Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-05-19
Mr.. McKINLEYS VERSION
Says Ex-President Had Nothing to
Do With Legislation in Matter.
BROWNSVILLE SHOOTING CASE
Taft Declared Not Responsible for
Order Discharging Members Of
Negro Battalion.

a speech at Nelsonville, Ohio. that he
was to be credited with the act of Con-
gress creating the bureau of mines, Di-
rector Mckinley Of the Taft bureau last
night gave out a statement as follows:
What did Mr.. Roosevelt have to do
with this legislation for which President
Taft was entitled to claim and did claim
full credit as an achievement of his own
administration? Mr. Roosevelt retired
from the presidency March 1, 1909. There
upon he went to Africa years hunt
ing trip. On May 10, 1910, the day on
which the House of Representatives
agreed to the conference report. Mr..
Roosevelt made an official call on Kaiser
Wilhelm of Germany in Berlin. On May
l., 1910. the day the bill was signed by
the President pro tempore of the Sem
ate he addressed the University of Ber-
lin in Berlin. Germany.
From Germany Mr.. Roosevelt travelled
through Holland to England, and June 4,
three weeks after President Taft signed
the bill. about which Mr.. Roosevelt
doubtless knew absolutely nothing. Mr..
Roosevelt addressed the University of Ok
ford in England. Furthermore, he did
not reach the United States on his re-
turn home until June IS. 1910. This Is
the third deliberate misstatement Of a
made In this campaign.
Says Taft Was Absent.
Also the following was given out by
the Taft bureau:
I'm Massachusetts he charged that
President Taft had made the motion
in cabinet meeting to suspend the pro-
posed suit against the harvester trust
1t was definitely established from public
and private records that this decision was
reached by President Roosevelt himself
in the first week of November, 1907, at
which time President Taft was, and had
been, absent on a trip to Japan and
the Philippines almost a full month.
When cornered on this proposition Mr..
Roosevelt crawled and said that he had
consulted Mr.. Taft about it both before
and after he had made that trip.
In Ohio Mr.. Roosevelt attempted to
place upon President Tafts shoulders re-
sponsibility for the Brownsville outrage
when President Roosevelt arbitrarily.
without trial and without honor. dis
charged the negro battalion of the 10Th
United States Infantry for alleged par
ticipation in the shooting up of that town.
On August Z. 1905. Gen. Henry c. Corbin
made a public statement in which he said
that Mr.. Taft had left Washington Octo-
Der q, 1906 for tour of army posts
in the west. and did not return to Wash
ington until November IL. 1905; that the
Brownsville order was issued by Theo-
dore Roosevelt. who was then on trip
to Panama, November 9, 19O6, twelve
days after Mr.. Taft left Washington. and
eight days before his return; that Mr..
Taft suspended the order upon reaching
Washington in order that President
Roosevelt might reconsider his decision
and that President Roosevelt. reiterated
his decision in a cablegram to Mr..
Taft which was sent from Ponce,
Porto Rico. four days after Mr..
Tafts return to Washington. On
August Z, 1908, Mr. Roosevelt himself
statement of his own. issued from Oyster
Bay
Rule or Ruin Speech.
Rule or ruin was the substance of
| Theodore Roosevelt's speech to the re-
publicans of Columbus, Ohio, last night.
There was no qualification or equivoca-
| ton in Mr. Roosevelt's statement. He
merely served notice on the republican
party that If he is not nominated at Chi
| cago he will bolt the party. 1t is the
| first time in this campaign that Mr..
| Roosevelt has permitted his egotism to
get the better of his judgment. The
| only chance he ever had to get the re-
publican nomination was in posing as
| thoroughgoing republican. Now, avow-
| ing an intention to bolt If he is not nomi-
mated. he has no chance at all.
Mr.. Roosevelt's threat is evidence
| of the fact that he is a defeated candi-
date. Even Champ Ciark's 'houn' dog
never howls unless he is being kicked
aroun'' Mr.. Roosevelt admits by his
own actions that President Taft will be
renominated al Chicago and he merely
says in reply thereto: 1 will bolt
Mr.. Roosevelt is not running as a re-
publican at all. He is running as
Theodore Roosevelt for the Office OF die
tator Of the republic. He is now trying
to dictate to the republican party what
1t shall co at Chicago. l hate to spoil
Mr.. Roosevelts dream of unlimited
power and to curb his consummate gall.
but if he expects the republican party
to nominate him for President, granting
for the sake of argument that he had
out the wrong Iarty.