Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1912-09-20
Roosevelt Wants
Peoples Sympathy.

Denver. Col, Sept. ia declara-
ton in favor of the recall of the
President was made in the Auditorium
here, tonight, by Col. Roosevelt. If he
were elected President, he said and
found his views in opposition to those
of the people. he would take the stump
in defence of his policies, and would
quit Office if he could not win the
support of the electorate.
Col. Roosevelt's declaration was
made in reply to a question by Will
liam J. Bryan, who. in a recent speech
at Pueblo. Col. asked.
"How many terms may the Presi-
dent of the United States server
As far as | am concerned" Col.
Roosevelt said. 4 should be glad To
have the recall for the President 1t
is not in the Progressive platform
and this is merely an expression of
my personal feeling. My own expo
rience was that l could do nothing
as President except when the people
were heartily with me, The minute |
ceased to have them with me. wheth-
er it was my fault or theirs. | ceased
to have power. Under such conditions
l would prefer to leave the Presiden-
cy, unless in fair, open fighting on
the stump | could bring the people
around to my way of thinking: such
a course [ think would be to my adj
vantage and to theirs.
sAs to the number of non-consecu-
tive terms a President might have,
every argument in favor of any limit
alton Of terms of the President can re
fer only to consecutive terms. ANY
third term talk which refers to non
consecutive terms is an utter absurdi-
ty."
Col. Roosevelts position was indi-
Gated in an earlier speech in which he
said that he never felt comfortable in
refusing to do what the people wished
him to do. 1T is my object If | am in
public life,7 be said, Ito live up to my
cath of office, to follow the wishes of
the people, but never to do anything
against my conscience. On the other
hand, it is the right of the people to
have their wishes enforced by their
public servants.
IF were a public servant and had
a break with the -supposing
they wanted me to do something sup
posing that there swept over the coun-
try desire to repudiate their debts
l would say: You've got to get some
body else to repudiate them But l
would come right down before them
and fight it out
One by one Col Roosevelt took up
other questions Col. Bryan had asked.
five in all. First VIII you explain to
the people the circumstances connect
ed with the writing of your letter to
Mr.. Hartman in which you addressed
him rs My Dear Mr.. Hartman. and
called yourselves Both practical
mcn2'"
Col. Roosevelt said that he had al
ready gone over this matter time after
time, and that IF Mr.. Bryan understands
words of one syllable he must have UNI
derstood my letter to senator Clapp in
regard to the Senate investigation Of
campaign contributions"
In reply to the question ~ hat issues
do you have in your platform that you
did not borrow from the Democratic plat
form?" Col. Roosevelt responded "All Of
them"
''Why did you put states issues such
as the initiative and referendum in your
national PLATFORM" was the next ques-
ton
Col Roosevelt replied that the initia-
tive and referendum We're both national
and state issues.
To the question ''What is the interest
of George w. Perkins in your cam
paign?" Col Roosevelt replied that Mr..
Perkins had joined the movement because
he believed it offered solution OF PROB
lens which must be solved to insure con-
tinued welfare of the people.
Col. Roosevelt left, tonight for Ne
braska.