The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1912-07-19
TAFT AND
GOVERNOR WILSON
Abuses Men in Comfortable
Circumstances Who Refuse
to Leave the Two Great
Parties and Follow Him.

vention at Chicago are discussed
BY Theodore Roosevelt in edi-
torial articles in the current issue Of
the Outlook. ''The Steamroller' and
"Men Who Live Softly are the head
ings of the colonel IS articles. In the
first, the writer answers charges that
steamroller' methods were used 10
nominate him in 1904. and again to &C.
cure the nomination for Mr.. Taft IN
1908.
"There was no contest over my NOM
ination in 1904 when this convention
assembled he says. every delegate
was for me; and this was true of both
sides in every contest In 1908, when
Mr.. Taft was fairly nominated, there
was no fsteamroller' methods, as far
as know, and if anything dishonest
or improper was done in the effort to
nominate him it was without my knowl-
edge and if it had been brought to my
attention and ] had any power in the
matter 1 would have interfered with
it."
In the second article the colonel al
ludes TO the respectable men VINO
with discomfort stood behind their
leaders in securing the triumph of
fraud and political theft at Chicago, -
and scores the "other respectable men
who felt no discomfort in thus support
ing rascality; who, on the contrary,
glorifed in their actions.'
Says Charge Untrue.
"Some of the men responsible for
the steamroller work In this conven-
tion," said Colonel Roosevelt in his
first editorial, chad sought to excuse
themselves by saying that they were
only doing what had always been done,
and specifically what was done for me
at the time Of my nomination and what
was done for Mr.. Taft himself four
wears ago. AS regards myself, the
statement has not even the slightest
foundation in fact. In 1900 was nom
mated for vice president against the
wish of the most powerful politicians
who then had control of the Republican
party and purely because of popular
demand too insistent to be denied, In
1904 the national committee contained
majority of the men who were hostile
to me, and, as in 1900. the leading pol
iticiaus Of the party would have liked
70 upset me. I never used the patron
age. not to the extent of single ap-
pointment TO secure my nomination;
never appealed to single politician; l
made my appeal direct to the people
over the heads Of the politicians, and
stood squarely on my record; and I re-
ceived the nomination solely because
the people believed in me and approved
of my record, and were 80 overwhelm-
ingly for me that the machine politi-
clans abandoned all thought of a con-
test against me before the convention
met -
Goes Into Details.
Colonel Roosevelt goes into details
AS how, he says, steam roller methods
were used to create q majority for Mr.,
Taft at the recent convention. He re-
views the history of the primary cam
paign in the various states, and con.
trasts his action In waving technical
ties in the Massachusetts, primary as
against the action taken by the Taft
managers on the delegates at large in
the Ohio primaries.
''But Senator Burton and his fellow
politicians by adroit manipulation
equally discreditable to them and to
Mr.. Taft himself" the article goes on,
persuaded nine-tenths of the dele.
gates from Cleveland to violate the ex.
pressed and overwhelming will of the
people and 10 vote for Mr.. Taft. 1t
seems incredible that after this action
Mr.. Taft should still have made no
sign as to the Massachusetts, delegates
at large But such is tho fact. He
WIS not ashamed to accept without pro.
| test the delegates at large elected for
me by nine thousand preference ma.
! Jorlty, and yet at the same time 10
| insist that his representatives, by trick.
cry and sharp practice, secure for him
the six delegates at large from Ohio,
WHICH in the primaries had gone $4,000
! against him.
Contrasts Conventions.
Contrasting the two conventions
Colonel Roosevelt writes:
"There was one essential and in.
structive difference between the atti.
tude OF the big Republican political
bosses at Chicago and the big Demo.
cratic political bosses at Baltimore. The
former greatly preferred certain party
defeat to my nomination; the latter
were willing 10 accept any nomination
rather than face certain party defeat.
In my case the appeal was made
straight TO the people against the
bosses, and the fight was won on that