New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-06-25
SAYS He COULD
HAVE WON NOMINATION
Returning to Oyster Bay. He
Tells of a Plan to Overturn
the Taft Majority.
OFFER CAME FROM SOUTH
Former President Declares He
Refused to Listen to 1t Until
the Convention Had
Been "Purged.

Cleveland. June 24.-On his way back
TO Oyster Bay from Chicago tonight
Colonel Roosevelt asserted that the Re
/ publican nomination for President was
| his for the asking on the day that Presi-
dent Taft was renominated. He de-
clined to accept ii. he said on the terms
under which the offer was made.
Saying that he now purposes to build
new party from the ground up, the
former President gave glimpse into
the secret history of the last day of the
convention. when 1t was apparent that
the tide of battle had turned resistless-
l. against him. II was plan 10 seize
control of the convention at the last mo-
ment by a sudden move, overturn tho
Taft majority and make Roosevelt the
nominee. This is the story as he told it;
The Colonel's Story.
Early Saturday morning a group OF
delegates from Southern states arrangei
a private interview with Colonel Roose-
welt They told him they had come to
offer him the nomination. They had
with them a list Of the known Roosc-
welt delegates and stated that they were
authorized TO speak for a block of Taft
delegates who were willing 10 swing over
to Roosevelt TO avert rupture i'm the
party. The number of these delegates,
they assured Colonel Roosevelt, was
large enough to nominate him or any
other candidate he might name.
one provision was made. Colonel
Roosevelt continued. 1t was that he
must accept the nomination from the
! convention as then composed, and not
insist upon the removal of the seventy
eight delegates who he contended were
/ fraudulent before he would recognize
| any act of the convention. The dele
! gate told MIN, he said, that their band
would stand together on the rollcal for
the Presidential nominee but that It
would be hopeless for them to attempt
10 combine with the Roosevelt minority
70 unseat the seventy eight delegates.
Colonel Roosevelt said he informed
these emissares that If he should be
nominated under these conditions he
!
| told them to go to the delegates whom
they represented and bring back 10 him
q nledge signed by thirty delegates
agreeing 10 combine with the Roosevelt
| delegates and make the attempt TO start
all over again to organize the convention
and ~ unseat the seventy-eight con-
| tested delegates. The attempt failed.
Colonel Roosevelt said that consider
able number Of signatures TO the pledge
were obtained, but that it had proved
imrossible TO hold sufficiently large
mart of the delegates in line Tor the
! course Of action upon which he insisted
TO give it the chance of success
Plans Entirely New Party.
An entirely new party is the Koose'ei'
programme. After series or discus
sions with his lieutenants to-day Detofc
leaving Chicago, In which there were
several sharp clashes. Colonel Roosevelt
decided TO cut entirely away from the
rarty with which his whole public ca
reer has been identified. His decision
was a disappointment to those VINO IA
yored the organization of what might Ic
considered an independent Republican
rarty, with which various state Crgani-
cations might cooperate. and still main
tain. IL was hoped, a nominal regular
fly.
There must be no compromise no
straddle," Colonel Roosevelt said AS
an indication Of his determination he
said that when he returned to oyster
Bay he would communicate with num-
her Of Democrats who, he thought, might
wish TO join the new party.
When he had left Chicago, with the
first plans completed and his leaders
scattering TO all parts Of the country
Colonel Roosevelt expressed himself as
pleased with the outcome Of convention
week. although 1t was unexpected to
him. He said that the way in which his
action had been received was encour-
aging. and that he had a mass Of letters
and kilograms from all parts Of the
country, from both Democrats and Re-
publicans Offering support.
Will His Followers Stick?
The chief point Of interest 10 Colonel
Roosevelts supporters to-day was
| whether they would be able 10 carry
with them the strength of the following