The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1910-08-24
TAFT ENTERS DENIAL
Never, Expressed Wishto Defeat
Ct lionel for Chairman.

Maue py state committee Mr..
Roosevelt Should Be Consulted.
President Taft's Letter Does Away
With Wild Stories Of a Break Be-
tween Him and the Ex-President.
Vice President Sherman Charged
With Suppressing a Telegram.
New York, Aug 23.-President Taft
not only had no hand in the trickery
at the meeting of the Republican
state committee last Tuesday, where
by William Ward, Timothy Woodruff,
William Barnes and James Wads.
worth succeeded in ha"ing a motion
adopted naming Vice President Sher.
man as the temporary chairman of the
Republican state convention in place
of Mr.. Roosevelt, but in letter which
was received by Chairman Griscom of
the Republican county committee, it
was made plain that Mr.. Taft insisted
that before any choice was made by
the committee, Mr.. Roosevelt should
be consulted.
Mr.. Roosevelt was not consulted.
Mr.. Taft, over the long distance
phone and by means of telegraph mes
sages, had expressly told the leaders
of the regulars that if there was any
disaffection likely to arise at the
meeting his name was not to be used
and that on the contrary in the in.
terests Of harmony he wished that the
members should consult before the
meeting with Mr.. Griscom and Mr..
Roosevelt.
Sent Telegram to Sherman.
Mr.. Taft even sent telegram to
Mr.. Sherman insisting that before
any action was taken by the commit.
tee, Mr.. Roosevelt should be consulted
with, and that, if there was need,
reasonable conce ssions should be
made with the progressives, both with
regard to platform and candidates.
Former Assemblyman Merwin X.
Hart of Utica, fresh from confer.
tllNt hdu Will SOlOlCl lNOOoCNClb
on Friday, made a speech in his home
city on Saturday in which he assert.
ed that Mr.. Sherman had received
telegram from Mr.. Taft, and that he
had suppressed it.
Mr. Sherman left New York for his
home on Monday night before the
meeting of the Republican state com.
lnittee and it was stated for him by
Mr.. Woodruff and the other leaders
of the regulars who were in town that
Mr.. Sherman had consented to have
his name presented as the choice Of
the committee for temporary chair.
man of the convention, and that in
taking this course he was acting in
assent with the wishes of Mr.. Taft.
The letters written by Mr.. Taft to
Mr.. Grlscom shows that there was no
such understanding and 1t shows fur
ther that there are good grounds for
the charge made by Mr. Hart that
Mr.. Sherman suppressed telegram
he had received from Mr. Taft.
The letter from President Taft to
Mr.. Griscom does away altogether
with the wild stories which have been
floating around for more than a week
past to the effect that there is a
break between Mr., Taft and Mr.
Roosevelt
When the news of the result Of tho
meeting reached the president he was
told that Mr.. Roosevelt was inclined
to blame him for what had occurred
and Mr.. Taft was advised by some OF
his closest friends to come out with
a statement showing that so far from
doing anything which might split the
Republican party in this state he had,
on the contrary, advised that nothing
should be done which would tend ia
show that there was even semblancc
of a possibility of a break between
himself and the former president
MIR. Taft at that time refused to fol.
low the advice He told the friends
who counselled him to make his posi-
tion clear that to do so would put him
IN the light of taking an active in
tcrest in the party affairs OF this
state.
Not to Blame For eolonel's Rejection,
Until Friday or Saturday last Mr.
Taft intended to stick to this policy,
but in response to suggestions made
to him that il the idea should be al
lowed to continue that he was even
indirectly responsible for the rejection
Of Mr.. Roosevelt as temporary chair
man of the state convention, the re-
suit would be that the Republican
party would be In an even worse con
dition when the campaign opened
than II Is now, he consented TO make
it clear that he had never raised Sc
much as a finger to defeat Mr.. Roose
welt for the temporary chairmanshir
of the convention; that Mr.. Sherman
in the presence of Representative
Nicholas Longworth, had promised
him that nothing would be done with
regard to the selection or rejection OF
Mr.. Roosevelt until in the interest OF
harmony, Mr.. Roosevelt had been con
suited
Mr. Taft, in his letter to Mr. Girls
com, states that Mr.. Sherman agreed
to this stipulation, hut, according to
AIR Roosevelt and Mr.. Griscom, the
promise was never carried out
Although for few days last week
Mr.. Roosevelt had not made up his
mind, following the vote at the state
con,mittaa maptiug the anti, ,NVoodruff