Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1910-08-24
TAFT WRITES TO CRISCOM
President Had Nothing to Do with
rundown Of Roosevelt.
DEPLoREs RESULT OF MEETING
lie Takes to Task Leaders who Cir
cuInted story Broadcast-Had
Advised Conference with
the Colonel.

NEW YORK, Aug S.-Presdent Taft and
ex- President Roosevelt are again fellow
workers in tire same political field. The
threat that they might pull apart has been
forefended by a full explanation on one
/ side and an unreserved acceptance on the
/ other.
The president made It plain in letter
given out yesterday by Lloyd c. Griscom,
| president of the New YORK Republican
County committee, how the msunderstand-
ing arose. lie explained that he never took
any part in a committee cabal to defeat
| Colonel Roosevelt for temporary chairman
/ Of the coming republican state convention.
| On the contrary he explicitly deplores the
| result OF the committee meeting which
chose Vice President Sherman. He rebukes
| the party leaders which have permitted 1t
| to go abroad uncontradicted that the pres
ident Of the United States was behind their
factional preferences he insists that at
every opportunity he advised the fullest
conference with Colonel Roosevelt and he
explains that he has been panied by the
columns of uaIounded assertions in the
newspapers concerning my attitude In re-
spect to the New York situation"
For his part, Colonel Roosevelt when he
read President Taft's letter as communi-
Gated to him at oyster Bay, said: Il am
very glad to see President Tafts letter
and am pleased with It."
President Taft's letter comes IN reply to
Mr.. Grlscom's blunt assertion by telegraph
that the absence Of any authoritative in
formation as 10 your attitude is seriously
misleading many republicans"
Refused to Fight with Roosevelt.
He tells how, wnen he first learned from
Vice President sherman Of the plan to OPP
pose Roosevelt he "peremptorily declined
10 be drawn into fight with Mr.. Roose-
welt and again renewed my urgent advice
that there be full personal conference with
him Finally, he asserts that the solu-
ton Of the direct primary Issue can be
found in provisions similar to those Of the
Cobb bill defeated by the last legislature
in direct rebuke to Mr.. Roosevelt ana Gov
ernor Hughes"
In the course Of the correspondence there
comes out a telegram from the president
! to the vice presidnt hitherto withheld, but
of which mention had nevertheless crept
into print. In substance the president in
formed Timothy L. Woodruff, republican
state chairman, and William L. Ward OF
the national republican committee that
, the thing of all others that ought to be
! avoided is a controversy in the convention.
The presidents letter throughout is tenn
perate though positive. Mr.. Griscom in his
comment on 1t was much more outspoken
t He did not hesitate to charge that the re-
publican organization of the state had
= played politics with the presidents name
and had misrepresented his attitude. He
asserted in so many words that some OF
the old guard are not seeking republican
success at the coming election; they wish
to perpetuate their control OF the repub
lican organization at any cost to the party
And he goes on to partieularize that in suct
event they would have been glad to unloac
F. defeat on the shoulders o6)ths president or
l the ground that he had ignored the policies
OF Hughes and snubbed Theodore Roose
Welt, the very men whom they had consist
j. emily opposed at every turn.
u Lastly he charges that In the last tive
= legislatures there had been disgracefu
: alliance between Tammany hall and SOM
. of the .'old guard" leaders.
Colonel Roosevelt in his statement givel
. out at Oyster Bay explains what had beer
1t the course of his negotiations with the or
l. ganization and how, after his successive
n rebuffs, he had felt that further overture
l, could not consistently come from him. Hi
q future attitude he does not define, becaus
II he is as yet uncertain what effect on pub
lie sentiment President TAft's letter will
= have when 1t has been read and digeste
II by the voters of the state,
- Text of Letter.
II Following is Mr.. Taft's letter:
l. BEVERLY, Mass, Aug. 20 1910-M
ID Dear Mr.. Griscom: AS yon know fror
he your telephone conversations with m
~ office, have steadily refused to admit tn
n propriety or necessity Of the president
is replying to newspaper statements which al
ID OF 1ad =
s. his and have no sponsor. l am entirel
ct willing. however, to reply categorically I
st your telegram OF August 10, which has Jul
er arrived and is as follows:
ed ~ am informed and believe that severI
in members OF the New York republican stat
n committee who voted for Vice PresideI
OF Sherman over ex-President Roosevelt 4
1g nominee for temporary chairman OF II
1g state convention were influenced by stat
Of ments that the vice presidents name WI
in presented to defeat Colonel Roosevelt
Is, accordance with your WISH A member
Ill the state committee declared 10 me befo
the meeting that Mr.. Sherman's Candida
had been arranged with you by telephol
IN 1.-THE previous day. Efforts have been ma,
to create an impression that you favor
CT particular candidate for election as sta
chairman. 1 want you to know that 4
injection OF the name Of a high member
your administration into a fractional co
In flict has produced a most complicated s
ie- uation and the absence OF authoritative 4
a formation as TO your attitude IL Serious
ha misleading many republicans and IMPAIR
er. a movement for progressive party leadt
ay ship and clean government in this sta
rill know you desire us to have . fair q,
The and hope that this will be made clear
the public
ing statement of Attitude Untrue.
ge-
YES THE statement that / have ever I
md lpressed a wish to defeat Mr.. Roosevelt
md the temporary Craftsmanship OF the COW,
to ton, OF have ever taken the slightest 81
to do 30, Is wholly untrue. 1 have ne,
heard Mr.. Shermsn's name suggested
Eh temporary chairman OF the state convent
until 1 saw in the newspapers OF Aug
Ide Ia. that ne had been selected at the meat
of the committee. When you called at
TO house Saturday evening August Is, )
W. told me that Mr.. Roosevelt intended 10
one TO the convention as q delegate, and J
ana suggested incidentally his being made "a
'rly porary chaIrmAn-a suggestion in which
and scQuiesed 1t did not occur TO me that 4
lte- one would oppose II This was the n
tier time the subject OF tho temporary CHI
and manship was mentioned TO ms by any O
lere You did not ask me 20 take any act
/