The Hartford herald. [volume] (Hartford, Ky.) 1875-1926, 1911-04-26
COL. ROOSEVELT
M-|NTERV|EW
Explains Just How He
Stands To-Day
ON some PUBLIC QUESTIONS
Is Not a Candidate In Any
Sense A Few Past
Events Explained.
AN APPEAL TO REAL FRIENDS"


The, Saturday Evening Post of last
week = contains an interview with
Theodore Roosevelt in many ways
remarkable. 1t is written by Henry
Beach Needham;c who has long
known the Colonel. 1t is entitled
Where Roosevelt Stands To-day"
A few OF its best parts are given
below.
I am not a candidate for the Pres
iaency. And my real friends will
do me cruel injustice II they seek
to make me such.
OF the ten hundred and fifteen.
delegates at the Saratoga conven-
ton. perhaps not more than fifteen
certainly less than one hundred,
we're real supporters of mine.
Most of the delegates did not
agree with me on the tariff ques-
ton and distrusted me as being too
radical in other matters, but they
wished to fight for honesty and pop
ular government and against boss
rule. They knew that they could
win only under my leadership; but
they made no secret that they were
against me personally. Take the
Committee on Resolutions.
In their first draft of the platform
there was mild tribute to me.
which welcomed me back to public
life as the exponent of honesty, but
the committee finally struck this out
"a majority wouldn't stand for it.
They were determined to keep out
of the platform any allusion to me
personally. This by itself shows the
utter absurdity of thinking that
could influence them on the tariff.
| hadn't it in my power, as they
knew, to reward a human being or
to punish a human being. Not one
man who voted against me at Sara
toga had anything to fear from me
for so doing; not one man who voted
for me at Saratoga had anything tx
expect from me for his support.
got out of that convention every
ounce of progressive action that j
was humanity possible to get our o
it.
Gov. Hughes and his supporters
were entirely responsible for my ap
pearance at Saratoga. | didn't sc
them into the fight. They wer'
in the fight. All did was to try t
, help them out ma fight in which
they were right. AS long as the
we're in it couldn't stay out.
, When | got back from Europe
wanted to go home and be quiet;
didn't want to mix in politics. Ru
: I was importuned on every hand
l by the insurgents of the West an
8 bv the progressives of my own Stat
= to help along the movement TO
honesty in high places in the polit'
cal and financial world. 1t SCENE
7. TO ME that It was nv duty to try Z
, help them in the fight for popuia
5 government, without any regard I
b, what the effect might be to me pei
5 sonally. didn't see how coul
Z. keep out of the fight and retain m
], self-respect; so l went into it.
;. I feel that the country is to b
= congratulated upon the probabilit
; of obtaining a closer reciprocity
tariff and trade relations with Cana
. da.
In my judgment the Constitutio
should be amended so as to proVid
for the direct election of Unite
States Senators bv the people. Thos
= opposing such an amendment al
= merely expressing the same fear thu
moved the trainers of the Constit'
ton to commit the election of Pres
dent to the Electoral College.
t Comparatively short experien'
convinced the Nation that Il
e President should be voted Il
e directly by the Electoral CO
r lege has been retained Il
d electors have no function exec
Ie be direct election of delegates to n
sr tional conventions.
Is It should be thought necessary, ev'
Is this superhuous machinery cou
rs with advantage be abolished.
1 believe. also. that there shou