New-York tribune., 1912-03-06
Gives Out Letter to Munsey,
Written On January Is, in
Which He Refused to
"Tie His Hands,"
WOULD RESPOND TO CALL
jury Duty Colonel's Next Task
W. A. White Says Two -ffths
Of Delegates Are Already
Hog Tied" for Ex-
President.
by Telegraph to The Tribune. J

Oyster Bay. Long Island. March 81
Colonel Roosevelt returned from New
York tonight with the air Of a man
well satisfied with his days work. While
in the city he added to the campaign
Literature OF the day by giving out
letter which he wrote last January to
Frank A. Munsey the publisher, IN
which he said that while he would not
be candidate for the nomination in
1917 he would not make statement
which would make II difficult for him 10
accept the nomination.
BY the publication Of this letter he
hoped 1t would go long way toward
settling the question whether he had
broken his wo-d by saying last week
that he would accept the nomination z
IL were'offered to him.
The point TO which the colonel called
attention was that while he had SAID he
would not be a candidate for the ROM
ination he was saying at the time that
he would not withdraw himself definite
ly from the field. He takes the ground
that it involved no change of POSITION
therefore for him to announce his readi-
ness TO accept the nomination.
The former President was asked
whether he as going to the Chicago
convention to fight it out.
why no." he responded Il haven't
even thought Of it; OF course not" He
said, too, that he had no intention Of at
tending the New York State Convention
at Rochester
Mr.. RooseveIt's Letter.
His letter to Mr.. Munsey follows:
NJ. H.. January l6 1912
nave received your long and cord a.
letter. together with the editorial Permit
me- IN the first place. 10 thank you very
Warmly tha, for for the editorial il seems TO me
case exactly; so exactly, my dear Mr.
Muhsey, that, to my mind, IT in itself fur
nlsnes the answer to the request you maks
that should openly announce that II
nominated | would not refuse the nomina-
ton. Your great kindness and the disin-
terested friendliness OF youi action entitle
you to receive from me in full statement
of the reasons why / do not feel that at
the present time, IL would be wise or
proper for me 10 make any such statement.
| Nhat the needs or the future may demand
] cannot tell
You say that my keeping silence leads
! :" HlsCoIsruCtloh ana gives opportunity
! for my enemies 10 make every kind OF
| false statement about me and 10 create
In the minds OF the people false inn
preston OF ne; some good people being
Is useless to try TO nominate me because
would certainly refuse and others being
handedly intriguing for what dare not
openly ask. SO that the impre ssion on the
public is detrimental to. me.
My dear sir | entirely agree with You
silence dpIthpr-
ately misrepresented by my enemies with
the purpose of confusing good people and
| getting them TO take a wrong view. and.
moreover ] entirely agree with you that
this purpose is at least partly achieved.
| The trouble Is that as so often happens,
! this Is case where any course pursued
would lead to just such misrepresentation.
just such misjudgment. just such puZZling
Of the minds OF good people. Personally
think that any other course than the ore
am adopting would a present lead 10
even more misrepresentation and msudg-
ment than actually exist As have again
and again said. ! am delighted To state my
position fully and frankly. not only 10 any
sincere and honest supporter. but ~ any
sincere and honest opponent
What ! have said to YOU and am ahort
to say to you ! have. for instance. said
not only to other friends who think ought
to he nominated. but To friends (and evqn
foes) who think ] ought not TO be ncn
n ated. provided only ] could trust their
sincerity, Intelligence and trufhfulncss.
For instance. have said the same ttings
to Secretary Stimson. Secretary Never and
Congressman Longworth. who are support
ing Taft: 10 Mr.. Pinchot and coneressmen
Ienroot and Kent. who are supp rting bL =
Toilette. I have said them to editors Iks
Mr. Nelson Mr. Van Vakenburg and Mr.
Wright: I practically said them 10 the en-
tire Adine Club-Democrats, Republicans,
every one.
"Shal Not 30 Candidate -
am not and shall not he a candidate. I.
shall not seek the nomination. nor would !
accept 1t IL It came to me as the result OF
an intrigue But | will not lie my HANDS
By a statement which would make II dim
cult or impossible for me to serve the pub
lie by undertaking a great task II the peo-
pie as a whole seemed definitely 10 come TO
the conclusion that / ought TO do that
task In other words far in me lies,
| am endeavoring TO look at this matter
purely from the standpoint Of the public
interest. of the interest OF the people as
whole, and not in the least from my own
standpoint.
and interest should most emphatcaly
and Immediately announce that | would
under no circumstances run. nave had
all the honor that any y,s man can have nave Iron IRON
personal standpoint there is nothing for me
TO gain either in running for the office or
in holding the Office once more. and there
Is very much to lose.
Under such circumstances. IL | consulted
only my own interest. the obvious thing 10
do would he TO announce that would NOT
obey any popular mandate, that ] would
not run II nominated. | shall not follow
this course, because | am sincerely endeav-
oring to look at the matter only from the
standpoint OF the popular interest IL is
not only necessary for the people TO have
the right instrument, the right tool with
which TO work in any given emergency,
but II is necessary that they themselves
shall choose and shall believe I'm the suf-
hciency of that instrument. II at this par
ticular crisis. with the particular problems
"A head OF us at this particular time the
people feel that am the one man In signt
TO do the Job, then | should regard myseiI
as shirking plain duty IL | refused 10
What | am interested in. remember; IS
not in the least holding the once, nut
this is the position that TO the best OF my
belief I have always taken and always
shall take. II the people should teei 'nal
was the instrument 20 be used az tnls ,itle.
/ should accept even although knew tnat
should be broken and cast aside In the
using; for often IL Is true that at gwen
moment there is one tool, one instrumens.
particularly available ana then .hn,gh 5nao 40 use
n necessarily means to break H.
The right motto for any man is spsnn
and Be Spent" and H. In order 10 90 ,So
worth doing from the public standpoint. ne
must nav With hts own life. actual life on
the field of battle or poiiticai nie IN cis.o
affairs he must not grudge the paymsn,
In short, I am moi concerned WIN tne
welfare OF any one man In this mater, not
with Mr.. Tafts welfare. nor Mr.. La Fol-
lette's and least OF all, with my own.
am concerned only with the welfare OF ths
people OF the United states.
r ought 10 be willing TO state openly what
feel instead of answering. as have
hitherto answered to those who have asked
me whether / would accept II nominated:
that. in the words OF Abraham Lincoln.
wa = not required to cross that bridge until
7 came 10 II The reason Is that IN making