Arizona republican., 1910-08-26

 IF GR|SC0M The Cause of the AffrOnt to COL. Roosevelt
 STATEMENT ID WOODRUFF
Had No Intimation of a Purpose to Present the Colonel's Name. Chair mans Objection. to Direct Nominations System

New Yrk, Aug. 25.-The conference the night before the republican state committee meeting. in which former President Roosevelt was voted down and Vice President Sherman was cho- sen temporary chairman of the state convention, assumed still another com plexion tonight. Timothy Woodruff, state chairman. in a statement given out from the republican state head quarters. puts the responsibility for the action up to Lloyd c. Griscom, chairman of the county committee, and denies that he had even an inti- nation of any plan to present the name of Roosevelt until GriscOm made the actual nomination.
 In his statement, Woodruff says precedent was followed in the selec- tion of Sherman. aand that Griscom moved to substitute the name of Roosevelt for that of Sherman practi- cally after the committee had acted.
 President Taft was in no way in volved in this matter" Woodruff says. "as the members of the state commit tee acted entirely within their author ity in selecting a temporary chairman without, as far as I know, single one of them consulting with him about it. But, in view of the apparent af- front to Roosevelt, caused by the ac- tion of GriscOm, I felt called upon as chairman of the committee to send an explanatory letter to .ne former president"
 A copy of the letter accompanies the statement. It gives an explana tion of the circumstances preceding and during the committee meeting and says the action was in no sense intended as an act of hostility toward you, nor one of reflection upon you
 Then the statement reads, in part:
 "I know of no party principle upon which we are at present divided in this state, except that involved in the proposed abolition of the cOnven- ton system of making nominations and substituting therefor the direct nomination plan, which has been characterized as the device of the lemagogue and the millionaire.'
 "Those who are opposed to this pol icy and who believe its introduction into this state will lead to further encroachments of popullstic ideas, will, if chosen delegates tO the Saratoga convention. pIOpciN NitutiNpA " vent the convention from committing itself to this folly. The spirit that IS behind this agitation for direct pri- mary nominations is far more danger .ous than anything the proposition it. self-made bodies. The Tadicalism which in this state is directed against the representative system of nominating sby convention will, if given its head, next menace the stability of industry and frighten enterprise.
 'I am glad to know that Colonel Roosevelt intends to go to Saratoga convention and present his ideas on this and other subjects. The impor- tance of this convention will thereoy be greatly enhanced and the superior itv of the convention system to the direct nomination method will be dem- Onstrated.
 "On the part of myself and other regulars. there is no personal war fare involved in this matter, nor has there been. Our interest lies where it always has-in the success Of the party when it's progressiveness does not violate its traditions"
 Woodruff's only comment on Roose- velt,s speech at the EllicOtt club at Buffalo in the morning vas "Roose- welt is no more anxious to get crooks ont of the party than l am. l guess we are all agreed on that.