The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1912-08-07
MY CONFESSION OF FAITH
New Party NFusf Accept It--PIatform
Must Suit Him or Teddy Wonr Rum


10 be It's standardbearer. He said ate
'ocaA as ne started for Chicago that
he would insist upon making his ""on-
1ession OF faith" TO the delegates IA.
fore the committee. which j. 90 d,ot,
the platform, makes its ina! reLort.
and he would not accept the nomina-
il"n on platform which did no;
meet with his approval.
Noi' RooseVelt's speech was orig
lnalIy scheduled for Monday night Jt
was suggested to him that the time of
It's delivery be postponed and he sent
"oro 10 ms managers that he would
not consent to delay until after the
platform had been presented TO the
convention. Advance copies of the
speech reached the leaders of the
! new party several days ago. The
Colonel said nothing. however. to in
dlcate that the suggestion for DELAY
IN the delivery of the speech was due
to the impressions of those who
read it.
Col Roosevelt said that in his
speech he had dealt fully with all the
great political questions Of the dav.
He spoke frankly and fearlesslv. he
said, and believed that the Convention
ought to be fully apprised of his views
before ratifying the tentative nomina-
ton which he accepted at Chicago
last month. He contends that il was
upon question Of principle that he
mas done so he cannot make COM
promise of principle in accepting the
! leadership of the new movement. His
declaration of political faith. he said
Is one which will be termed either
Socialism or anarchy and probably
Doth, but represents his convictions.
he goes to Chicago to make these
views known and to accept the Presi-
dental nomination only if they are
acceptable in their substantial provis-
ions TO the new party.
According to the present arrange
ment Col. Roosevelt will deliver his
speech Tuesday This plan, he said.
was satisfactory to him, as ut that
time the platform committee will NOT
have completed its work.
Col. Roosevelt left Oyster Bay early
IN the afternoon by automobile for
this city, where at o'clock he took
a train which is due in Chicago early
IN the morning. He was accompanied
only by Mrs. Roosevelt and his secrc-
tary.
The appointment by President Taft
Of Mingo Sanders. who was a sergeant
of the negro infantry regiment dis
charged from the army for participa-
ton in the Brownsville riots. as a mes
senger. led Col. Roosevelt to criticise
the President sharply. Sanders took
the stump in the Ohio primary fight
between Col. Roosevelt and President
Taft.
"Sergt MingO Sanders said the Col
onel. was the oldest and most respect
ed non-commissioned officer in the
companies which, on the recommend
alton Of Secretary of War Taft. were
discharged without honor in 1906 ana
Of whom Mr.. Taft, as Secretary of
War in 1905. spoke as follows:
" 1T goes without saying that if the
guilty could be ascertained they
should and would be punished. but
the guilty cannot he ascertained and
the very impossibility of determining
who are the guilty ones makes the
whole battalion useless to the Gov
ernment as an instrument for MAIN
tanning law and order. The only
means Of Kidding the military service
of a band of would-be murderers of
women and children and actual mur-
derers of one man is the discharge of
the entire battalion.
In his report and recommendation
Mr.. Taft explicitly stated that the vet
eran non-c commissioned officers in
charge of the battalion were, of
course. more responsible for what had
occurred than the Others and moth
ing has occurred since to alter the po-
sition of Sanders except his use by Mr..
Taft's campaign manager in Ohio. In
short. he was discharged by Mr.. Taft's
recommendation on his military rec
ord. He is reinstated 10y Mr. Taft on
his political record
IF Mr.. Taft did not tell the truth
about Mingo Sanders and his col
leagues in his report as Secretary of
War from which have quoted above,
then his conduct needs no character
ization 10y me. If he did tell the