The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1912-06-21
ROOSEVELT CAUSE
IN CHAOS AS END
DRAWS NEAR
Taft Forces are Intact and
Riding Rough ShOd
TAFT is SURE WINNIE
Bitterness and Resentment Growing
Among Roosevelt Followers and
Their Action Uncertain


Their Action Uncertain
Chicago. June 20.-Col Roosevelt
Is considering tine ACCESSIBILITY OF de-
laying action for several weeks and
then TO summon an entirely new con
venton This would not be held un-
tl after the democrats have acted in
Baltimore.
Col Roosevelt said emphatically to-
night that he would make the indie
pendent fight for the presidency if he
was convinced there was popular
demand for him.
Il shalt have to see If there is a
popular demand for me to rum he
said,
lie added that the situation was
such a Kaleidoscope one that it
would be impossible for him to ont
line what he would do. 1t might take
sometime. he said, to ascertain the
sentiment Of the people and learn
whether there was reasonable ba-
sis for the formation of what he term
ed progressive party"
one OF Col Roosevelt's associates,
who talked with him today, said that
he had declared his willingness to run
for president if any considerable num-
Der of the delegates wished him to-.
even II he did not carry single cleo
toral district in the country The
colonel himself said he believed he
would be able to count on the sup
port OF the bulk of the Republicans
in the western states and that he
would expect to derive considerable
strength from the democrats. The
opinion was expressed by some of his
supporters that the outcome at Baltl-
more would have a considerable bear
ing upon the situation.
Following is the full text Of the
statement issued by Mr. Roosevelt
Yesterday afternoon
The time has come when ] feel
that / must make certain statements
not merely to the honestly-elected
members of the Republican national
convention, but to the rank and file
OF the Republican party and TO the
honest people of the entire nation.
went into this fight for certain great
principles. At the moment | can only
serve this principle by continuing tC
bear the personal responsibility which
their advocacy has brought TO me.
ION behalf of these principles
made my appeal straight TO the PEG
pie themselves | went before them
made my argument in full, anC
every move | made was in the oper
without concealment of any kind. The
| opposition 10 me was extraordinarily
bitter. for was opposed by the prac
tically solid phalanx of the big con
scienceless political bosses, with bacl
OF them the practically solid phalan'
OF the big conscienceless benefciar
les OF special privilege in every form
and OF course the many big newspap
ers which are controlled by or IN tn
interest OF the bosses and special pr
vilege.
Nevertheless in the appeal to tn
people won. In many of the Reput
lican states and of the democrati
states where there is large and rea
Republican party, primaries of diffel
ent kinds were held. and a substaT
tial expression of the will of the pee
pie was obtained.
In these primary states some 3
100000 voters. the rank and file {
the Republican party, cast their vote
! beat Mr. Taft considerably over tw
| "a Ia, fhnun so
about six delegates to Mr. Taft's on,
Nearly three fourths of my delegate
came from these primary state
where the people had a chance to e,
press themselves. Mr. Taft
strength as indicated by the two 70
calls already taken, consisted chief
aside from his 80 stolen delegates
OF the nearly solid delegations fro
the territories and from the souther
states in which there is no real II
publican party-South Carolina. Geo
gia. Florida. Alabama. Arkansas, Mi
sissippi. Louisiana-and of northel
states like New York, where the pc
pie had no chance TO express theI
selves at primaries, and where Il
delegates were picked by the bossC
In spite Of these odds against Il
| obtained a clear majority Of all
the delegates elected TO the convC
ton. In my campaign again a
again stated that II the people dec
ed against me would have nothi
to say, but that II they decided
me and the politicians then robb
? me OF the victory. ! would not sileI
ly and tamely acquiesce. II was
ready evident that my opponents wi
MIR Tafts encouragement, intend
, TO beat me by foul means II tn
. could not do so by fair means.
, The crucial. but not the only 81
. In the concerted and hitherto succe
!. tul effort to cheat the people out
/, the victory they had fairly won, W
taken up by the now defunct natior
. committee which. without one shI
OF justification, and with cynical C,
tempt OF the most ordinary rules
! decency In making up the tempora
!, roll call, unseated 90 fairly elect
Roosevelt delegates and substitut
for them 90 Taft delegates who in I
!. convention represent nothing but 81
/, cessful fraud. I was clearly enttl
! to all these 20 delegates, all the
possessed. for instance. clearer tit
than the 20 uncontested delegal
from New York. and as to 20 OF the
their title was as hawless as the
/ Of any othar daiauafea In Tho nnnv,