The Washington herald., 1912-03-16
YOU CAN 7 WIN" !"
SAID ROOSEVELT
To Ia Toilette
Predicted Money and Federal
Patronage Would Re.
nominate Taft.
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
Roosevelt's Bureau Issues Denial
that Colonel Urged Senator to
Make the Race.
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES

The statement, that Roosevelt urged
La Toilette to become candidate is not
true" is the emphatic assertion in a
letter from ellison Gardner. a Washing
ton newspaper correspondent, to Walter
/. Houser, Senator La Follette's cam
paign manager. made public yesterday
"On the other hand" continues Mr..
Gardner, Col. Roosevelt sent word
through me that he believed Senator La
Toilette could not win. He believed
Taft's denomination would be forced by
money and Federal patronage, and, there
fore. Col. Roosevelt said that be did not
feel like urging La Toilette to go into
losing fight. This was the message
delivered"
Roosevelt Made No Promises.
According TO Mr.. Gardner. Col Roose-
Welt emphatically said that he would not
take sides as between candidates or give
any candidate a specific Endorsement. but
he would through his writings call atten-
tion to Senator La Follette's work in
Wisconsin. Beyond this, says Mr.
Gardner, he said he would not 60 Mr..
Gardner also asserts that Col. Roosevelt
did not promise not to be a candidate
nor did he bind himself as to his future
action. Mr.. Gardner says that he made
this clear to Senator La Toilette. even
going so far as to read to him an extract
from Roosevelts letter. written in No
Vember, 1910, in which he said he might
have to become a candidate, although he
did not desire to do so.
La FOIIctte's Losing Fight.
Finally" says Mr.. Gardner. 81 told
Senator La Toilette that Col. Roosevelt
agreed that if Senator La Toilette pro-
IN
nomination with the quite certain pros
pect that he would make a losing fight.
the sooner the campaign was begun the
better. That was the sum and substance
of the message which i brought from
Oyster Bay.
Senator La Toilette did not in fact
announce himself as a candidate until
three months after my visit to OYSTER
Bay. 1t is quite obvious. therefore that
the message he received at that time
did not produce any immediate effect,
and that 1t was not the determining fac
tor in the Senator's decision to enter the
race"
auestionS Mr.. Houser's Utterances.
The occasion of Mr.. Gardner's letter
was the quotation of remarks attributed
10 Mr. Houser that Roosevelt has be-
trayed La Follettr," and that Roosevelt
and other progTessves urged La Toilette
10 enter the campaign as the progressive
candidate" Mr.. Gardner expresses the
hope that Mr.. Houser was not correctly
quoted, because. as he adds. you know
these are not the facts" He concludes
his letter with the following reference
10 Senator Ia Toilette:
1T was understood by all Senator La
Follette's friends that he became a can
didate without serious hope of being
nominated, and for the purpose of con-
solidating the progressive movement. and
making difficult, or impossible. the re-
nomination of d reactionary President.
This purpose he carried out. Senator La
Follette's leadership was successful to
a certain point. but. as anticipated, he
was called upon to make a sacrifice. He
has paid the penalty in shattered nerves
and the time has come for a strong man
TO take his place. In normal health. SEN
ator La Toilette would not. l am con-
WINGED, countenance a charge that Col.
Roosevelt had ever treated him in any
way not fair. In his present inability
TO direct and know what is going on. IT
is poor loyalty for mis- friends to do what
he would certainly disapprove."
Confirmed by Mr.. PInchot.
Clifford Pincho. who is personally aware
OF what took place between Col. Roose-
Welt and Senator La Toilette, said last
night:
Mr.. Gardner's letter makes it certain
that there was no unfairness to Senator |
La Toilette from Col. Roosevelt and |
shows exactly what took place"