The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1912-01-30
PEOPLE MUST
DECIDE QUESTION
Whether or Not Roosevelt is to be
Candidate for President is
Not for Colonel
to Say.
LETTER FROM ABBOTT
Head Of Outlook Magazine Believes
He Would Run II tho NomIna-
.lon Was Handed to
Him.

UNITED Press Leased Wire service.l
TRENTON, N. ]. Jan. 30.-@It Is for
his party and his country, and not for
Colonel Roosevelt, to decide the ques-
ton Of whether he is again to be
candidate for the presidency. If they
decide to nominate him, am sure no
will accept He will no more decline
their call than he would decline to
enlist II needed in the time of war
The above quotation is part OF a
formal written statement over the
signature OF Lawrence F, Abbott.
president of the Outlook Co., of
which Col. Roosevelt Is contributing
editor, sent today to former Governor
e. G. Stokes. who gave the text to
the United Press.
This is the most authoritative an
nouncement Of Col. Roosevelt's atti-
tude The letter is as follows:
The Outlook, 2s7 Fourth Avenue,
New York, Jan. 20, 1912. My dear Gov
ernor: In answer to your letter in
which you ask me as one Of Mr..
Roosevelt's associates whether he
will accept the nomination for the
presidency, | can state my views OF
the situation in few words I have
no authority to speak for him and
what I say is my own individual
opinion. But / have had some ex-
ceptional opportunities during the
last two years not only to learn his
Tpoliticar principles, but to see at
, times the intimate working of his
mind, and | believe | clearly under
stand his attitude with regard to the
discussion Of his name as presiden-
tial possibility.
IF Mr.. Roosevelt is ever elected
president again. it will not be be-
cause he seeks or wants the office:
1t will be because the country wants
him in the Office to perform certain
Job. He had all the political and of
fetal honor that any man can possi-
bly, want. He accepted nomination
for the vice-presidency in 1900 when
such nomination was thought to
be equivalent to political oblivion, al
though he wanted to run again for
governor of the state of New York.
in order to complete some important
), work in that office. out his friends
: told him that it was his duty to sac
rifice himself in order to strengthen
Mr.. McKinley's nomination, and the
campaign for sound money and ma
tional financial honor. He accepted
the nomination on that ground, al
! though at the time both his friends
= and his enemies said that it would
mean the end OF his political career
1T did not end his career, however
). for in 1904 he was nominated prac
: tically without oppos,rlon and elected
: by an overwhelming majority.
y I'm 1908 he not only declined, but
: put stop to his denomination at 6
!, time when such a nomination wal
. equivalent to an election.
! What possible incentive can there
:. be to man with his record of botl
European and American achievement
and honors to enter ,~s arduous, dis
agreeable and often disastrous con
tests into which the candidate wh'
y struggles for the presidency is newt
aply piuHSSu-
l. 81 am convinced that he does no
y desire the nomination and will ente
e no contest to obtain 1t. But | ar
le equally convinced that if his country
~. men have still further need of hi
80 services as their chief executive, h
y, will no more decline their call tha
~ he would decline to enlist if needle
y in time of war.
ie 1T is, however, for his party an
his country, and not ,or him to decid
90 the question. If they decide to nom
Ae nate him, | am sure he will accept
gu if they elect him, am sure he wi
" servA.
IN a base my opinion on his ow
words On the 18th Of June, 191
"a when he arrived in New York c
On his return from Africa, he replied
10 Mayor Gaynor's address of WELDON
OF as follows;
a. am ready and eager to do n
ng part so far as l am 1oie, in helpir
ie- solve problems which must be solve
in if we of this. the greatest democrat
lis republic upon which the sun has ev
shone, are to see its destinies ri
of to the high level of our hopes and i
ct opportunities. This is the duty
C.. every citizen but it is peculiarly n
lit duty: for any man who has ev
les been honored by being made pre-