Evening journal., 1912-04-27
ROOSEVELT
HITS BACK AT
THEPRESIDENT
Uses Bitter InVeCtiVe Against
Taft, in Saying He Yields
to Bosses
PROTESTS AGAINST
CANT AND Hypocrisy

WORCESTER, MASS, April 2I-Mer.
ciless denunciation of TAFT was Colonel
Rooseyelt's reply tonight to the Presl-
dents attack upon him yesterday.
Colonel Roosevelt took up President
Taft's attack on him point by point,
fiaying the President in ono scathting
sentence after another.
When Colonel Roosevelt reached here,
at the beginning of his Massachusetts
trip, he found the streets thronged.
band and a torchlight procession es-
rorted him to Mechanics Hall, where
he delivered his speech. Later he ad-
dressed an overflow meeting.
Colonel Roosevelt in part said;
In this campaign / regaru the issues
at stake as altogether too Important TO
permit it to be twisted into o. e of per
sonalities between President Taft and
myself. But MIR. Taft's speeches yes
terday contained statements that must
answer Most OF what he said needs no
comment from me- When, for instance,
he said that have endeavored TO mini
mize the Importance of my Columbus
speech, he says what he must know to be
untrue; he ca not have read my Car
negie Hall speech, my speech before the
Massachusetts lower house, my MONDAY
speech at st. Louis my Philadelphia and
Pittsburg and Louisville speeches, with
out knowing that | have elaborated and
emphasized what ! said at Columbus.
Again, when Mr. Taft in any speech
speaks of me directly or obliquely as
neurotic OF a demagogue, or in similar
terms, / shall say nothing except to
point out that if he is obliged to use
such language, he had better preserve
his own sell Prospect by not protesting
that it gave him pain to do so. No man
resorts to epithets like these if it really
gives him pain to use them.
IL have never alluded TO him in terms
even remotely resembling these. | have
never quoted his private letters or pri-
Vate communications. / have dicussed
exclusively his public actions. Even
where ! was obliged to be severe, l was
always parliamentary, and never hypo-
criticals Nor do | intend today to de-
viate from this standard, although the
Presidents speech makes it necessary
for me TO speak more plainly on certain
subjects than ] have yet spoken"
"CROOKEDEST KIND OF A DEAL"
Colonel Roosevelt referred to Presi-
dent Taft's explanation of his state
ment that "ours is a Government Of ali
Of the people by a representative part
OF the people"
"For him to try said Colonel Roose-
welt. ito escape the consequence OF his
statements by saying that he alluded
only TO women and children is triling
with the intelligence OF the people. To
speak OF such action on his part as a
square deal is itself the crookedest
kind Of a deal. He.is trying to dodge
the consequences Of his statement by
deliberate Misrepresentation of that
statement"
Colonel Roosevelt defined the political
boss as "the man responsible for the
alliance between crooked politics and
crooked business which has been respon-
sible for nine tenths of the corruption
in American political life.
''lf there is any such man among my
supporters he continued, 81 do not
know him. Mr.. Taft says that Mr.. Finn,
of pittsburg, Is very bad boss. There
is an clement OF grim comedy in Mr.
Taft weeping over the thought of Penn
svlvania being put under the rule of a
hNes through Mr.. Penrose being ousteo
from control OF the party organization
The bosses. Colonel Roosevelt declared
were on the Presidents side.
"Mr Taft says he continued, that
in my various campaigns | accepted the
assistance of these bosses. So / did
when they chose to go.my way, and tC
support the cause of the people. tn,
trouble with MIR. Taft is that he gets
their assistance at the price of going
their way and opposing the cause Of the
people.
"llr. Taft said yesterday that never
in thought, word or deed had he beer
disloyal in his friendship for me. II is
hard for me to answer such q statement
save by calling it the grossest and mos
astounding hypocrisy When Mr.. Tsfi
made chat statement he had Just sent {,
the United States Senate, on half al
hours notice, obviously in collusion will
the Lorimer Democratic Senator whit
made the request, papers which were in
tended to convey the the impression tha
had improperly favored the Harveste
Trust by declining to prosecute it il
1907
"When Mr.. Taft obviously to inhuenc,
the Massachusetts, primary, and obvious
iy in collusion with one of Mr. Lori
mer's Senatorial supporters of the op
poste political party takes the actiol
he did, he has not merely in thought
word and deed been disloyal to our pas
friendship, but he has been disloyal &
every cannon of ordinary decency an,
fair dealing such as should obtain eve
IN dealing with mans bitterest on
ponents Such conduct represents tn
very chookedest kind of crooked deal.
SAYS TAFT HAS DONE so BEFORE.
'slhis is not an exceptional instance o
how he has behaved to me. The sam
course was followed last summer in con
nection with the Tennessee Coal and lro
Company The assaults upon me by MI
Tait's campaign managers, made il
4 Washington, under mir. Taft's very eve
have been foul to the verge of in
decency. But remember. | am not CON
planning of these things; l care moth
ing for Mr.. Taft's personal attitude tc
ward me; ] allude to il only in passin
and merely because Mr.. Taft lays sue
emphasis on the matter.
The speaker then turned to reciprocit,
saying;
''Alr. Taft says that changed iron
on the reciprocity measure. This is ur
true. lie publishes a letter of mine
answer 10 a letter of his marked Cont
dential.' incidentally, ono of the M
pardonable sins on the part of any ma
calling himself gentleman is to publs
confidential correspondence without pei
mission. As to this. / care nothing, bu
! warn Mr.. Taft that in discussing NJ
cotiations with a foreign power. it
\ well not TO publish such expressions Z
4 that in his letter about making Cansd
only an adjunct Of the United States. ]
Il this letter I-told him that would SUI
4 port his reciprocity proposition. l d