The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1912-04-09
La TOILETTE SAYS 7. R.
DREW P|NCH0T away
Senator Declares That ROosevelt's s
Attitude Was Only Excuse
Boilers Had.
EXONERATES GOV. JOHNSON
California Leader Seemed 10 Believe
la FOllctte's Chances Had
Disappeared.

LINCOLN. Neb., April g. Immediately
| following Senator La Follette's departure
from Lincoln this morning for the third
day of his campaign tour In Nebraska a
statement prepared by the Senator wal
given out by his secretary, John Hannah
making public for the first time his YER.
sion of the flop of Clifford Pinchot. Medil
Mccormick. Gov. johnson of California
and others from La Toilette to Roosevelt
The statement Ia in the form Of tele-
gram to Rudolph Spreckels Of California,
who il leading La Follette's fight in that
State. II is intended to meet stories cir
culated there by Roosevelt men to dis
credit the Senator'S candidacy for Presi-
dent. The telegram follows:
LINCOLN. April s.
Rudolph Spreckles. San Francisco.
The attempt Of any Of my former sup
porters to justify their desertion of my
candidacy by making liouscr their scape-
goat is a cowardly perversion Of facts.
They know that no one had authority to
withdraw me AS u candidate. and that on
one ever professed to have such authority
or ever attempted to assert II. And they
know one and all that l personally refused
to withdraw In favor Of Roosevelt or any
one else and stated to them again and aga In
that having once entered upon the contest
I wou Id not back ont
They Furthermore know that refuse TO
permit MIR. Roosevelt's candidacy TO be
coupled with mine or to combine with him
in any way. Pinchot and others who pro-
fessed to be my supporters but who. in fact.
we're supporters of Roosevelt. became very
| insistent Just as soon as my candidacy
| .h.~.. t,s, .er t,,n
Michigan. Illinois and elsewhere. that
Roosevelts name should be Joined with
mine in resolutions of indorsment~ and
that combination should be made OH deler
gates by placing Roosevelt's men on my
tickets.
I This was while he was still protesting z
that he was not candidate.
| refused to consent TO this and direct ed
that my headquarters in Washington.
Ohio. Michigan and Illinois should be run
strictly as La Follette's hcadquarters. say
ing to Pinchot and his friends that would
not play double game or be a stool pigeon
for Roosevelt or any other man. Pinchot
thereafter called conferences of my sup
porters at headquarters in Washington
and sought to force mo into such COM
bination Failing in this he called final
conference at which time no and his asso-
ciates put up to me the following alterna.
tives:
THAT La Toilette should wiShdra Y
in favor Of Roosevelt with reservations
AZ to differences of opinions and continue
| to atump.
THAT La Toilette should withdra "
but not in favor of any body. and continue
to stump leaving the individuals Of the
group to take what course they choose.
i answered that I had never played that
kind OF politics and never would. that
, had become "a candidate at the earnes,
solicitation of progressive Republicans be-
cause ] stood for certain we'll defined
progressive principles. that I did no
recognize Roosevelt rs sts1dtna for thes.
principles. that refused absolutely to be 4
stalking horse for the candidacy of am
other man. that never turned back or sur
rendered after entering upon a confess
that If | had such record as a progressive
as they were then urging me to make.
would never have been selected AZ the can
didate to lead in the present contest, ant
| that if was to make such record now
would never be able to hold mp my heac
and look an honest man in the face.
| Pinchot knows that January cath ended
his connection with my candidacy and that
it was 50 understood when he left the head
| quarters after the conference on that da,
that when ivc days later had to yield for
| i'N udN - ItSl anu IctupeTatlOu nc btIZeO
upon that as his opport unity tn make public
the support which he had long been giving tc
koosevelt's candidacy.
These gentlemen know that Just before
| Pinchot left the headquarters after he haC
finally made his intention plain said to hin
that ! had no power to prevent his quitting
but that he had obligated himself to sup.
port me. that had told him at the outse,
that If became a candidate should remain
u candidate to the end and that would no,
release him from that Obligation. and that II
he left me ne would have to reconcile his
course with his conscience IA best he could
This was on the 10Th day of January
and with Pinchot went his brother, Amos
also Medil Mccormick and ellison Gardi.
ner. These gentlemen quit then and there
J As for Gov. Johnson he did not quit me unit h
Sunday. the nth OF February. He wa,
manly about It. He came and told me tina,
he would not attempt to sneak out under
the preteDce that anything that hac
been given out at my headquarter.
warranted such course. fol
not hing issued from headquar rters in hi.
opinion was subject TO any such construc
tion. He would quit me TO 60 to Roose
welt because he thought my campaign hac
| fattened out that could not win and tina,
| Roosevelt could.
| | suggested as the California prima rie,
would not he held until May II. that hi.
situation was not urgent and that he wal,
the result OF the North Dakota primaries
and see whether my candidacy was as fia,
as he thought IL to be, hut he declined tt
wait ROBERT NJ. LAsFoLIEr1E.
Amos Pinchot. his brother Clifford, Con
gressnan Kent Of California and MedilI
Mccormick joined yesterday afternoon
in reply to senator LA Follette's tele-
gram to Rudolph Spreckels In which the
Senator virtually accused the Roosevelt,
managers of bad faith. After dstaiiine
the various conferences at which 1t was de
cided that the progressive Republicans
should unite TO prevent the denomination
Of President Taft the statsn,ent. which
was handed out by Amos Pinchot. says il
part:
remember distinctly la Follette :,
answer when We told him that II was IN
to him to lead the fight, lie said he was
out Of health and overworked. and thai
he had great opportunity for ussfu