New-York tribune., 1910-08-25
MR.. ROOSEVELT
PROMISES A FIGHT
Former President Says He VIII
Give the "OId Guard" All
They Want.
TO SPEAK AT CONVENTION
Says interests of People Demand
Republican Party Have Chance
to Stand for Clean
Politics.
[Bx Ts,.crarh 70 Ire Tribune

Utica, n. Y, Aug. 34-NlJn MS oiU-
time avidity for a fight. ex-Presidenc
Roosevelt read to-day the statement OF
William Barnes. Jr
so they want a fight, do they?' he
said musingly. Then. with the old hre'
and between firmly closed teeth he
added: BY George. they shall have
it" After which exclamation he dc
tated the following statement:
They will have all the fight they want
am only going to the convention De-
cause feel that the public interests, tha
interests Of the people of New York. de-
nand that the Republican party be given
a chance to stand squarely and uncor1-
promisingly for clean, decent, honest
politics.
! 90 to that convention to make tbs
speech exactly as it had been originally
planned, and while ! hope there will BE-
enough good sense to prevent any ono
stand. yet if they do oppose them then it
is their own affair, and 50 far as J am
concerned the issue shall be absolutely
clean cut.
The attitude of the "old guard is the
occasion Of the utmost qualification to
Colonel Roosevelt Never in his life did
squarely up to him. and there is moth
ing more to his liking than a fight
against an organization which. in his
judgment, can no longer be regarded as
representing that eminently deslraols
com bination of decency with politics.
Mr.. Roosevelt has picked up the gantlet
thrown down by the old guard with a
complete realization OF the situation
He can gauge to the full the extent TO
which the "old guard is pursuing a.
policy of scuttIe. He appreciates that
they are desperate men. and that the
defeat of the party in this state next
November may be far more TO their
liking than victory. which would mean
their eIimina ton. their total loss OF
pover. He cherishes no oversanguine
dreams regarding the political prospects.
and vet he is glad to make fight in
the interest of decency. now that the
fight has been forced on him II he
fights on the losing side. his only regret
will be for the party and for the people
of the state On himself he viii waste
no regret whatever
Fiqht to Death with No Quarter.
That Barnes and WOODBURY. and Wads-
worth and their fellows have made a
grave blunder will probably be clearer
to them later than il now is Had
they had the sagacity to meet the for
mer President with some measure Or
courtesy they might have placed him
under an obligation which would have
made his course less easy. for there IS
none who more than he is reluctant to
return evil for good. But TO his intense
delight they began the fight. and they
are keeping it up No one can blame
him for Countering. and there are few
who will underestimate the force Of the
blows he Is likely 70 strike. Us now q
fight to the death. with no quarter
On the floor of the convention. assun1-
ing Of course. that Nice-PreStdenC
Sherman doesn't see the light and with
draw from the position in which he has
been placed, Mr. Roosevelt Will mako
the speech he originally purposed 10
deliver. That he will seek to lead the
into rejecting the ron1tna-
ton of the state committee for tern-
porarv chairman is by no means certain
there is a precedent for such
action in MS early political career. Ho
was. il may be recalled. one OF the lead
ars In the hsht in the national Conven-
ton of 1854 against the nominee OF
the national committee for temporary
chairman. As result Of that fght.
Powell CLAYTON. Of Arkansas. the NOM
;nee of the committee. was rejected and
John R Lynch. a negro, from Mtssis-
sippi was chosen in his stead Whether
that occurrence shall be repeated on a
smaller scale in the New York state
remains to be seen II viii
depend entirely on the tactical advan-
raps 10 be gained from such a course
when the time comes.
Guest Of His Brotherin-Law.
It was in the great hall Of the fine old
home OF Douglas Robinson that Colonel
Roosevelt read the Barnes statement
and dictated his brief reply. and behind
him stretched the beautiful Mohawk
Valley and beyond. as far as the eye
could see. the stately Adirondacks- Few
finer vistas are 10 be found IN this
country.
1t was to this estate that Colonel
Roosevelt notored last night after his
speech at the Grange picnic, and there.
far from the haunts of men and the
of Utica. ne spent the day. This
6ne old place came into the Robinson
family in 1920. and in 1iSO the first
home was erected About Colonel and
Mrs. Roosevelt to-day. in addition 10
their hosts. Douglas Robinson and Mrs.
Robinson sister OF the sX-PreSident.
were gathered their two sons. Theodore
and Monroe. the last mentioned named
for President Monroe. who was the
nncle of Mr.. Robinson's great grand
father. Early in the day Admiral and
Mrs. Cowles. the latter also sister OF
Mr.. Roosevelt, and their young sor
notored over from Richfield Springs,
where they are spending the summer.
But even before that MIR. Roosevelt was
abroad riding with Mrs Roosevelt and
MIR. and Mrs. Robinson and their son
over the greater part of the township
one of the first calls paid by MIR
Roosevelt was TO an old farmer named
Fox, who exclaimed: Teddy. I'm glad
TO see you. I've voted for you I don't