Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1908-04-11
Ora Williams Shows Up Effort
of Standpats to Discredit War
Secretary and President
SEEK TO SQUARE THEMSELVES
Newspapers That Published Statement
Known to Be Garbled Trying to Es-
cape BIame-Wiliams Shows Them
in Their True Light-InsuIt to Taft
and Roosevelt.

Special to Times-R Republican.
Des Moines, April lin an inter-
view today, Mr. Ora Williams, secre-
tary Of the last republican state con-
vention and in the last campaign in
charge of the literary bureau for the
republican state committee, comes II
the defense of Secretary Taft and his
campaign committee and President
Roosevelt from recent attacks made III
the press of Iowa. Mr.. Williams de-
MES they have been guilty Of betrayal
of confidence or meddling in factionai
or local matters and boldly accuses
leading politicians of larceny of con-
fidential material from Taft headquar-
also associated with the Taft commit
tee in the late campaign in Iowa He
says:
"a short time ago a half dozen fac
tional organs in Iowa published what
purported to be a copy of conflden-
tial memorandum on the Iowa situa-
ton made use Of in Secretary Tafts
recent campaign. In a letter to the
nominal head of the committee at Du-
buque whose press bureau gave the
matter publicity. l gave briefly the
facts which disposed of the chain OF
~, f1n y,,ny n
written by or on behalf of the COVER
nor of Iowa to the secretary OF state
or that it represented the views OF the
governor, and that it was shown the
president and that subsequently 1t was
made public by the persons In whose
interest it was prepared. Included WAS
letter from Mr.. Taft's general man
ager who made it plain, or tried to,
that neither Taft nor anyone connect
ed with his campaign gave out the in
formation or authorized use of the
memorandum in the local campaign III
Iowa.
Gross Misrepresentation.
"Yet gross and inexcusable misrep-
resentation of Taft and his manage
ment continues. Mr.. Taft himself is
in the vulnerable position of being a
candidate: and it is due him and those
actively associated with him that ev-
cry true friend protest earnestly
against this persistent effort to make
of them q shield for the crimes OF a
gang of political freebooters. With
the stolen goods in their possession
these sanctimonious conspirators wrap
an Allison cloak about them and braz-
enly accuse their victim of their own
misdeeds.
.The memorandum in question NOT
the copy published-went to Taft head
quarters along with much other docu-
mentary matter, presenting all phases
of the matter, much of which was Sc
cured by me or with my assistance
while was engaged actively in the
Taft interest. After the convention
this one memorandum alone turns up
to be used to back very poor story
involving the president and the gov
ernor and their choice for next presi-
dent. When falsehood is brushed
away and truth exposed the guilty
persons seek to cover their shame by
pretending to believe that after the
memorandum came into Taft's hands
his manager deliberately and malici-
ously gave out copies of it for use in
the factional campaign in Iowa to be
used to destroy men whose loyalty to
republican principles cannot be ques-
toned.
Standpats Insult President.
"Tlis version is an insult to the
president, to Taft and to his managers.
1t is an indictment which, il sus
tained, would indicate a shocking1y
low moral sense in men who deal with
national republican politics. 1t argues
that our highest and most trusted pub
lie officials are guilty of betraying their
sincerest friends without compunction.
If true it means that the square deal
is with marked cards.
"But it is not true. There is no
evidence to support 1T. | have long
admired Mr.. Taft and that confidence
I hope to retain. He is an honorable
man who would scorn to betray a
friend or any enemy and I feel sure,
from an association of several weeks
with close confidential relations that
the men he gathered about him and
to whom he entrusted his campaign
have followed his Instructions to the
letter Secretary Taft says he did not
give out the statement or disclose it
to anyone, and his managers at Colum-
bus and Washington. on their own
behalf and of others in the Taft serv-
ice, deny absolutely and without quail
ification that they gave it out or dis
closed it. or that they authorized or
knowingly permitted publication of any
part of the information which came
TO them from Iowa. The word oe
these men stands against unsupported
and conflicting newspaper stories. The
bare accusation against these men is
so preposterons that il ought not to
have found place in any decent news
paper
Trying to Escape cuIpability.
This strained effort to drag Taft and
Roosevelt into factional alignment
In Iowa Is chiefly or wholly to relieve