The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-03-20
Roosevelt Gratified at the Declaration of Chief
 Executive
IF HE IS SINCERE HE
 CAN GET PRIMARIES
Roosevelt Charges That in All States Possible Taft's Supporters Are Fighting Against the Pref
 erential Primaries

New York, March 19.-Ex-President Roosevelt today issued a statement in which he replies to the address of Pres ident Taft made in Boston yesterday.
 President Taft is reported as saying at Boston yesterday" he says, that the voluntary primary power, as he calls it, or the soap box primary. that is method adopted by the people as the only way in which to express their wishes when the legislators deny them any other opportunity to do so. is wore than noth- ing. But the President continued to say that he favored preferential primary for the presidency.
 T am exceedingly glad the President has taken this ground and if his cam paign managers will sincerely back him in the proposition we will be able at once to get the presidential preferential pri- mary in Michigan. Illinois. Maryland. the District of Columbia and New YorS.
 Silent on Issue
 "On the fifth of this month Matthew Hale of Boston. acting behalf of the Massachusetts progressive republicans who were making desperate fight for the presidential preference primary oill, wired the President at the White House d Ing him for his formal support in se- / ring the passage of the Massachusetts bfll Mir Hale referred specifically to the fact that the Presidents adherents in Massachusetts were using every means to defeat the passage of the bill. On March 6 the Presidents secretary, MT. iilles, wrote Mir Hale a brief note saying that his message had been received and by direction of MT. Taft, referred to his cam paign manager, Congressman Mckinney twho at the time was doing all he could to defeat a similar measure in Illinois). Nothing further was heard from the Pres ident or from his campaign manager, MT. Mckinley, by MT. Hale or by any one else in Massachusetts as far as I know; and sno moral aid, comfort or support was Ngiven by the President or his managers to Ehe men in Massachusetts, who ere max ing most desperate fight to overcome the efforts of the Presidents supporters in that state to defeat the bill However, public opinion was aroused and the bill we~ through and 1 am exceedingly glad that Me President-now nearly week after the bill has become d law-should say, as he does, that he fayors it and welcomes it.
 ssss earn astly hope that the Presi- .nr and his supporters will in other in- stances support such legislation before it passes and not after it passes.
 Fight in Maryland
 There is pending in the legislature of Maryland a bill providing for the exact kind of legally safeguarded presidential preferential primary which the President says he favors. The collector of customs at Baltimore, the most active of the Pres ident's party managers of Maryland and the head of tEe officeholders there, has been opposing this move by all weapons in his power. They have been endeavor- ing to gain the support of every supporter of Taft.
 Also a similar condition exists in Mich igan. A special session of the legislature was called by Governor osborn to enact presidential preferential law. The gen tlemen who are supporting MT. Taft aie opposing the bill by all means in their power It was finally passed despite that opposition, but 1t lacked in the senate the necessary two-thirds vote to make it immediately effective and the support CTS of the President made desperate opposition. Governor Osborn has now called the legislature to reeonvene on March 20 If the view that inc President takes the law passed in Massachusetts is taken by his supporters in Michigan, earnestly and in good faith, there will be no difficulty in securing the presidential preferential primary in Michigan.
 Situation in Ohio
 "The situation in Ohio it not far different 4. I,af ralt submitted to MT. Layln, chairman of the Presidents campaign committee in Ohio, a nrorosition that the state convention which will elect the six delegates St large from Ohio should be composed of the 42 delegates to Chicago chosen from the Congressional districts under the state rrinlsry law, thus giving expression to the peoples wishes in the selection of the siv delegates at large. On last Saturday MT Laylin, in his answer to MT. Brown, refused to accept the suggestion, and has insisted that the delegates to the state convention shall be elected without appeal to tho people at large.
 The situation in Illinois is similar. Governor Deneen has stated publicly that he will convene the legislature in special session to pass a presidential preference primary bill in case the nee essary two thirds of the members will agree before hand to adopt measure. The leaders of the presidential party in Illinois. including Congressman Me Kinley. the director of the national Taft bureau, to whom the Presidents secretary referred the request for help in getting the Massachusetts primary bill through. are using every possible effort to defeat the agreement in ques tion.
 Illinois Conditions
 If Taft leaders in Illinois, which in- clude the leader of the national cam paign committee, which is conducting the Presidents campaign for renomi- nation, will now act in good faith in accordance with the Presidents speech in regard to the bin that has already been passed in the Massachusetts legis- lature they can secure a similar bill in the legislature of Illinois
 What has occurred in Oklahoma in dicates the needs of presidential pri- maries and shows how the patronage Is being used at this anoment to de- feat the expression of the masses. As fear of the tyranny of a majority, it fear of the tyrany of a majority. it will be worth while pointing out that danger at this moment as regards the presidential nomination is tyranny by minority, lead by the office holders and the agents of the big fnanciers who do not want a square deal: and these men have been doing everything
 
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