The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1912-03-29

campaign, made reply to the letter re.
Gently sent him by Gibson Gardiner with
reference to Colonel Roosevclts attitude
toward Senator La Folctte's candidacy
Copies of the Houser letter were received
here today. 1t is as follows:
Dear Gardner-Aly attention has been
called to letter addressed by you to me
at Washington. ID. c. which | have not
! seen as yet, but which has been given
to the press, in which you question the
accuracy of statements | have made in
reference to the part taken by Colonel
Roosevelt to induce Senator La Toilette
to become candidate for president.
There is no material difference in the
statement | have made mot the CON
clusion stated by the newspapers in some
fair, The message you say you brought
from Colonel Roosevelt to Senator La
Toilette can be construed in no other
way than an induccment to Senator
La Toilette to become a candidate. You
say, Tie CRoosevelt) said he would, in
the columns of the Outlook or otherwise.
do what he could to direct attention to
the work accomplished by Senator La
Toilette in Wisconsin, If he had said
no more that would Justify what 7 have
said viz: that the message brought by
You to La Toilette from Roosevelt. en-
| couraged La Toilette to become a candi-
date.
''But You said more than this. You
said that Roosevelt declared that he
could not be a candidate; that hi. place
in history was made; that he could not
afford to take a defeat and whoever
made the fight was certain to be de
feated for nomination, and for election
if nominated; that this was demo-
cratic year; that La Toilette would not
be injured by defeat; that there should
be a candidate representing the progres
sive movement; that La Toilette was the
logical man and that if he decided to
make the fight, he should announce his
candidacy at once.
"This in addition to what you admit
YOU stated, is substantially what you
stated. to me and to others. I have
stated no more in my interviews or
speeches. You and have reviewed this
message at different times and there was
never any misunderstanding of its in
tent or meaning That Roosevelt en-
couraged La Toilette to become candi-
date You cannot deny. That he prom
sed to do what he could to help him by
directing attention in the columns of
the Outlook or otherwise to the work
accomplished by Senator La Toilette in
Wisconsin, is admitted by yourself and
Mr.. Pinchot. Can you say that such
promise would be no encouragement to
a man who was being urged to lead
fight? It would speak little for the in
fluence of Colonel Roosevelt if his prom
ise to help could not be regarded as en-
couragement.
"But aside from this contention over
the particular form of the message from
Roosevelt to La Toilette there is much
else concerning the campaign with
which you are familiar that it may not
be amss to call to your attention, and
to the attention of the country. There
can be no disagreement between us as
to the belief upon the part of Colonel
Roosevelt and that group of men who
urged Senator La Toilette to become a
candidate for president that at that
time there was little if any hope of
success. so far as the nomination was
concerned. It was generally agreed that
the most that could be accomplished
would be to make the progressive move
ment national in its scope and to put it
forward.
"But the unexpected happened As
result of energetic work. the progressive
sentiment of the country was aroused
and the movement and the candidacy of
Senator Ia Toilette developed surpris-
ing strength Your own letters written
from different parts of the country to
the press indicated that the campaign
was making most gratifying progress,
The CHICAGO conference made plain that
there was a mighty movement under
way Following this, the campaign in
Ohio threw CONSERVATION into the ranks
of the representatives of big business.
YOU know that it was generally conceded
that la Toilette would carry Ohio
against Taft You are well aware of the
methods pursued in that state TO stop
la Follette,'
"You are familiar with. the frequent
conferences in New York about that time
between Colonel Roosevelt, Dan R
Hanna, director of the steel trust, hi.
faithful lieutenants, Nat G. Wright, edi
tor of Hanna's Cleveland Leader, Wal
ter f. Brown. chairman of the Ohio stat,
central committee as clever and craftl
a machine politician as can be found il
this country.