New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-05-06
'CONNIVED AT POLL FRAUDS
Colonel in Bitter Arraignment
Calls President useless to the
People Attack Arch
bald Appointment to
Federal Bench.


W. Perkins to balk Secretary Bona
parte's move TO tackle the Harvester
trust in l9Oe.
Colonel Roosevelt reiterates that after
MIR. TGlt's return 10 the country In jan
uary, 1905. the Harvester matter came
I'D again. and the colonel declares Mr.,
Taft then emphatically opposed Secre-
tary Bonaparte. who was the only mem
Der Of the Cabinet in favor of bringing
the Harvester suit without regard 10 It's
investigation by the Commissioner OF
Corporation The eX-President says II
is utterly impossible that Mr.. Taft can
have forgotten all this, and declares that
II is equally impossible to reconcile the
Presidents present position with any
standard of honorable conduct
Colonel Roosevelt asserts that Mr.. Tart
knew he was making an untrue state
ment when he said that the former
President had expressed the opinion that
the antitrust law ought TO be repealed
In contradicting the President In regard
70 the Harvester trust case, he says that
Mr.. Taft. at a Cabinet meeting and in
private conversation with him. repeat
edlv and emphatically approved the
course actually taken
Says Trust Suits Were Nullifed'
In effect. Colonel Roosevelt accuses the
President Of DENYING now what he can
not possibly help remembering, and In
sists anew that even if Mr.. Taft was in
favor Of the dissolution suit for more
than three years his long delay in bring
ing il is inexcusable Mr.. Roosevelt
saws that the President has permitted
the Department OF Justice completely to
nullify all the good results Of the Stand
ard Oil and tobacco trust suits.
As a result Of his attitude, he says the
stock Of these two corporations has risen
greatly in value. and that the faith
which Wall Street has in Taft is plainly
indicated in the rise Of two points In
the Harvester trust stock following the
institution Of the Presidents suit.
The present bitter hostility Of Wall
Street to me shows says the colonel
how lively is it's memory Of the fact
cutions. and hurt the persons prose
outed."
He stands guilty of approving and
encouraging fraud which deprives the
people Of their right to express their VIII
as to who shall be nominated, Colonel
Roosevelt also wrote of the President.
Mr.. Roosevelt refers to the Archibald
case now before Congress, and says that
Mr.. Taft might have foreseen what has
happered TO Mr.. Penrose's judge II he
had considered the interests Of the peo-
pie instead Of being intent on trying ~
secure the delegates from Pennsylvania
bv placating the Pennsylvania boss.
Here is the ex-Presidents statement:
With Mr.. Taft's personal opinion about
me | have no concern, beyond pointing
out the sufficiently obvious fact that he
never discovered that | was dangerous
TO the people until | had been Obliged TO
come to the conclusion that he was use
less 70 the people. But his SpeCihc
statements as to the trusts, the CROOK
edness in selecting delegates ana the
Lorimer incident / shall once again an
swer, although l have already answered.
them specifically in Massachusetts ana
them now IS incompatible with sincerity
Of purpose or conviction on his part.
Mr.. Taft knew ell the facts about the
Harvester trust decision. and he was
present at Cabinet meeting where they
were all discussed, and at that Cabinet
meeting and also in private conversa-
tion with me he repeatedly ana en-
phatically approved the course actually
taken. lust as he repeatedly and en-
~, ia taken
regards the Tennessee Coal and Iron
Company. He was absent from the
country when Mr.. Smith was reporting
10 me and consulting with Mr. Bona
parte but after his return In January
the matter came up again, ana IL ap-
peared that Mr. Bonaparte had not
understood that my judgment was that
the course advocated by Mr.. smith was
the proper one to follow.
Attacks Presidents Veracity.
Accordingly the matter was gone over
at length in the Cabinet meeting. Mr.
Bonaparte was the only member VINO
was inclined to believe that the suit
should be continued without regard TO
Mr.. Smiths investigation. Mr. Taft en-
phatically took the opposite ground. and
II is utterly impossible that he should
now have forgotten that he did thus. as
member Of my Cabinet. take the oppo-
site ground.
OF course, as a member OF my Cabi-
net, who at that time / was supporting
FOR the Presidency, he knew and could
not avoid knowing everything or any i'm
pOrtance that went on. 1t Is Impossible
to reconcile his present position with
any standard of honorable conduct,
whether we accept the view that he then
approved what he believed to be wrong
or whether we accept the only alterna-
Tive, which IS that he now denies what
ne cannot possibly help remembering.
Moreover, he has been President for
three years. Every document was In his
possession throughout these three years.
and if he Is right now his three years
delay is inexcusable.
saw Mr. Perkins I'm this matter pre-
cisely as ! saw Mr.. Morgan at the time
of beginning the Northern Securities suit
ana as | saw representatives of the
standard Oil trust again and again at
tne time OF beginning the Standard Oil
SUIT just as In the case OF every large
suit J saw any party interested who
asked 10 appear before me. i believed
hen, and believe now that the course
urged by Mr.. Smith was the only one "a
Gke. Mr.. Smith Is one OF the most eff
cleht and highminded officials I'm the
Public service. and while IL was not nec-
essary Tor me to. and while as a mat
eer OF fact j did not, make up my MIND
ns ,s 10 whether he was correct In his be-
nc m,ci as 10 what the investigation would
'no"' IL was my clear duty to follow
Jnued on second page. sixth column.