone thing would like to again re-
peat, and that is that there is abso-
lutely no truth in the report that a con.
spracy exists in which | am con
cerned, looking to the unseating OF
President Roosevelt For my part, be
leve that there Is no truth whatever
In any of the reports.