The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1912-07-24

Those active in the Bull Moose movement locally said today that the newspaper attack made upon Judge E. P. Nobbs by cogs of the Republi- can machine, was intended to scare other men who are in sympathy with the third party movement from be- coming publicly affiliated with the cause, Judge Nobbs himself recog- nizes this feature of the attack upon him and for that reason hesitated in making reply to the criticisms to which he has been subjected, when asked for statement by a Farmer reporter.
 ''It would seem to me-" said Judge Nobbs, ''that nearly everyone will rec ognize. the object of the attacks and I don't know that any reply to the criticism is necessary. I understand that there are many men who have been prominent in the Republican par ty locally in the past who are totally dlsguSted, as I am, with the action of the national leaders at Chicago, and who, for that reason, might be cx- pected to line up with the third par ty movement. It would appear as though the old party leaders in this city. fearing their utilization with the new party, are anxious to scare off theSo other men who might be expect ed to join in the movement, and sup pose that that is the object of the at tacks upon me.
 Perhaps it would be just as well if my position was made more clear and some of the misstatementS which have been made, corrected. I went into this movement after very careful consideration and upon being satisfied
 
 as an elector to support Col. Roose- welt. So far as any present or fu- ture political ambitions or aspirations are concerned,i. would say this: I have none. am sincere when I say that I am not looking for any political or personal gain.
 When I retired from the office of judge of the probate court and began the practice of law, I wrote a letter to the chairman of the Republican town committee, MT. Farwell, stating that I should not be a candidate for any political office again, making it clear to him that I wanted to retire practice That letter was written when opened up my law offices here in. the Security building, last January, and it was published in the press at that time.
 q see that I am accused of trying to obtain the appointment to the of fee of coroner when Mayor Wilson relinquished that office. I want to say that I never made a single effort personally to secure the place. Some of my friends took it upon themselves, however, to urge my selection. l did not take the matter seriously when their efforts failed, because I did not anticipate 1t and had not even been inspired to hope for it.
 T am far from being disappolnt- ed politician Or a Sorehead. am not and shall not be a candidate for any political position at the hands or the new party. There are men 1den- tified at the present time as leaders in the Republican party in Bridge port for whom I have the most sim cere regard and respect. I believe them to be honest in their sentiments and convictions regarding their duty to support MT. Taft. It is possible, however, for honest men to have hon. est differences of opinion. I am very sorry if my conduct in supporting MT. Roosevelt is to lose me the regard ot these men I want them and all other good citizens of Bridgeport to believe me when I say that l am actuated only by a sense of what consider to be my duty as a citizen.
 There seems to be some mlsunoer- standing as to what I may have said in reference to my obligations to the Republican party. What I meant Dy the remark which has been criticized was that I didn't consider those obl1- gatilons as extending so far as to bind me to the support of a candidate nom mated in the way that MT. Tart was at Chicago. It seems to me that party fealty ought not to require men, whatever their position in the party may be- to stifle their conscientious scruples and require them to violate the obligations of citizenship and the dictates of their own conscience"
 Attorney Henry B. Stoddard, mem Der of the State committee on organ izing the third party in this State, said after reading the criticism directed to- ward Judge Nobbs:
 "It is amusing to me to note the haste of the Republican party leaders in expressing their views of Judge Nobbs' attitude They try to cover ing themselves in a half humorous way and with facetious statements, but I guess most any one will ap- preciate the true object they have in rushing so quickly into print in critl- cism of Judge Nobbs. It shows that they are deeply concerned over the new movement and well they may be. It seems to me nothing more or less than an attempt to scare off c1tl- zens who have been identified with their party. from affiliating with the new movement. They know that there are men who have been promi- nent in the Republican party in the past who do not like the manner in which MT. Taft was nominated. These men recognize the unfairness of the nomination and they are. ready to fol- low Col Rooseelt in the third party movement. Realizing this, these old line leaders take this means of scar ing them off by making it appear that they will be subject to bitter at tack and denunciation. I guess men with the courage of their convictions won't be scared by this old time method of scare. They won't let the