The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1912-03-01
BREAK BOUND TO COME,
COULD NOT Be AVOIDED
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and elected him, and this feeling has
undoubtedly operated as a bar to
the continuance of close relations
Roosevelt's friends themselves ac-
knowledge, however, that one of the
"offenses" which the colonel harbors
against Taft was the character of a
letter which President Taft wrote
to Colonel Roosevelt just before he
sailed for Africa. The president sent
Major Archibald w. Butt, his military
aid, to New York to deliver this let
ter to the colonel as he was embark.
ing. In this letter President Taft
wished the colonel a pleasant journey
and thanked him again for what he
had done for him. The presidents
letter is said to have closed with
the expression: 81 owe more to
Charles p Taft and you than to any
other two men on EARTH" or substan'
TALLY those words. Roosevelt's friends
have made no secret of his anger
over that letter. They say he bran
dished it and cried:
Good Lord! SO he puts money
above brains does hep
4 Whether this was tactful letter
for the president to write Roosevelt
is a question for political philosophers
to solve, but the president has told
his friends that he intended to pay
Roosevelt the highest compliment at
his command. -".F .-
Pinchot Made More Trouble.
With the refusal of President Taft
to allow Clifford Pinchot, Roosevelt's
friend to dominate the affairs of the
department of agriculture, followed
by his dismissal from office, the tale
bearers and the trouble-makers began
to get busy. Mr.. Pinchot himself
travelled to Italy to get Roosevelts
ear first and to poison his mind
against Taft. Roosevelt returned to
this country after his African hunt
ing trip under the impression that
Taft had been backsliding from the
so-called Roosevelt policies, and the
coIoneps friends declare that his con
viction in this regard has steadily
been growing and that is the real
explanation, of his present entrance
into the race. so
The Roosevelt supporters insist
that it. is a matter of principle with
the colonel, desire to save his
policies and to champion the peoples
rights. .. ~ -e
Taft republicans insist, on the
other hand that the charge OF back
sliding on the part of the president
is absolutely groundless; that Mr..
Taft has carried out the Roosevelt
policies notably the antitrust law
campaign, with firmer hand and
more consistently than did Roosevelt
himself. These Taft supporters add
that all this talk about Roosevelt
policies is merely a cloak to cover
the colonels desire for power, which,
they contend, is the controlling mo-
tive in the announcement OF his
candidacy. s.-
President Taft's friends say that
the presidents confidence in Roose.
welt, his efforts to put the most com
mendable Interpretation on all ioi
RoOsevelt's acts, his inclination TO
listen to the stories of tale-bearers,
and his continued acknowledgment
of his obligations to the ex-president
have been little less than remark
able. He has been the last to admit
that Roosevelt has turned upon him.
Only Three Meetings Since 1909.
Since. Roosevelt and Taft parted in
the Senate chamber on March 4, 1903
they have met just three times-once
in New York City at public gath
ering, soon after the Inauguration;
once in New Haven, in the fall OF
1910; and again in Baltimore last
spring.
The last two meetings tended to
widen the breach between them
Roosevelt visited the president in
New Haven when he, Roosevelt, was
involved in his fight against the
Old Guard in New York State. After
that meeting it was said Roosevelt
had sought the conference with Taft
because he was in desperate straits
in his New York State fight and
needed the influence such a meeting
would have upon federal officeholders
in New York State. Roosevelt denied
this and showed keen resentment.
After the Baltimore meeting last
spring newspaper dispatches were
sent out that Roosevelt had assured
Taft he would support him for re.
nomination and this was promptly
denied by the colonel.