Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1912-04-27

Senator Crane of Massachusetts in al
tunfriendly way. He warmly de
Tended Mr.. Crane and said that thre'
times Mr.. Roosevelt had invited Mr.
Crane into his cabinet and tina
furthermore Mr.. Roosevelt had invited
Senator Crane to manage his pres1
Dental campaign in 1904.
Mr.. Taft added:
"But Mr.. Crane does not support MI
Roosevelt and must be condemned.
Roosevelt Has Accepted Bosses Help
"The truth with respect to me is the
same as it is with respect to Mr.
Roosevelt. When I am running for the
presidency I gratefully accept sucf
support as comes to me. Mr. Roose
welt has done so in the past; he is DO
ing so now. I am making no bargain
am agreeing to no conditions thai
would embarrass or hamper me In the
administration of the government
should be reelected. I do not say
that Mr.. Roosevelt has done SO, or Is
doing so, but when consider the
eagerness with which Mr.. Roosevelt
has accepted in his various campaigns
the assistance Of Mr.. Aldrich, Mr.
| Cannon, Mr.. Penrose, Mr.. Quay, Mr.
Platt, Mr.. Foraker and many other
men prominent and influential in con
gress and politics, whatever their
designation, whether leaders or
bosses, I do, not hesitate to say that
it involves the most audacious ef'
frontery on his part to attack me be-
cause men he characterizes as bosses
are now supporting me and to charge
me on that account with helping ma.
chine politics.
"This is peculiarly unfair on his
part in view of his we'll known politi-
cal history and is another instance OF
his departing from the rule OF the
square DEAL"
Takes Up Lorimer Case.
Mr.. Taft charged that Mr.. Roosevelt
and his supporters. during their recent
campaign in Illinois, linked his name
with Senator Lorimer in such way
as to give the impression that a vote
for Taft was vote for Lorimer
81 have not seen Mr.. Lorimer for
two years and have had no communi-
cation with or from him. In Illinois
Mr.. Lorlmer was conducting a cam
paign Of his own. did not ask his
support. He did not tender it to me.
Any influence he may have given IN
my favor was not because he liked me,
but because he felt more bitter toward
Mr.. Roosevelt Without further cir
cumstance or knowledge it would have
been unfair and unjust for Mr.. Roose-
welt to attempt to draw on me the
popular indignation against Senator
Lorimer and thus to carry the state OF
Illinois against me; but it was Pc
culiarly unfair in Mr.. Roosevelt to do
this when he knew what he did know
as to my actual attitude toward Sen
ator Lorimer."
Mr.. Taft then read letter he wrote
to Col. Roosevelt January 6, 1911, in
which he said he wanted the move
ment to GUST Senator Lorimer to sue.
coed. The letter, marked personal"
follows:
The White House, Washington,
January 6, 1911.
MY Dear Theodore:
It comes to me, perhaps without
foundation, that you are going to
write strong article on the Lori
mer case and publish it in The
Outlook. I have been doing every
thing could legitimately to have
the Lorimer case. have read as
mach Of the evidence as I could
get at and am convinced that
there was a mess and mass Of cor
ruption upon which his election
was founded that ought to be
stamped with the disapproval Of
the senate. But I want the move
ment to GUST him to succeed.
have urged different senators to
read the record carefully. and az
ter a talk with Root, and Burton.
and Knute Nelson, and Crawford
and some others, believe we are
going to line up good many Of
the regular republicans on the
side of what I consider decency
and honesty in politics.
It has leaked out that I have
been taking some interest in the
matter, and I fear that it has not
helped the situation generally, be-
cause of that strong feeling Of
clubdom in the senate and that re-
sentiment against outside inter
ference which nobody who Is not
intimately acquainted with the
situation can understand the
weight of it. 7 was talking with
Borah this morning. have con-
suited a good deal with him on
the subject, and he agree that 1t
would be unwise either for you
or for me to come out now against
Lorimer and in favor of his being
ousted; that it would enable those
who are determined to keep him
in, especially among the demo-
Gratis, Bailey and others, to use an
argument against outside inter-
ference that would hold a num-
Der of democrats and would de-
prive US of the strength we should
get by quiet presentation Of the
full facts on the floor of the SEN
ate, from the senate itself. Root
is going to make a speech. So Is
Burton, and I believe Lodge will
do the same thing. Now, nothing
would have stronger weight than
speeches from them; whereas, II
either you or I came out with an
attack it would enable the friends
Of Lorimer to shift the subject
from the tainted character Of his
seat to the independence of the