The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1910-10-26
AN EXPLANATION OF ROOSEVELT
FROM THE ROOSEVELT CAMP

uot commit us In Ncv York as TO
,ial2.
"Nr Roosevelt distinctly stated that
he would put his own attitude toward
, Mr. TAFT into his speech, because he
could not indorse his administration
lunreservedly, but that he could con.
tinue the policy adopted throughout
his western tour, that Is, speak in
praise OF those actions which he could
approve, and say nothing whatever
about the others.
AS to The tariff. Roosevelt had al.
ready taken his position i'm his speech
as temporary chairman before the
platform was written, this position be-
! ing the same as he had taken i'm the
| West and being limited in it's approval
to the maximum and minimum provi-
! sions Of the law, and to the starting
of the tariff commission idea; and in
| this connection he stated explicitly
that what was needed was not recri-
mination over the past but the deve-
lopment of the tariff commission plan
as the only way of solving the diff
culties Of the future.
Roosevelt told the members of the
platform committee, when they show
ed him the tariff plank that was final
! ly adopted, that he could not stand
for that plank as written, and that if
it was adopted he himself must be
| judged, as far as he was concerned
personally, by his speech. There was
no possibility of making a fight on that
plank with the slightest chance Of sue
cess i'm that convention. doubt if we
could have rallied 80 votes, and that is
the way Roosevelt felt about it, too,
after sounding out the delegates on
our side. The only result of a fight
would have been that Roosevelt would
have lost control of the convention,
that the old guard would have gone
back to complete power, that the di-
rect primary plank would have been
lost and the Republican party in New
York definitely recommitted to the
Joint care of the crooked boss and the
crooked business man.
Therefore, as regards Mr.. Taft and
the tariff, Roosevelt's own views were
set forth as clearly as possible in his
speech, and by that speech he must be
Judged. As regards the party in New
York, the alternative to what he did
was to make a fight even more hope
less than it would have been foolish
depriving himself of four fifths Of his
support among the honest, plain, but
not too imaginative rank and file OF
the party, and seeing the party hope
,lessly committed to reaction. This
he declined to do. What he did was tC
follow the other alternative, to put the
party definitely on the side OF pro
gress, and while not as far on the patti
as he could have wished, still to put II
exactly right on all matters that were
at issue in the state campaign.
For we got an ideal candidate, and
by professions and act alike swept the
greater from power, and we put the
party squarely on the direct nomina
tions plank. 1t was a state conyen
ton. By what we did we placed the
Republicans of New York on the pro
gressive side. We were naot as radica
as some of out friends farther West
but after all it is much to have New
York started right rather than to have
it wholly wrong. Mr.. Roosevelt is pro
foundly impressed with the belief tina
what he did is not only the thing tina
was wise, but the only thing that was
right"