Los Angeles herald., 1910-09-16
STOP PARTY WAR;
TAFT'S ORDER To
HIS FOLLOWERS
Attitude of President Indicated by
Letter Sent from Secretary
Norton to Iowa
EXPLANATION OF PATRONAGE
Leaders in State Announce That
Platform Does Not Imply
Violent insurgency
EXPLANATION OF PATRONAGE

BEVERLY, Mass, Sept. 15.-Beverly
was not little puzzled tonight as to
the exact meaning of the letter made
public here today In which Secretary
Charles D. Norton, reflecting the views
Of President Taft, announced that the
policy of Withholding patronage from
progressive" senators and represen-
tativeS had been abandoned, and that
1t was the purpose of the administra-
tion to treat all Republicans alike.
The letter was written to an un-
named political leader in Iowa, an in
surgent stamping ground. No inter-
probation of the document could be OBJ
tanned from official sources. The let
ter follows:
SECRETARY NORToN's LETTER
The letter of Secretary Norton in
full follows:
Beverly. Sept. Is, 1s1O.-Your let
ter of the 9th at hand and I have de-
layed replying until after the primary
elections. The president directs me
to express to you and your friends his
deep appreciation of the work which
you have done and the powerful as
sistance which you have extended to
the administration from the begin
ning-an assistance that has contrib
uted much to the legislative and other
successes WHICH nave DeeH
The president recognizes that your ef-
forts have been wholly disinterested;
that you have fought sturdily and
generously for what you believed to
be his interest and the welfare and
success of the party.
while Republican legislation pend
ing in congress was opposed by cer-
tain Republicans the president felt
1t to be his duty to the party and to
the country to withhold federal pat
ronage from certain senators and con-
gressmen who seemed to be in oppo-
sition to the administrations efforts
to carry out the promises Of the party
platform. That attitude however,
ended with the primary elections and
nominating conventions which have
now been held, and in which the vot-
ers have had an opportunity to de-
clare themselves.
1.-THE people have spoken. AS the
party faces the fall elections the ques-
tion must be settled by Republicans
of every shade of opinion, whether the
differences of the last session shall be
perpetrated or shall be forgotten.
HE recognizes the danger that in
certain cases expressions of feeling
were so intense as to make 1t difficult
in some instances for factions to come
together and work for the party; but
as he stated in his letter to the Re-
believes 1t can be done and should be
done. The president is confident that
you will yourselves meet your local
and state situation in this spirit and
that you will write to your friends
and ask them to do likewise.
ROOSEVELT ON PATRONAGE
''The president feels that the value
of federal patronage has been greatly
exaggerated, and the refusal to grant
it has probably been more useful to
the men affected than the appoint
ments would have been.
"In the preliminary skirmishes in
certain states like Wisconsin and
Iowa and elsewhere, he was willing,
in the interest of what the leaders be-
ylieved would lead to party success, to
make certain determinations; but the
president has concluded that it is his
duty now to treat all Republican con-
gressmen and senators alike. without
any distinction.
"Ie will follow the usual rule in
Republican congressional districts and
states and follow the recommendations
made by Republican congressman and
senators of whatever shade of polit-
ical opinion, only requiring that the
men recommended shall be good men,
the most competent and the best fitted
for the particular office. Sincerely
yours,
(Signed) "CHAS. D. NORTON,
Secretary to the President"
Discussing the views of President
Taft as disclosed by the letters of
Secretary Norton, persons conversant
with national policies said they should
not be taken as a concession to "in-
surgency."
AS the party leaders view the situa-
ticn, Iowa is not violently insurgent."
The Iowa platform, it is pointed out,
subscribed to "such efforts as Presi-
dent Taft and his advisers have made
to fulfill the promises of the national
platform" and approved the efforts
of the president to secure the desired
information for tariff revision
through a board of experts"
Among those from whom, it is said,
the president temporarily withheld
federal patronage were Senators La
Toilette of Wisconsin,, Bristow OF
Kansas, Dolliver and Cummins of
Iowa and Representative Hubbard of
Iowa.
POLICY ANNOUNCED
1t was admitted that variety of
interpretations might be placed on the
letter from the viewpoint of different
political observers, but it was insisted
the letter was simply a formal an
nouncement of a policy that soon would
have been discovered in various APP
pointments of postmasters that are
about to be made in some of the PRO
gressive" states.
The suggestion that the letter seemed
to indicate a turn toward the PRO
gressives' on the part of President
Taft was made by a statement that
President Taft always has been pro
gressiye" himself, and that his record
for progressive legislation during his
first year in office has never been
equaled by any other Republican adj
mlnistration.
1t was not admitted at the executive
offices that recent progressive" sue
cess in states like Iowa, Kansas, Call
ifornia and Wisconsin had influenced
the president. Neither was it admitted
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