Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1912-03-07

a copy Of the letter to Frank B. Noyes
Mr.. McClatchy states that Mr.. Noyea
informed him anent the story sent OUT
by the Associated Press, that 'Mr
Roosevelt had pledged himself to sup
port Mr.. Taft for q second term, that
he (Mr. Noyes) had the same tnforma'
| ton from sources entirely 1ndepend'
ent Of those from which the Assocla'
tied Press received the story.
Puts A. p. In Ananias Club.
IT at first thought that the story IN
question was given out from the white
house, but I am now assured that 1t
was gotten up and given out by the Az
ISOLATED Press representatives at the
white house, and from Mr.. Noyes'
statement I should gather that this
was true. ,.a
Il wish Mr.. Noyes, an president OF
the Associated Press, to know that the
story was not based on mistnforma-
tion. but was a deliberate Invention,
made out of whole cloth, without one
particle Of basis beyond the tmag1na-
tion of the man who made 1t. l have
expressed myself perfectly freely to ?
large number Of men In this mater,
also to the same effect, telling you,
for instance, personally, and those who
were with you at lunch at my house,
and telling Clifford Pinchot, Jim Gar.
field and Congressman Madison and
Billy Loeb and Secretary Meyer and
Secretary Stimson, all alike, just OK
actly what have said always, that
would not be a candidate lin 1919 my
self, and that I had no Intention OF
taking any part in the nomination tor
or against any candidate. ."
Sincerely yours,
Theodore Roosevelt"
Explains His Reply to Friends.
Here is the manner in which Colonel
Roosevelt justifies his letter of eight
months ago, in view of his present &C.
tive race for the nomination.:
At that time persistent efforts had
been made from Washington to con.
vince the progressives that was real
ly supporting Mr.. Taft. On this par
ticiular occasion the statement was
made with the greatest explicitness. |
promptly denied the statement and
was then assured on the one hand that
it had been inspired from the white
house, and assured, on the other
hand, that it had not been, but, on the
contrary, was made purely on the In
itiative of the Associated Press. The
Press people assured me
that they were not responsible for the
false statements, and as 1t will be
seen by reference to the letter itself,
Mr.. Noyes was quoted as having got
the information from independent
sources. I do not know who gave out
this letter, but I am certain that 1t
was not Mr.. Van Valkenberg, for l
know him to be an honorable man.
To all who were at that time writing
to me to ask ME to be candidate l
answered that would not be. To all
who then asked whether I would &C
cept if nominated, l answered yes, II
knew them sufficiently we'll to be
sure that they would understand me.
Otherwise I said simply that would
cross that bridge when l came to it,
and, in most cases, if the man were at
all close personal friend, l told him
that l counted on his doing everything
possible to prevent any movement
looking to my nomination.
Believes Demand is Genuine.
1t was not until the last three or four
months, that was finally obliged to
come to the conclusion that there was
! real demand among the people as a
whole for my nomination, which did
lot come in any way from personal
friends of mine and was neither in
spired nor engineered by them.
When I became convinced that this
popular demand was real and was con-
siderable, and when the governors OF
seven states, increased by this time to
EN-, may mention incidentally, asked
ne whether l would accept if nomin-
ated, I answered yes L added an ex-
of my wish that wherever
possible preferential primaries might
,e held, so as to find out whom the !
republican voters wished to have NOM
mated.
If the people do not wish me to
serve, most certainly do not wish to |
serve. If they do desire me to under |
AXE in their interest great task l
;hall do so and shall perform it with |
whatever courage and ability pos |
;ess. Whether there will be such an
of the popular will I can
lot say, as where there are no pref |
,rential primaries 1t unfortunately |
seems to often to be the case
hat the effort of the political leaders
8 not to give expression to the popu-
ar will, but to thwart it in every way
,ossible.''