Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1910-09-10

or Nice-PreSident Sherman as tenn
porary chairman, a selection which
we had every reason to believe would
be highly satisfactory to the Repub-
licans OF the State.
Much 20 my surprise and entirely
without warning. Mr.. Griscom, who
sat in the committee as a proxy and
who had been I'm the State committee
rooms for nearly an hour before the
meeting without saying a word TO
me about II. moved to substitute the
name of Mr.. Roosevelt for that of
Mr.. Sherman with full knowledge
which every one had had all the
morning that a majority of the com
mittee were committed to Vice-Presi-
dent Sherman's selection. What Mr..
Griscom's motive was in placing Mr
Roosevelt in the position OF being de
feated / could not then comprehend
nor is it important to discuss il now.
President Taft was in no way in
volved in this matter, as the members
Of the State committee acted entirely
within their authority in selecting
a temporary chairman without. as far
as l know, a single one of them con
sulting with him about It: bat in
view of the apparent affront to Mr..
Roosevelt caused by the action of Mr..
Griscom / felt called upon as chair
man OF the committee to send the
following letter to the exPresident:
August Il. 1910.
col. Theodore Roosevelt.
Oyster Bay. l.. l.:
My Dear Col. Roosevelt: II can
not be possible that Il is necessary
fn mo 70 fan h.f .,fI
the State committee yesterday, in
which l participated. was in no sense
intended as an act of hostility toward
you or one of reflection upon you.
Il saw Ward and Barnes after
their talk with you and they told
me what you and they had said about
this whole matter, and / hope you
know. despite some things to the con-
trary which the newspapers contain
ed this morning. that they told you
the exact facts. Not one OF us sup
posed that your name would be pre-
sented without your notifying Ward
the national committeeman or me, the
chairman of the State committee,
that you wished IL done, and l never
was SO much surprised in my life
as when GriscOm made the motion
which he did. Not word had been
said TO me before the meeting by
anybody that indicated this course
was to be taken. and I understand
that neither Griscom nor any one
else told Ward or Barnes or any Of
the other men of the committee that
this was their purpose.
Believing that you must appreci-
ate the position in which under these
circumstances We suddenly found
ourselves. after having agreed upon
the selection Of sherman, in confor-
nifty with the precedent established
by the selection of Senator Root two
years ago as temporary chairman, I
beg TO remain with best wishes,
Yours respectfully.
TIMOTHY l.. WOODRUFF"
Such harmonious action at the sara
toga convention as is necessary to
success at the polls can only be Sc
cured by the cooperation OF all Re
publicans. ! know OF no party prin-
ciple upon which we are at present
divided in this State except that in
vOlved in the proposal 20 abolish
the convention system OF making
nominations and to substitute there
for the direct nomination plan. which
has been characterized as the device
OF the demagogue and the million
aire"
Upon that question at the Saratoga
convention there will doubtless be a
division. IL is right and proper that
the attitude of the party on this mat
ter should be clearly defined without
eQuivccation OF MISUNDERSTANDING.
that the voters may know exactly
where the party stands. Those who
are opposed 20 this fad and who be-
lieve that its introduction in this
State will lead to further encroach-
ments OF populistic ideas will, il
chosen delegates to the Saratoga
convention, rightly and properly en-
deavOr 10 prevent the convention from
committing itself to this folly. The
spirit that is behind this agitation for
direct primary nominations is far
more dangerous than anything that
the proposition itself embodies. The
radicalism which in this State is di-
rected against the representative sys-
tenn of nominating by convention will
If given its head, next menace the
stability OF industry and brighten en-
terprise.
NAA TAU " hAAON ANtal MI. INOOSt-
welt intends to go to the Saratoga
convention and present his ideas on
this and other subjects. The import
ance of this convention will thereby
be greatly enhanced and the super
iority OF the convention system TO the
direct nomination method demon
strated. The best thought of the Re-
publican party will be there express
ed both before the committee on
resolutions and upon the floor of the
convention. Differences that may ex-
list upon matters of principles or pol
icies will be there debated and de-
cided.
On the part of myself and the
other regulars there Is no personal
warfare involved in this matter, nor
has there been. Our interest lies
where Il always has-in the success
of the party when its progressiveness
does not violate its traditions. Our
right to contest for principles in
which We believe can be gainsaid by