Evening journal., 1910-05-24
BUILD HOPES
ON ROOSEVELT
Insurgents Propose to Drag
the Ex-PreSident Into
the Fight
LETTER AGAINST CANNON
THAT WAS NOT GIVEN


by United Press Leased Special Wire.
WASHINGTON. May 2L-with "Roose-
Welt and insurgency for a battle cry in
their fight for reelection next fau. the
House progressives are to-day planning
10 sweep Theodore Roosevelt into the
midst Of the terrific campaign which con-
fronts them Hitherto se5rst Information
on which the insurgents base their assur-
,ance Of Roosevelts active support IN the
night against "Cannonism" became avail
able to- day. The situation revives an un-
published report made 20 the insurgent
organization in caucus in March. 1909, by
the insurgent executive committee Repre-
sentatives Nelson Republican, Wiscon-
sim, Madison Republican, Kansas and
Gardner (Republican, Mass.) charged with
the mission of obtaining the endorsement
of Roosevelt for the insurgsnt policies, in
those strenuous closing days of the siren
uous administration. The following state
ments, Incorporated in that report and
known for over year to evsry House in
surgent are here made public for the first
time:
Cannon An Obstacle.
on March g, 1909. Theodore Roosevelt
proposed to give Representative Nelson
chairman of the insurgent executive com
mittee a letter endorsing the fight on
Cannon and the House rules. He expressed
himself as thoroughly in sympathy with
the progressive movement, particularly in
the fight against Cannon, SIS he said:
Cannon has been the greatest obstacle
in the way of my efforts TO secure good
legislation for the people Of the country
throughout the seven years Of my admin
istration."
on March A. after spending the evening
of March srd with President-elect Taft,
he begged to be excused from writing the
letter. As ground for his change Of pur-
pose he said that from conversations with
Taft he was afraid such a course would
embarrass his successor.
one of the last acts Of Roosevelt's
administration, as he stood in the Presi-
dents room in the Senate wing of the
capitol, was to take Representative
Garner and Nelson by the hand, lead
them over to Taft, and to plead with
the President-elect to take up the in
surgent cause.
The story OF the endorsement that
was never given. was outlined to the
insurgent caucus by the executive
committee as follows;
Representatives Nelson, Gardner and
Madison, the executive committee of
the progressive caucus, were chosen
TO endeavor TO secure President Roose-
velts endorsement of the insurgent at
tack on Cannon and the rules, projected
by the progressives to be made dur
ing the special tariff session that con-
vened March 10, 1909. They had ar
ranged an appointment with President
Roosevelt for the afternoon Of March
Srd.
The eleventh hour Of the Roosevelt
administration was at hand and Roose-
welt was moving out of the White
House. The executive Offices were in
confusion. Clerks were rushing in and
out Of the Presidents Office and Roose-
welt led the insurgent committee into
the old cabinet ROOM He dragged
q chair from the cabinet table over
into a corner and the conference was
on
Nelson, as chairman OF the commit
tee, outlined 70 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 himself
in his chair. drew one leg up beneath
him. in his favorite deliberative at
titude. clasped his hands behind his
head and saids
Now let me think out loud"
Cannon Approved Roosevelt.
Then for thirty minutes he proceeded
-..4rf~. l,fo ,.oeiffo, 4, fba r,audfncr
legislative struggle. He pointed out to
himself and the insurgents that
throughout his administration, Speaker
Cannon and certain of his followers in
the House had opposed measure after
measure that he had advanced and ad-
vocated. He said. in the beginning that
personally he was in sympathy with
the insurgents and with waht they
were trying TO do. He paused for a
moment. Thgn he continued, saying
that he was now getting out of the
limelight, that another was about 10
take up the reins, and that the new
President might not like to have them
taken out of his hands. Roosevelt de-
clared that It seemed to him that he
would be encroaching on the preroga-
tives Of his successor II he publicly
endorsed the insurgent movement: 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
objection Roosevelt made to a public
declaration of HIS sympathy with the
progressive movement was the fact that
his successor might he embarrassed.
"I don't want to seem TO interfere
/ don't want to appear to seize the
reins from the hand Of my successor, "
and he swept out his hands I'm a sug-
gestive gesture, I'm like that talkative
New Bedford mate, whose captain told
him, What I want from you is silence
and damn little OF that %
When the insurgents left the White
House It was understood that Roosevelt
was to write the letter and send Il tc
Nelson.
Continued on Second Page.