The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1912-04-27
ROOSEVELT SAYS
TAFT IS ONtNHO
IS DISLOYAL
Colonel Follows President Into
Massachusetts
MEAN WELL FEEBL "
Is the Characteristic Of President
Taft as Made BY His Pre-
decessor

Worcester, Mass April 26.-Merci-
less denunciation of President Taft
was Col. Roosevelts reply last night
to the presidents attack upon him on
Thursday. Some of Col Rooseyelt's
assertions we're
That President Taft had not given
the people of the country a square
deal" but that, owing to quality OF
feebleness," he had yielded to the
bosses and the great privileged inter
ests'
That one part of the presidents at
tack upon him was 1.-THE crookedest
kind of a deal" and deliberate misre-
presentation"
That the president has not merely
in thought, word and deed been dis
loyal to our past friendship, but has
been disloyal to every canon Of or
binary decency and fair dealing such
as should obtain even in dealing with
mans bitterest opponents"
That the presidents statement re-
garding the influence of federal office
holders in the campaign was mot only
an untruth, but it is an absurd I'M
truth"
That Mr.. Taft convicted himself of
insincerity when he signed the Payne
Aldrich tariff bill.
That in speaking of Col. Roosevelt's
position in regard to the trust prob
lem President Taft lis himself guilty
of a crooked deal"
Col. Roosevelt took up President
Taft's attack on him point by point,
| haying the president in one scathing
sentence after another When Col
Roosevelt reached Worcester, at the
. beginning OF his trip through Massa-
4 chusetts, he found the streets near
{ the station thronged. With a band
4 and a torchlight procession as escort
he was taken to Mechanics hall,
where he delivered his main speech.
A Several thousand persons were unable
to gain admission. Later Col. Roose-
welt addressed an overflow meeting
s in Salem square Both audiences re-
ceived him enthusiastically. Col.
& Roosevelts speech in part was as fol-
lows:
"ln this campaign | regard the is
sues at stake as altogether too i'm
TO one of personalities between Presi-
dent Taft, and myself. But Mr.. Taft's
speeches. yesterday contained state
ments tiiat | must answer. Most of
what he said needs no comment from
me. When, for instance, he says that
have endeavored to minimize the i'm
portance of my Columbus speech, he
says what he must know to be untrue
ne cannot have read my Carnegie hall
speech, my speech before the Massa-
chusetts lower house, my MONDAY
speech at St Louis, my Philadelphia
and Pittsburg and Louisville speech.
es, without knowing that / have elab
GRATED and emphasized what ! said at
f Columbus
Again, when Mr. Taft in any
speech speaks of me directly or
s obliQuely as neurotic, or a demagog
or in similar terms. / shall say moth
ing except to point out that II he feels
Obliged to use such language he would
peter preserve hi own self respect
by not protesting that II gives him
pain to do so. No man resorts &c
epithets like these II ii really gives
him pain TO use them. | have never
alluded to him In terms even remote
ly resembling these. have never
quoted his private letters or privat,
communications have discussed
Exclusively his public actions Ever
where ! was obliged to be severe,
s. was always parliamentary and nevel
hypocritlcal Nor do intend toda!
to deviate from this standard, al
though the presidents speech make,
IL necessary for me to speak NOR,
plainly on certain subjects than
have yet spoken"
Col Roosevelt referred to Presi
dent Tafts explanation of his state
ment that ours Is government o
hll the people by a representative
part OF the people" For him 4
ny" said Col Roosevelt, ito escap
he consequences OF his statement
by saying that he alluded only I
women and children Is trihing wit
he intelligence Of the people. T
peak OF such action on his part a
square deal is itself the crooked
ast kind of deal. He is trying {
lodge the consequences OF his stat,
nent by deliberate misrepresentation
pf that statement"
Mr.. Finn Of Plttsbura
Col Roosevelt defined the politics
boss as "the man responsible 70
he alliance between crooked pol
les and crooked business which ha
zen responsible for nine.tenths {
he corruption In American politics
fe II there is any such man anon
by supporters" he continued
ont know him. Mr.. Taft says M
linn OF Pittsburg is very bad Dos
here is an element OF grim coined
b Mr. Taft's weeping over n
bought of Pennsylvania being pl