The Sentinel=record., 1912-03-24
.CRITICISES
 TAFT CROWD
ROOSEVELT MAKES MOST DIRECT CRITICISM OF PRESENT AD-
 MiNlsTRATioN IN MAINE.
Tells People Taft's Plan Would Be a Government of the People, for the People and by the
 Bosses.

Portland, Maine, March 23-The
 most direct criticism yet levelled at 1 President Taft by his predecessor in
 office was contained in a speech de- | livered here tonight by Colonel Roosevelt The colonel spent 12 hours in Portland and received cordial welcome, He was guest at a lunch l con and dinner. shook hands stead fly for two hours in the afternoon, at tended a conference of Maine politi- clans and tonight spoke for an hour before a crowd which filled the Ar mory auditorium.
 Colonel Roosevelt repeated the statement he made in his New York speech Wednesday night that Presi- dent Taft had declared in favor of a government "by representative part of the people,
 Tn its actual workings" said he
 "the presidents scheme would be a government of the people, for the people, by the bosses"
 Colonel Roosevelt named Senator Penrose of Pennsylvania: Senator Gallinger of New Hampshire. William
 Barnes Jr. of New York, Congress man Mckinley, the presidents cam paign manager, and Congressman Tawney of Minnesota, as representing the chief present aGnerents of the president" and said that they were precisely the men, who under the presidents theory, would be as they to a certain degree already are, the 1 representative part of the people who governs the rest of the people and
 which does not really represent them all but misrepresents them
 The speaker added that the differ ence between what he termed Presi- | Taft's theory of government and Lin. ' coln's theory explains why in SC
 many matters the progressives do not l feel that the president. however good
 his intentions. can properly represent i them or pay to progressive ideas the
 kind of loyalty which results in the
 translation of words into actions l Collapse of the speakers platform
 in the auditorium created some ex- | citement. The platform, which was
 elevated about three feet from the floor, was occupied by about 30 per
 sons. As Colonel Roosevelt ascend 1 ed it on entering the hall, it gave way with a crash. The middle portion
 sank to the floor Colonel Roosevelt stepped quickly to the front of the structure which did not give way, and
 waved his hand at the crowd to show
 that he was uninjured. A chair was placed on the edges of the platform and during the remainder of the even ing Colonel Roosevelt remained pla- cidly at the very front Of the weak
 ened stage.
 When Walter H. Brown, president of the Roosevelt committee of Maine, introduced the colonel. there was ar outbmrst of handclapping. Frequent ly during his speech also, he was in terrupted by applause.
 Colonel Roosevelt's opening re-
 marks, in which he referred to the col lapse of the platform, brought a 1 laugh from his hearers.
 "The platform broke down" he
 said but it wasn't out platform. Our platform won't break down. In the
 end the servants of the people will
 have to stand on that platform or the | American democracy will be con
 lessed failure"
 This was Colonel Roosevelt's first | visit to Maine since August, 1902, l When he arrived here shortly after
 noon, he was welcomed by a large l crowd while at the reception in his | honor he stood in the parlor of a ho- | tel for two hours and shook hands
 with stream of people which moved
 by him as rapidly as it could be ush- cred forward. Leaders in the Roose- welt movement in Maine brought to Colonel Roosevelt reports of progress
 of the fight in all parts of the state.