Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1912-06-05
"POLlTlCAL BRIGANDAGE."
CONTINUED from Page one.)

.
Barnes, Jr., of Albany, N. Y, who as
sailed the colonel for what he said,
yesterday in announcing his decision
To oppose the salection for Senator
Root as temporary chairman of the
convention. He attacked Mr.. Barnes
as a disciple of besssm and COM
mended to the attention of his oppo-
nents including Mr.. Taft, the report
of the Legislative committee which,
last spring, investigated conditions in
Albany, Col. Roosevelt spent the
day in New York, where he confer
red with a number of his supporters.
Senator Dixon, his campaign manager,
stopped TO see him on his way to
Chicago.
The colonel prepared his statement
with unusual care.
This is no time for excited utter
ances,' he said, as he gave it out. lie
added that in whatever he had to say
he was careful TO be on the safe side,
and preferred to underestimate facts and
conditions in order to be conservative.
This is his statement:
1.-The plain people of the Republican
party of Ohio have just held state
wide primary in which they repudiated
Mr. Taft by over 3OO00 majority.
1.-THE politicians, by adroit manipula
ton, have succeeded in giving Mr.. Taft
the six delegates-at-large, in frank and
cynical defiance of the emphatic action
of the people themselves. This is, of
course, pure political brigandage.
"In this fight | have from beginning
to end sought to give the people the
right to say whom they wanted to have
as President and have not merely by
word. but by action. made it evident that
/ did not wish the nomination unless
the majority of the rank and file of the
Republican party wished me to have ii.
This action in Ohio is merely fresh
and conclusive proof that Mr.. Taft and
his advisers care nothing for the will of
the people and are eager to give the
nomination without any reference to the
methods by which it is secured without
reference to whether or not delegates
represent the people whom they are sup
posd to represent. 1t is browning IL
lustration of Mr.. Tafts theory of gov
erpment of the people by representative
part of the people.
Mr.. Barnes has been chosen to lead
the Taft forces at this stage of the fight.
Rochester platform. IN his defence he
refers to generalities about issues which
have no more reference to the issues of
the present day than if he should quote
from Magma Charter. The Rochester
platform and the speeches expoundng
it at the Rochester convention show that
it was designed in defence and advocacy
of the twin principles for which Mr..
Barnes stands-the right of the bosses
to rule the people and the supremacy of
privilege over the rights of humanity.
Now the principles advocated by Mr..
Barnes, who has been selected to lead
the Taft fight at this juncture, work in
practice is set forth in detail in the re-
port of the special committee of the New
York State Senate appointed to investi-
gate the city and county of Albany,
transmitted to the Legislature on March
% last. 1t speaks for itself, and / COM
mend it to those men Gncluding Mr..
Taft HIMSELF who may wish to see just
what the Judgment of legislative COM
mittee of Mr.. Barnes own state is as to
the workings of Mr.. Barnes theory of
government in his own city,
Col. Roosevelt has not made up his
mind whether he will go to the Chicago
convention and he is making prepare
tons to bring the seat of war as close
as possible, if he choose to remain at
sagamore Hill. Workmen began, today,
the erection of telegraph wires from the
village of oyster Bay to the colonel
home, three miles distant. One room of
the spacious house is to be fitted up with
keys and saunders and with the aid of
corps of telegraphers manning direct
wires from Sycamore Hill to the Roose-
Welt headquarters at Chicago, Col.
Roosevelt will be able to follow the con-
test step by step and give his directions
in minute detail. Should the colonel go
to the convention the wires will be used
to bring news from the front to members
of the Roosevelt household who remain
at home.