Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1912-04-29
TAFT CHARGES ROOSEVELT
MISREPRESENTS LINCOLN

ON board President Taft's train
Newark, ~ j., April 2S--On his way
north to carry the eight into Massa-
chusetts, President Taft tonight mad,
public letter from Robert T. Lincoln
in which Colonel Roosevelt is cri,i-
cized and condemned for what Mr.
Lincoln declares Is perVersion of the
truth
MY personal feelings" the letter
read, "are unimportant, but | am not
only impatient but indignant that
President Lincoln's words and plain
views should be perverted and mis-
applied before trusting people into
support of doctrines which | believe
he would abhor. IL living.
Mr.. Taft's letter was written. he
says. in answer to request for an
opinion of repeated assertions by Mr.,
Roosevelt that his attitude on certain
radical doctrines is supported by the
recorded views of the martNred pres
dent
The letter. in part follows;
The government under which my
father lived, WAS. as II is now. "A re-
public or representative democracy.
checked by the constitution which
can be changed by the people. but
only when acting by methods which
compel deliberatiun and exclude SO
far as is possible, the effect of pas
sionate and short-sighted impulse.
president Lincoln wrote many let
ters, made many public addresses and
was the author of many documents.
| do not know Of the existence In any
of them OF a word of censure or OF
complaint OF auT government of Of
the methods by which it was carried
on. He was sincerely and faithfully
obedent To our constitution In the
single act for which he is most re-
membcred--the issuance of the enan-
cipation proclamation--he expressly
supported it as an act warranted by
the constitution upon military neces-
sity.
''On one public occasion he de-
scribed the effect Of the counting Of
slaves in congressional and electoral
representation In comment. he said:
Now all this is manifestly I'M
fair; yet | do not mention II to COM
plain of il insofar us IL is already set
tied. 1t is in the constitution, and !
do not, for that cause or any other
cause. propose to destroy ar alter or
disregard the constitution. stand to
it fairly, fully and firmly.
His attitude toward the bred
Scott decision is urged as in support
of the perniciOus project for the re-
call by popular vote of judges and OF
judicial decisions. lie thought ii an
erroneous decision, but his chief point
in reference to II was not its error.
but that II indicated II scheme. and
was part of IT, tor the nationallza-
ton of human slavery.
'fIe never suggested change in
our government under which the
Judges who made 1t should be recalled,
but said that he would resist it politi
eallv by voting il in his power. for
IN act prohibiting slavery In United
states territory and then endeaVorins
% have the act sustained in Il new
action by the same court, reversing
tseIf.
is there to he found here or any
where else support for project to
lbolish the essential elements or any
clements of our constitution? And
'et he is cited in support Of such !
Iction.
lie loved the government under !
which he lived. and when AT Gettys- !
'urg he prayed cir may use that !
vordD that a government Of the I
'eople. by the people ana for the /
'eople. may not perish from the
IFlH. ne meant anu fbulh OfllN mean |
hat the government under which he
lVed. q representative government Of /
'alanced, executive. Legislative and /,
judicial parts. and not something en-
rely dimerent-an unchecked de- 4
nocracN.
These often quoted words of Pres
lent Lincoln are now deliberately |
TERED, and argument founded on
heir altered FORM