New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-04-27


history of the party. This is not only
an untruth. but it is an absurd uh'ruth'
Never IN thirty years close observation
have I seen such scandalous abuse OF
patronage as this year
Abuse Of Patronage Alleged.
Some Of the abuse of patronage has
been done directly by Mr.. Taft himself,
as in the case Of the various North car
olina nominations. Moreover, does Mr..
Taft think that the people have for
gotten the letter his secretary sent out
as 10 restoring to the insurgent Senator's
the patronage Of which he had deprived
them? Having all these facts in View, 1t
is simply astounding that Mr. Taft
should venture the assertion that he has
not used the federal patronage to de-
fraud politics.
"Mr. Taft states that | advised him 10
have a meeting with Cannon. l advised
him TO meet every one. 10 consult with
every one. 10 try TO get on with every
one. But no less emphatically advised
him TO follow my example, to consult
try to get on with them, but where the
politicians split off from the people, then
to stand with the people and not with
the politicians, and It is precisely this
that he failed TO do.
1T is a most curious thing that Mr..
Taft should actually criticise me for not
having assaIed him about the Payne
tariff law. AS a matter Of fact l have
eagerly endeavored to praise Mr.. Taft
wherever I possibly could, and where
possible I have merely kept silence
where ] disagreed. AS he now insists
that I should break silence about the
tariff law. / will say that | hold him
cufpably responsible for having led the
people to believe that he favored sub
stantial downward revision and that
he would work actively for it, and for
then having sat supinely by and allowed
his new friends. under the lead Of
Messrs. Aldrich and Cannon. TO produce
a bill which made him convict himself
OF insincerity when he signed it.
When Mr.. Taft speaks of the trusts he
is guilty Of deliberate misstatement OF
great a vital fact. He says l propose
TO abolish the antitrust law ! never
made any such proposal. and this he
well knows. When he thus deliberately
misstates my position he is himself
guilty Of a crooked deal"
Sees No Danger in Third Term.
Turning 30 President Tafts statements
in regard 10 a third term, Colonel Roose-
Welt declared that the danger lay only in
more than two consecutive terms, which
might afford opportunity for the EXecu-
tive to intrench himself in power.
Mr. Taft. without my permission he
continued, has quoted entire letters from
me written in answer 10 letters of his
which were marked confidential | shall
so far avail myself Of his example as to
quote four lines of letter from him TO
me which was not marked confidential
II was written shortly after he became
President 1t runs:
~ can never forget that the power
nop exercise was voluntarily trans
ferred from you to me, and that | am
under obligation to YOU to see to it that
your judgment I'm selecting me as your
successor and bringing about the sue
cession shall be indicated according TO
the standards which you and | I'm con-
versation have always formulated 1t
is bad trait to bite the hand that feeds
YOU.
40 other man in this country was as
much interested as l was in having Mr..
Taft succeed. No other man with my
principles and convictions has supported
him for so long a time and has so bit
terly regretted being unable to support
him for longer time. | eagerly sought
every opportunity to stand by him. and
long after ! felt deep in my heart that
he was unfit TO lead this people i re-
fused to acknowledge the fact TO myself,
and struggled to convince myself that
he was fit, and clutched at every oppor-
tunlty TO back him up.
Until less than year ago kept des-
perately hoping that either Mr.. Taft him
self would at least show himself rea-
sonably ut for the task before him, or
that II he failed some one else would
arise to whom the people could turn.
Reluctantly l made up my mind that
Mr.. Taft could not do the task, and I
became convinced that the people of
the great West felt that would be UNI
true TO them If I refused to act as their
standard bearer.
II do not think that Mr.. Taft means
81. l think he means well. But he
means well feebly. and during his ad-
ministration he has been under the in
huence Of men who are neither we'll
meaning nor feeble. 1t is this quality of
feeblenSs in normally amiabe man
which -eminently fits such a man for
use in high office by the powers Of