The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1912-05-02
COL. ROOSEVELT
CONTRAD|CTS TAFT
Insists Opponent Discussed Har-
veSter Trust in Cabinet.
MEMORY CLEAR ON MATTER
Declares Garfield. Strauss, Bonaparte
and CorteIyou Have Stated Cues
ton Talked Over Several Times
In Full Meeting.

Boston, April 30.-Colonel Roosevelt
during his campaign tc>lr OF ESSEX
county issued a statement replying tt
that made by President Taft in regarc
to the harvester trust case. in whlcl
he fatty contradicted the president
The president had stated that sc
far as my recollection goes ! never
heard the harvester trust matter men
toned in any cabinet meeting that
attended" Colonel Roosevelt said IN
reply, issued in the form OF state
ment:
Il clearly remember Mr.. TAFT being
present at such discussion and taxing
part in It,"
Colonel Roosevelt's Statement.
Here is Colonel Eoosevelts state
ment:
"Of course Mr.. Taft was away, as
every one knew, while | was discuss
ing this matter in personal interviews
with officials of the department oil
commerce and labor, including the bu
reau of corporations and OF the de-
partment of justice, but both before
and after he came back the matter
was repeatedly brought up In the CAB
met and discussed at length. MT
Bonaparte has stated In the letter !
have quoted that Mr.. Taft took the inl
tiative in approving the course | iol'
lowed. My memory is to the same ell
feet.
BE this az 1t may however, MT
Taft had and could not have failed 10
have full information as to the action
taken. Every important matter OF this
kind. involving a question between
two departments Of the administration
was always thrashed out in full cab
met, and this was especially true OF
the question of this particular nature
between the department of justice ana
the secretary of commerce and labor
Insists Taft Talked on Harvester.
"Messrs. Garfield. Strauss, Bona
parte and Cortelyou have stated that
this particular question was discussed
more than once in full cabinet meet
ing. | clearly remember Mr.. Taft be
ing present at one such discussion and
taking part in 1t. Moreover, ! remem
Der that Mr. Taft has now been presi
dent three years and two months, and
II Is nonsense to say that during that
time he has not had the fullest oppor'
tUnity to act upon the harvester case
h., ln.iraI Whnn hn hack
from his trip abroad | went over with
him not only this case. but every 9th
er case of importance such as that OF
the Tennessee Coal & Iron company
which thought might by any POSSIBLE
ity have any bearing on the general
policy of the administration,
II Was His Duty to Protest.
IF he thought that the action took
In the harvester case was In any way
inadequate or reprehensible, ii was
his duty when he was in my cabinet
to protest, and 1t was even more his
duty after he became president to act
at once. The action which after three
years of inaction he actually took last
week must have been taken in collu,
sion with the Lorimer Democratic sen.
ator who introduced the resolution
and could only have been taken with
a view to the effect on the Massachu-
sets primaries.
This case illustrates all the differ
ence between the attitude of Mr.. Taft
and myself toward big business and
indeed towards every species of bust
ness. | handled and always handled
every question Of big business and OF
all other business not from the stand
point of party or factional advantage
and without the least regard to my
own personal fortunes or to the polit
ical fortunes of any one else, but on
its merits and with the sole object of
helping reach satisfactory solution
Of business problems in the interest
Of the entire people Of the United
States.
Mr.. Taft has treated this harvester
trust question In way to show that
he subordinates the interests of the
people as a whole to the purpose OF
securing political advantage for him
self"