The Oskaloosa herald., 1912-05-16
ROOSEVELT TIES 4
Il TAFT TO BOSSES
Says He or Some Reactionary
viii Win.
WRITES TO G. 0. P. LEADER
Colonel Declares That Up to Date His
Opponent Has But Forty Instruct
ed Delegates In Nine
States. ~

New York, May 1.-THE Roosevelt
committee gave out copy of letter
from Col. Theodore Roosevelt to K.
A. Caswell of Minneapolis, In which
Colonel Roosevelt asks that "Minneso-
ia stand beside Oregon and Illinois,
Pennsylvania and Nebraska, Maine,
Kansas and Maryland
He asserts the contest has gone SO
far as to make it evident that either
he or a reactionary will be nominated
in the Chicago convention.
He says vote for Taft is vote for
the bosses-for Lorimer, Penrose,
Guggenheim and Gallinger. He adds
that not only every progressive Re
publican but every man who believes
In decency and honesty in politics,
who is against boss rule and for the
genuine rule Of the people and is for
the elimination of special privilege
and fer efficient endeavor to secure
social and industrial justice, can
achieve his purposes only by support
ing my candidacy"
Reviews Primary Elections.
Colonel Roosevelt's letter in part
follows: -" + - a
Mine states have now held presi'
dental primaries, or their equivalent
North Dakota. Wisconsin, Illinois,
Pennsylvania, Nebraska Oregon, New
Hampshire. Massachusetts and Mary
land. These states, the only ones In
which there has been free chance
for the expression of the popular will
are to be represented by 256 delegates
in the Chicago convention. Forty OF
these delegates are instructed for
President Taft and PIG are against
him. He has carried only two Of the
nine states-New Hampshire and Mas
sachuetts--while In Massachusetts
the Roosevelt delegates at large were
elected by over twice the majority
which Mr.. Taft obtained on preferent.
ial vote. In Maryland the majority
against Mr. Taft was about the same
proportionately, as the majority for
him in Massachusetts and New Hamp'
shire.
y Three Out Of Four Oppose Taft.
= "In the other seven states the ma
jorities against him range from two
to one to twenty to one. In all the
states together about three out OF
every--four' of the Republicans vino
voted at the primaries were against
Mr.. Taft. II primaries could be held
in all the states there would undoubt.
eddy be no substantial variation from
these figures and Mr.. Taft could by
no possibility have 200 votes in the
Chicago convention. Mr.. Taft's chance
Of denomination lies solely in securing
at Chicago delegates who will mis-.
represent the will of the people. He
can get these delegates, not in the pri.
mary states, but in the convention
states, where delegates are chosen I'm
der the old system, and even in these
states he can get them only where
the state Is ruled by boss.
After a prolonged experience of
me as president practically all of the
big bosses In the Republican party dis
liked me so heartily that they opposed
vored it, They were afraid that Mr..
Taft would give them the same kind
Of trouble that had given them.
Bosses Are Now for Taft.
After three years and half ex-
perience Of Mr.. Taft since he has been
elected these same men have turned
around and heartily favor his renomi-
nation. They were opposed to me four
years ago and they are opposed to me
now. They were opposed to Mr.. Taft
four years ago when they had not
tried him as president, and they heart
lily support him now.
The fight Is a nationwide fight OF
the plain people against the bosses.
There is just one candidate whom 1t is
possible to nominate against the boss
es, and that is myself. Every vote for
every other candidate from now on is
in reality a vote for Mr.. Taft. The
fight is against the bosses in Mime
sofa, as 1t is everywhere else.
81 became a candidate only when ]
became convinced that no other pro-
gressive candidate could by any pos
sibility be nominated against Mr.. Taft.
The contest has gone so far as to
make II now evident that | certainly
can be nominated against Mr. Taft
and that either shall be nominated
or else a reactionary will be nomi.