The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram., 1912-09-19
In Sizzling Speech Colonel
Roosevelt Replies to Will
sons Attack Upon Pro-
gressive Platform.
HE DENIES TRUSTS
SUPPORT HIS CAUSE
Says that Big Business Has
Crowded Upon the Plat
forms Built by the Repub-
licans and Democrats.
(National News Association


TRINIDAD. Colo. Sept. 19.-In a
sizzling speech here today Col, Roose-
welt hammered back at Gov. Woodrow
Wilson for his attack on the Progress
sive platform at Sioux Falls in which
the governor charged that it played
into the hands of the steel and har-
vester trusts. The ex-president an
grily asserted that the two trusts are
supporting Mr. Wilson and that the
democratic and republican platforms
rather than that of the Progressives
caters to the crooked corporations.
"Mr. Wilson should be above mis-
stating facts in order to bolster up
his arguments. Mr.. Wilson has an
entire right to defend his own plat
form if he feels bold enough to do so,
and an entire right to assail the Pro-
gressive platform. but he should con-
fine himself to telling the facts as
they are" said Roosevelt.
Not True to Facts.
In his speech yesterday he stated
that the method now proposed by the
progressives to regulate the trusts
was suggested by Messrs Gary and
Perkins before the committee of the
house of representatives to look into
the Steel trust. And he suggested
that it was done to save the United
States Steel corporation from the nee
essity of doing its business better
than it's competitors
Neither of these statements is in
accordance with the facts and five
minutes inquiry on Mr.. Wilson's par1
would have taught him that there was
not one particle of foundation for the
truth of what he was saying.
| Not once only. but again and agair
in messages to congress and In speech
after speech, when / was president,
advocated the methods advocated by
the progressives for handling the
trust question, which is practically tc
apply the principle applied in the in
ter-state commerce act.
Il wish to call attention at this
time to the fact that as far as know
the overwhelming majority Of the mer
who controlled both the steel corpor
alton and the harvester trust are sup
porting either Mr.. Wilson himself oil
Mr. Taft. They are certainly oppos
ing me.
Are For Wilson.
Indeed. as far as / know, the ONLY
man connected with either organiza
ton who is supporting me is Mr.. Perk
ins himself Everywhere l went IL
informed that the harvester trust wa
supporting Mr.. Wilson and the stee
corporation, so far as the nearly unan
imous majority Of it's people are con
cerned, is supporting either Taft o.
Wilson. | haven't the slightest crit
cism to make of either the harveste
trust or the steel trust in this matter
in supporting Mr.. Taft or Mr. Wilson
but l also wish to point out that MI
Wilson and Mr.. Taft occupy substan
TALLY the same attitude towards tn
trusts and this attitude is of sucl
proved harmlessness that l am not il
the least surprised that any trus
which objects to honest and effectiv
regulation should support either o
both of them indifferently as agains
me.
The only result that could possibl
follow from any action of the kin,
hitherto advocated by Mr. Wilson a
regards either the steel trust corpol
alton or the harvester trust would b
to put them just where the Standar
Oil trust and the tobacco trust hav
already been put by following ou
the very policy he indicates. ~~
Such being the case l do not wor
der that all four trusts confine thei
, OF position to the Progressive part
and to me and are seemingly entirel
willing to have either Mr. Wilson o
Mr.. Taft come into power"