New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-04-14
ROOSEVELT ADVISES
TAFT TO STUDY LINCOLN
Says He Found Fault with State
ment Colonel Quoted from
Emancipation.
PUTS "MAN ABOVE DOLLAR"
Asserts President Has Intrusted
His Fate to Gallinger, Crane,
Barnes and Others
Like Them.

Manchester. y. H. April 1S.-ln reply
10 a recent statement attributed to Pres
ident Taft Theodore Roosevelt pointedIy
criticised his successor in office tO-night.
Speaking I'm Mechanics Hall here the
colonel repeated his assertion that the
President favored government of the
people by representative part OF the
people
"Mr. Taft, I've no doubt, meant WE'LL
Colonel Roosevelt continued, but in
practice his own actions have shown
who that governing part would be- tie
has intrusted his fate now TO certain
constituent portion of that representa-
tive part. They are Senator Gallinger,
Senator Crane Senator Aldrich, Mr..
Barnes cruelty known as Boss Barnes
Mr. Cox, Of Ohio, and others like them.
81 once said that I believed in both
the man and the dollar, but that When
the interests IF the two conhicted and
one had TO Yield | put the man above
the dollar President Taft, in comment
ing upon my remarks, said:
- when the demagogue mounts the
platform and announces that he pre-
fers the man above the dollar he ought
10 be interrogated as II what he means
thereby
II want 10 point out this fact: My
statement was not original. 1t was
quotation from Abraham Lincoln When
Mr.. Taft alluded to the demagogue who
made that statement he was anuding 10
Lincoln l don't think it would be nee
essary for me to be sensitive about being
called a demagogue for quoting Lincoln.
The President then asks what Lin
coin meant. Inasmuch as the interro-
CATION is asked of Lincoln. l will an
swer for Lincoln and then for myself.
II Mr.. Taft had ever read the letter OF
Lincoln in which that quotation occurs
he would find it referred TO the slavery
question. in which he put the man above
the dollar
In explaining what he meant Coionei
Roosevelt referred to several instances
In which. he said. the courts had rem
dsred decisions contrary TO the interests
Of the people, and he declared that the
courts had overturned laws when put
The man above the dollar.
i've given the answer that would have
been given by the demsgogue on the
platform-that was Lincoln, said the
colonel and I've given the answer in
my own case And, if / may be per-
mitted to advise. ] would suggest that
The President study his Lincoln before
commenting on me next time
President Tafts remarks, 10 which
Colonel Roosevelt referred, we're made
in his speech at the Lincoln Day dinner
of the Republican Club of this city, in
the Grand ballroom Of the Waldorf on
February-~12 last Mr. Taft said;
1T has been said. and it is a common
5 platform expression, that it is we'll TO
prefer the man above the dollar as If
the preservation of property rights had
some other purpose than the assistance
TO and the uplifting of human rights.
Private property was not established in
order to crafty love of some material
wealth or capital 1t was established az
an instrumentality in the progress of
civilization and the uplifting of man
and it is equality of opportunity that
private property promotes by assuring
10 man the results Of his own labor,
thrift and self-restraint
when. therefore, the demagogue
mounts the platform and announces that
he prefers the man above the dollar he
ought TO be interrogated as to what he
means Observation-Disclosures he is i'm favor
Of abolishing the right of the institution
of private property and of taking away
from the poor man the opportunity to
become wealthy by the use of the abili'
ties that God has given him; the cult
walton Of the virtues with which prac-
tice Of self-restraint and the exercise OF
moral courage will fortify him.