The Washington times., 1912-05-06
COLONEL SAYS
TAFT IS GUILTY
OF AN UNTRUTH
Roosevelt Maintains There
Was No Foundation for
Statements at Baltimore.

ofSTJCR BAY, N Y, May Elm a
statement issued here by Theodore
Roosevelt in reply to President Tafts
speech In Baltimore Saturday night the
colonel asserts that Mr.. Taft knew he
was making an untrue statement when
ne said the former President expressed
the opinion that the antitrust law ought
to: be repealed.
The former President also rebukes Mr..
Taft for being the beneficiary Of crook
ed politics. He declares that Mr.. Taft
stands guilty of .connvance at frauds.
colonel Roosevelt had read President
Iatts Baltimore speech carefully and
ne prepared his reply with equal care,
writing 1t out with a pencil instead Of
debating 1t to his secretary. He would
make no further statement.
Inc colonel said he expected to remain
IN oyster Bay for week before start
ing on his Ohio campaign.
.... Questions Honesty.
With Mr.. Taft's personal opinion
about me, have no concern beyond
pointing out the sufficiently obvious fact
that he never discovered that l was
dangerous to the people until had been
Obliged to come to the conclusion that
ne was useless to the people. But his
speclnc statements as to the trusts, the
crookedness in selecting delegates, and
answer, although I have already an
swered them specifically in Massachu-
sets, and although Mr.. Tafts repeti-
ton OF them now is incompatible
with sincerity Of purpose or conviction
Mr.. Taft knew all the facts about
the the Harvester trust decision and he
was present at a Cabinet meeting where
tney were all discussed and at that
Sapinet, meeting and also in private
conversation with me he repeatedly and
emphatically approved the course actu-
ally taken Just as he repeatedly and EN-
phadcally approved the course taken as
TTegards the Tennessee Coal and Iron
coy S0mPany; Ne was absent from the
country when Mr.. Smith was reporting
70 me and consulting with Mr. Bona
parte, but after his return in January
tne matter came up again, and it ap-
derstood that my Judgment was that the
course advocated by Mr.. Smith was the
proper one to follow.
Took Opposite Ground.
Accordingly the matter was gone
over at length in the Cabinet meet
ing. Mr.. Bonaparte was the only
member who was inclined to believe
that the suits should be continued
without regard to Mr.. Smiths inves-
tigation. Mr.. Taft emphatically took
the opposite ground; and it is utter
ly impossible that he should now
nave forg2tten that he did thus as a
posite ground.
OF course, as member of my Cab |
met, who at that time I was sup
and could not avoid Knowing every,
thing of any Importance that went |
en-. 1t Is impossible to- reconcile his
PPresent Pnnnra h position do With any standard OF
cept the view that he then approved
what he believed to be wrong or |
Wt,hether we accept the only alterna-
bering. '''p ''''e'"
Moreover. he has been President
in bis ehiee n years; every document was
tnree years, and II he is right now,
his three years delay is inexcusable
Saw Representatives.
II saw Mr.. Perkins in this matter pre-
clsely as l saw Mr.. Morgan at the time
or beginning the Northern Securities
SUIT and as saw representatives OF the
standard OIL Trust again and again at
tne time OF the beginning the Standard
oil suit Just as in the case OF every
large suit, 1 saw any party Interested
who asked to appear before me. I be-
leved then and believe now that the
course urged by Mr. Smith was the
only one to take.
Mr.. Smith is one of the most efficient
and high-minded officials in the public
service ser and while 1t was not necessary
LOT me TO- and while as a matter of fact |
l DID not make UP my mind as to
whether he was correct in his belief as
20 what the investigation would show, II
was my clear duty to follow his recon-
mendation. and have him make the in
vestlgaion before any suit was under
saRen. Mr.: Taft not once merely, but
agaln ana again, expressed his complete
acquiescence in this view.
"Mr. Taft says I have changed nv
mind about the antitrust law He well
KNOWS that the position take now is
again In speeches and messages to Con-
gress while ! was President. He was
then IN my Cabinet, and repeatedly ex-
said. ''u'
Calls 1t Untrue
"Mr. Taft says have said that the
antitrust law ought to be repelled. Mr..
TART we'll knows that this is not true.
Il have always explicitly stated that
II ought to be kept on the books and
reaily enforced (not merely nominaly
enforced. as had been done by Mr.. Taft
IN the Standard OIL and Tobacco trust
cases) against all trusts guilty of anti 4
social practices, but have always said,
and now say, that by itself the anti.
trust law will never solve the problem
VI ueSllls WIN tne great corporations,
ana that to control the great Industrial
interstate corporations we should have
a law akin to the present Interstate
commerce law-but without the mis-
chievous Interstate Commerce Court.
"Mr. Taft says that criticise him be-
cause he prosecuted the Standard OIL
and Tobacco companies to the Supreme
Court and got decisions there. On the
contrary, Mr.. Taft knows we'll that I
9ftucised him, not for having thus con-
tinued the prosecution of the suits that
l had begun, but because after he had
gotten those decisions he then permitted
The Department OF Justice so to shape
matters that the result was a complete
nullifcation OF all the good results Of
Questions Sincerity.
His conduct in this respect is quite
with q sincnrn rnrronO