Los Angeles herald., 1910-08-23
President Declares He Had No In
tention of Conveying Idea
He Opposed Colonel
PLEADS FOR PARTY HARMONY
Makes Reply to Communication
from GriSCom About Empire
State MuddIe
ASSOCIATED Press>


NEW YORK, Aug. 22.-President
Taft and ex-President Roosevelt are
again fellow workers in the same po-
litical field.
The threat that they might pull apart
has been forfeited by full explanation
on one side and an unreserved accept
ance on the other.
The president made 1t plain in a
letter given out here today by Lloyd
c. Griscom, chairman OF the New York
Republican county committee, how the
misunderstanding arose He ex-
planned he never took any part in a
committee cabal to defeat Colonel
Roosevelt for temporary chairman of
the coming Republican state conven-
ton. On the contrary, he explicitly
deplores the result of the committee
meeting which chose Vice President
Sherman; he rebukes the party lead
ers who have permitted 1t to go abroad
uncontradicted that the president of
the United States was behind their
factional preference; he insists that at
every opportunity he advised the full
est conference with Roosevelt, and he
explains he has been panied by the
columns of unfounded stories in news
papers concerning my attitude In re-
spect to the New York situation"
ROOSEVELT PLEASED
he read President Taft's letter as COM
municated to him at oyster Bay, said:
IT am very glad to see President
Taft's letter and am pleased with 1t. !"
The presidents letter comes In re-
ply to Mr. Griscom's blunt assertion
by telegraph that the ''absence of any
authoritative Information as to your
attitude Is seriously isleading many
Republicans"
Mr.. Taft tells how. when he first
learned from Vice President Sherman
of the plan to oppose Roosevelt, he
"peremptorily declined" to be drawn
into a fight with Mr.. Roosevelt, and
again renewed his urgent advice that
there be full personal conference with
Roosevelt. Finally he asserts the So
luton of the direct primary issue can
be found in provisions similar to those
of the Cobb bill. defeated by the last
legislature in direct reDuke to Mr.
Roosevelt and Governor Hughes.
In the course OF the correspondence
there comes out n telegram from the
president to the vice president, hitherto
withheld. In substance, the president
informed Timothy L. Woodruff, Repub-
lican state chairman, and William l..
Ward of the national Republican COM
mtitee that the thing of all others
that ought to be avoided is any contro-
versy in the convention"
GRAVE ChAttGfS
The presidents letter throughout is
temperate, although positive Mr.
Griseom in his comment was much
more outspoken. He did not hesitate
to chaege the Republican organization
OF the state had played politics with
the presidents name and had misrep-
resented his attitude He asserted In
so many words that ''some of the old
guard are not seeking Republican sue
af anu1inO alaptiOn. thew wish
to perpetuate their control of the Re-
publican organization at any cost to
the party.
Griscom goes on to particularize that
in such event they would have been
glad to unload defeat on the shoulders
of the president on the ground that he
had ignored the policies of Hughes and
snubbed Theodore Roosevelt, the very
man whom they had consistently OPP
posed at every turn
Lastly, he charges that in the last
two legislatures they had been in dis
graceful alliance with "Tammany hall
and some of the old guard leaders"
Col. Roosevelt, in his statement given
out at Oyster Bay, explains what had
been the course of his negotiations
with the organization and how after
his successive rebuffs he had felt that
further overtures could not consistent
ly come from him. His future attitude
he does not define, because he is as yet
uncertain what effect on public senti-
Inent President Tafts letter will have
when 1t has been read by the voters of
the state.
The following letter from President
Taft to Lloyd y. Griscom, chairman
of the New York Republican county
committee, was given out here today
by Mr.. Griscom:
PRESIDENTS LETTER
my Dear Mr.. Griscom: AS you
know from your telephone conversa-
tion with my office, 1 have steadily
refused to admit the propriety or neces-
sity of the presidents replying to news
paper statements which are not based
on any act or authorized word of his
and have no sponsor. l am entirely
willing, howe er, to reply categorically
to your telegram of August 10, which
has Just arrived and which is as fol-
az am informed and believe that
several members of the New York Re-
publican state committee who voted
for Vice President Sherman over ex-
President Roosevelt as nominee for
temporary chairman of the state con-
yention were influenced by statements
that the vice presidents name was
presented to defeat Col. Roosevelt in
accordance with your wish. A member
of the state committee declared to me
before the meeting that Mr.. Sherman's
candidacy had been arranged with you
by telephone the previous day. Efforts
have been made to create an impress
sion that you favor a particular can
didate for election as state chairman.
I want you to know that the injection
Of the name Of high member of your
administration into a factional conflict
has produced a most complicated situa-
tion, and the absence of any authori-
tatiye information as to your attitude
Is seriously misleading many Repubn-
cans and impairing a movement for
progressive party leadership and clean
Government in this state. l know you
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