Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1911-12-12
Eve Of Meeting Of National
Committee Finds Concert
ed Movement Looking to
Nomination Of Colonel.
LEADERS CALL ON
FORMER PRESIDENT,
Claim is Made That Roose-0
welt Hasn't Said He Would
Refuse Nomination if Ten
dered by Convention.

Il q . q -
tempts to disguise the fact that cone
certed movement is on foot looking to
4 the nomination of Theodore Roosevelt
as the republican candidate for presi-
dent in 1912 were apparently dropped
today when 1t became known that
members of the national committees
were being sounded as to their view
Of the feasibility Of forcing the nomi.
nation Of the former president
On the eve OF the assembling of the
republican national committee little
was talked of today but the prospec.
tive attitude of Theodore Roosevelt It
became known that several leading re-
publicans, on their way to Washing
ton to attend the conferences, had
stopped over in New York and had
long talks with Col. Roosevelt and that
still others had made engagements to
see him either at New York or Oyster
Bay following the meeting cf the ma.
tional committee The supporters OF
1 Col Roosevelt, now here. are basing
all of their arguments In his behalf on
the claim that while the former preSi.
/ dent has announced that he Is not
candidate he has not said he would not
accept the nomination il it wer9
rendered him. Il ". III s s8sys ays
Claim Roosevelt Can't Refuss. ssE
i They claim that as a good Amer
can citizen. Col Roosevelt could nots
do otherwise than accept, once the con.
vention had acted" #
No attempt, 1t was said, would be
made to bring the Roosevelt sentiment
to a focus at this time. The hope Of his
supporters is to achieve victory In the
convention itself For this reason they
have practically dropped the fight to
have the national committee declare In
favor OF presidential primaries, but
they are pressing the argument that
delegates should 90 to the convention
uninstructed Friends OF President
! Taft are meeting the Roosevelt senti.
ment everywhere and assert that the
movement is q well-directed one.
| They are urging President Taft'a,
nomination on the ground that to re-.
fuse to endorse his administrations |
would be to discredit the party.
Chairman w. l.. Houser of the pro.
gressive republican campaign commit .
| tee, today gave out the text Of q let-i
ter written by him to President Taft
requesting the president to join in the .
effort to secure countrywide primaries
for the direct nomination of presiden., !,
tial candidates.
He said he believed word from tho
president approving the plan would as.
sure it's adoption by the national com.
mittees.
The program Of the committee was
practically decided on in full last night
and this gave the committeeman and
other visitors chance to talk politics.
st. Louis Wants Convention.
President Taft told Representative
Barthold and Jas. E. Smith OF ST. Louis
that the administration would not
throw its weight in behalf of any city
that is trying to secure the national
convention. The president told Mr..
Barthold that he had not done any.
thing to influence the selection OF
convention city and did not expect to
do anything in the matter
Mr.. Barthold said as he left tho
white house that he expected st. Louis
to get the convention. Most OF tho
committeeman agreed, however, that
the big meeting will be held in Chi.
cago.
It was reported that sharp fight
will come up in the committee over tho
proposed naming of the all-powerful
subcommittee of five to make plans
for the convention, to choose the chair
man, ETC., and that the fight would
find the secretary to the president, Mr..
Hilles, and Postmaster General Hitch
cock arrayed against each other.
Chicago Convention City
There appeared to be little possi.
Ibility of disarrangement in the pro-
gram for tomorrow's meeting. This In
cludes the selection Of Chicago as the
convention city and fixing the time 40
the last week in June. Former Cover
nor John F. Hill of Maine, who has
been acting chairman since the resig.
nation Of Postmaster General Hitch.
cock, will be formally elected chair
man, but will be elected only until the
convention convenes. when a man
agreeable to the presidential candi.
date will be elected by the newly con-
stituted committee. Col Harry 8. New
Of Indiana is to head the sub-commit-
tee of five which will make arrange.