New-York tribune., 1912-03-07

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dress of Secretary Stimson of the War
Department which had been called to
his attention before he reported for jury
duty. He had at first declined TO COM
ment on anything Secretary Stimson
said, remarking:
You will never get me to indulge in
personalities in any controversy
He had changed his mind evidently
during the hour. When Justice Putnam
announced that the jurors not engaged
on the case in hand were excused for
the day Colonel Roosevelt left the court
room with almost Catapult velocity,
gathered the newspaper men about him
in the corridor and said he would have
a statement ready in a few minutes.
His face was red and he walked with
the air of a determined man as he
entered the seclusion of the jury room'
where he wrote his reply to the secre-
tary of War.
The part Of Secretary Stimson's speech
which particularly nettled the colonel
was that the reelection of President
Taft would mean a. more wholesome
progress both to the nation and the
party. and that he (RoosevelD had been
forced into the arena by certain per
sons.
Hints at Inqrstitude.
Colonel Roosevelt did not directly
charge Mr.. Stimson with ingratitude in
his statement, but he clearly intimated
that the attitude the Secretary of War
took could impress him in no other way.
particularly in the light Of the state cam
paign when Mr.. Stmson was nominated
for Governor at Saratoga.
Colonel Roosevelt's statement was as
follows:
In regard TO Mr.. stmson's statement
that, against my original Intention !
am BEING forced by certain persons into
the arena this year, need merely say
that the statement is correct only in tho
sense that il would be correct to mako
the same statement as to my advocacy
Of Mr.. Stimson for Governor in 1910. In
that contest, as in this, ! was exceed
inqly reluctant to be drawn into the
contest. In that contest, as in this, !
acted only from a sense Of duty to the
peooIe as a whole, and in that contest
! was assaiIed with precisely the Same
arguments by the great majority OF
those who are now assaiins mo.
If had considered only my own per-
sonal interests and personal preference
should, Of course, have kept out OF the
1910 campaign, have let the machine re-
main in control at Saratoga, and seen
the state 90 Democratic by 100000 ma
jority, as under those circumstances it
certainly would have gone. ! went in
because conscientiousIy felt that il was
my duty to take my part in the fight for
honest government, for genuine self
government by the people, without re-
GARD to the consequences to myself; and
am in this fight on precisely the same
basis and for practically the same rea-
sons.
Let me add, in view Of the questions
Of certain friends, that neither MIR.
Stimson nor any other man whom ! have
supported for public Office owes me any
gratitude for doing so; ! support man
not to get his gratitude, but because
believe he will render good service to
the people, and ask nothing from any
man in return except that he render such
service to tho people, and | judge him
accordingly
As for the question concerning "who
are forcing me into the arena" the an
swer is easy. Which side is making the
demand for open primaries. and which
side is stifng this demand wherever
pessible, refusing to aceede to il save
esnaer compulsion and trusting to the
nee Of patronage, to such methods as
those tried in the recent Kansas City
Congressional convention, and to those
very machine leaders who have turned
complete somsrssuIt as regards the
President during the last four years?
These leaders are managing the cam
paisn against me, and II they were de-
sliberately trying to wreck the Republi-
can party they would follow precisely
the tactics they have been following,
tactics which make IL seem that they
would rather see the Republican party
defeated than see il restored to what il
was under Lincoln, and see il beooms
again the genuine party OF the people,
the party that stands fer real popular
rule, and for the highest ideals of so.
ciaI and industrial Justice, to be achieved
through popular rule.
We stand for direct Presidential pref
erenee primaries everywhere, in Msssa-
chusetts, in Illinois, In New York (for
in New York the present primary law,
passed by the machines Of the two par
ties, is expressly designed to prevent
either party from escaping the control
OF the professional politicians, and from
falling under the control Of the people).
~ our opponents wish the people to
have their say, let them support real
primary bills. II in open primaries,
without coercion or fraud, without press
ure brought by the use Of patronage or
by the promise or by the withholding Of
patronage, the plain people OF the Re-
publican party declare that they do not
wish me to be nominated, then most
certainly I do not wish the nomination;
if they declare that they do wish ms,
not in my interest, but in the interest Of
the people as a whole, then. as ! have
already said, ! will accept, and will