Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1912-04-27

OF his cabinet had approved the de-
cision To delay the Harvester Co. suit.
when MIR. Taft he went ON, @obvi-
ously TO influence the Massachusetts
primary, and obviously in collision
with one of Mr.. Lorimer's senatorial
supporters of the opposite political
party takes the action he did he has
not merely in thought, word and deed
been disloyal to our past friendship.
but has been disloyaL To every canon
of ordinary decency and fair dealing
such as should obtain even in dealing
with mans bitterest opponents.
Such conduct represents the very
erookedest kind of crooked deal and
when Mr.. Taft, within "a hours of TAX
ing 1t complains that he has not been
-"nare deal by me he exposes
himself TO derision and contempt
=, No. an exceptional Instance
of how he has behaved to me. The
same course was followed, last sum
mer, in connection with the Tennessee
Coal and Iron Co The assaults upon
me by MIR. Taft's campaign manager,
made in Washington under Mr.. Taft s
very eyes, have been foul To the verge
of indecency hut remember. | am not
complaining of these things; l care
nothing for MI Taft's personal atti-
tude toward me; ! allude to It only
in passing and merely because Mr.
Taft lays such emphasis on the mat
ter
Tho speaker then turned To the sub
jet of reciprocity.
"Nr. Taft SAYS that changed
front on the reciprocity measure.
This is untrue He publishes let
ter o. mine in answer TO a letter of
his marked CONFIDENTIAL incidental
~ one of the objectionable sins on
the part of auy man calling himself
a gentleman is to publish confidential
correspondence without permission; as
to this | care nothing, but | warn Mr..
Taft that ia discussing negotiations
with foreign power it is well not TO
publish such expressions as that in
his letter about making Canada only
ar adjunct OF the United States. In
this letter told him that | would
support his reciprocity proposition.
did Loyalty support it in several diff
ferent speeches. Al first | took the
agree ment on the faith of Mr. Taft's
representa- ton. Later when ! came to
look up the matter, however. | be-
came convinced that the reciprocity
agreement as proposed by Mr.. Taft
was unwise and undesirable because
it improperly sacrificed the interests
of our farmers and fishermen, and
because il carried indefensible action
on paper. Neverth eless because / had
stated that / would support the treaty
| said not one word against it until
it was dead. Even then | declined to
speak on the subject, until in several
states Mr.. Tafts managers themselves
with what / can only characterize as
objectionable baseness. began to cir
culate the fact of my support of Mr.
Tafts proposal as a reason why l
should not he nominated.
Mr. Taft says" Col. Roosevelt con
tinued that the influence of federal
otiicehalders in the Chicago convention
this year. will be less effective for any
one candidate than ever before in the
history eff the~party. This is not only
an untruth, but. it is an absurd un-
truth. Never in 80 years close observa-
ton have I seen such scandalous abuse
of the patronage as of this year.
Mr.. Taft states that / advised him
to have a meeting with Cannon. / ad-
vised him to meet every one to con-
suit with~everyone, TO try To ge on with
everyone, but where the politicians
split off from the people then to stand
with the people and not with the mol
iticians: and it is precisely this that
he failed TO do.