The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-06-25
BRAND new PARTY
Nothing Else viii Satisfy Col
OneI Theodore Roosevelt.
Declares He Was Offered the
Nomination at Chicago.

Cleveland, Ohio, June 25.-A new
party from the ground UP is the Roose-
welt program. After a series of dis
cussions with his lieutenants before
leaving Chicago, in which there were
several sharp clashes, Colonel Roose-
welt decided to cut entirely away from
the party with which his whole public
career has been identified. His decision
was a disappointment to those who
favored the organization of what might
be considered an Independent Republic
can party with which various state or
CARNATIONS might cooperate n still
maintain, it was hoped, nominal egu
larity.
There must be no compromise, no
straddle," Colonel Roosevelt said. As
an indication of his determination, he
said that when he returned to Oyster
Bay he would communicate with a
number of Democrats who he thought
might wish to join the new party.
The Republican nomination for presi-
dent, Colonel Roosevelt asserted, was
President Taft was nominated. He de-
cliEed to accept it, he said, On the
terms under which the offer was made.
On his way ack to Oyster Bay the
former president gave a glimpse into
the secret history of the last day of the
convention when it was apparent that
the tide of the battle had turned resist
lessly against him.. 1t was a plan to
seize control of the convention at the
last moment by a sudden move, over
turn the Taft majority and make
Roosevelt the nominee. This is the
story as he told it:
Alleged Secret History.
Early Saturday morning a group of
delegates from southern states arrang-
Ell a private interview with Colonel
Roosevelt. They told him the had
come to offer him the nomination. They
had with them a list of the known
Roosevelt delegates and stated that
they were authorized to speak for a
block of Taft delegates who were will
ing to swing over to Roosevelt to avert
a rupture in the party. The number of
these delegates, they assured Colonel
Roosevelt, was large enough to nomi-
nate him or any other candidate ne
might name.
One provision was made, Colonel
Roosevelt continued. 1t was that he
must accept the nomination from the
convention as then composed, and not
insist upon removal of the IS delegates
who he contended were fraudulent be-
fore he would recognize any act of the
convention.
Colonel Roosevelt aid he informed
these emissaries that if he should be
nominated under the condition he
would not accept the nomination. He
told them to go to the delegates whom
they represented and bring back to
AAAAA q pACO5S SlSUGu ny OU OGl62al6S,
agreeing to combine with the Rocse-
welt delegates and make the attempt
to start all over again to organize the
convention and to unSeat the IS con-
tested delegates. The attempt failed.
Colonel Roosevelt said a considerable
number of signatures to the pledge
were obtained, but that it had proved
impossible to hold a sufficiently large
part of the delegates in line for the
course OF action upon which he in
sisted to give it the chance of success.
the chief point of interest to Colo
mel RooseVeltS supporters was whcth-
er they would be able to carry with
them the strength of the following
which Colonel Roosevelt had hereto
lore mad within the Republican party.
of them said frankly that the
movement was inaugurated on the as
sumption that since, Colonel Roosevelt
had been the choice of the party in a
number of Republican states, it would
be possible to bring these states in
line for the party.
No plan has yet been decided upon
by which it would be possible to eff
feet such a transfer of workable or
to the new enterprise. It is recognized
that there exists the danger of so
many OBJECTIONS that in some cases the
may be badly damaged in
the process if left in the hands OF the
regular" Republicans.
colonel Roosevelt expressed conf
dence that a way would be found.
In cases in which the Republican
state organizations as a whole are
against him, it is planned to set I'D
new machinery and complete state and
national tickets. 1t is his opinion that
wherever public sentiment is in his
favor, it will be merely a question of
detail how his supporters are to carry
out a plan of expressing themselves at
the polls. |