The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1910-05-24
ROOSEVELT REAL
POSITION GIVEN OUT
His Antipathy for Speaker Cannon
and Pledge To Insurgents An.
nounced for First Time.

WASHINGTON, May 24.-with
Roosevelt and insurgency" for bat
tie cry In their fight for reelection
next fall, the house progressives are
planning to sweep Roosevelt into the
midst Of the campaign which confronts
them.
Heretofore secret information on
which the insurgents base their as
surance OF Rooseyelt's active support
In the fight against "Cannonism" be-
came available today.
The situation revives an unpub-
lished report made to the insurgent
organization In caucus In March. 1909,
tee, Representatives Nelson (Rep.,
Wis.,, Madison (Rep.. Kas), and
Gardner (Rep.. Mass,) were told to
endeavor to secure the Endorsement
OF Roosevelt for the insurgent poll
cies. in those strenuous closing days
OF the strenuous administration. The
following statements, incorporated In
that report and known for over year
TO every house insurgent. are here
made public for the first time.
On March =, 1909. Theodore Roose-
Welt proposed to give Rep. Nelson,
chairman of the insurgent executive
committee, a letter endorsing the fight
on Cannon and the house rules. He
expressed himself as thoroughly In
sympathy with the progressive move
ment. particularly In the fight against
Cannon, as he said:
Cannon the Greatest Obstacle.
Cannon has been the greatest OBJ
stacle In the way of my efforts to Sc
cure good legislation, for the people
Of the country, throughout the seven
years of my administration"
On March 4, after spending the
evening Of March with President
elect Taft. he begged to be excused
from writing the letter. AS a ground
for this change of purpose he said
that from conversations with Taft he
was afraid such course would en-
barrass his successor.
One of the last acts OF Roosevelt's
administration, as he stood In the
presidents room. in the senate wing
OF the capitol. was to take Represen-
tatives Gardner and Nelson by the
hand, lead them over to Taft, and
plead with the president-elect to take
up the insurgent cause.
The story OF the endorsement that
was never given In writing was out
lined to the insurgent caucus by the
executive committee. Reps. Nelson,
Gardner and Madison Of the progress
sive caucus, were present to endeavor
to secure President Rooseveit's en-
dorsement, Of the insurgent attack on
CannUn and1he ruies- professionally the
pfoSressives to be made during the
special tariff session that convened
March 10, 1909. They had arranged
an appointment with President Roose-
welt for the afternoon of March 3.
Busy Scenes In White House.
The eleventh hour of the Roosevelt
administration was at hand and Roose-
Welt was going out Of the white house.
The executive Offices were In con-
fusion. Clerks were rushing In and
out of the presidents office and Roose-
welt led the insurgent committee into
the old cabinet room. He dragged a
chair from the cabinet table over into
a corner and the conference was on.
Nelson, as chairman Of the commit
tee, outlined to the president the plan
OF attack on Cannon and the rules,
the object and chances Of success for
the entire insurgent program and
asked Roosevelt to endorse officially
the movement. Roosevelt raised him
self In his chair, drew one leg up be-
meath him, In his favorite deliberative
attitude, clasped his hands behind his
head and said:
Now, boys, let me think out loud"
Then for thirty minutes he proceed
ed to outline his position In the i'm.
pending legislative struggle. He
pointed out to himself and the insur-
gents that throughout his administra-
ton, Speaker Cannon and certain Of
his followers in the house had op-
posed measure after measure that he
had advanced and advocated. He said
In the beginning. that personally he
was In sympathy with the insurgents
and with what they were trying to do.
He paused for moment. Then he
said he was now getting out Of the
limelight, that another was about to
take up the reins. and that the new
president might not like to have them
taken out of his hands.
Didn't Want TO Encroach.
Roosevelt declared that 1t seemed
to him that he would be encroaching
on the prerogatives of his successor II
he publicly endorsed the insurgents
movements; that he had been dealing
with these things In his own way and
that his successor would want to do
the same without interference.
Throughout the interview the only
AktnANfnKn DnAcnunlN adn IN a utthlin
declaration Of his sympathy with the
progressive movement was the fact
that his successor might be embar-
raised.
Il don't want to seem to interfere.
I don't want to appear to seize the
reIns from the hands Of my success
sor," aud he swept out his hands In
suggestive gesture, I'm like that
laxative New Bedford mate whose
captain told him: What want from
yo,, Ia alliance and little of that 80