The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1912-03-16

North Dakota report; Walter Hauser
as repeating publicly statement
which he has made several times re-
Gently declaring that Colonel Roose-
veit not only encouraged but was
favorable to the candidacy Of Senator
i.aFollette until it came to appear that
1t might succeed . ...
Mr. Houser knows as we'll as any
other man in the United States that
there Is absolutely no foundation for
that statement. Mr.. Houser repeated
ly quotes ellison Gardner for authority
on this subject. The accompanying
letter from Mr.. Gardner to Mr.. Hou-
ser explains fully exactly what oc-
Cured and demonstrates the incor-
rectness OF Mr.. Houser's statement:
Washington. d. c.. March /; 1912.
MT. Walter l.. Houser, Evans Build
Ing. Washignotn. d. c.:
My Dear Houser: have recently
seen some newspaper publications. one
Colonel Roosevelt's course in respect
TO Senator LaFollette's candidacy. In
the New York Sun Of February 16,
under Minneapolis date line, you are
quoted as saying: Roosevelt has be-
trayed LaFollette and is a traitor to
the progressive cause. T.aFollette be-
came a candidate because Roosevelt
negsed him to make the race. He de-
clafed that the progressives should
nave a candidate and urged Senator
LaFollette to announce his candidacy
at once. Then he began insiduously
and secretly to undermine Senator La
Follette's organization"
Also.tn the New York Times Of Feb
ruary 20! dispatch from Portland,
Ore, you are quoted. as saving:
urged LaFollette to enter the cam
raign as the progressive candidate. He
sent his message of earnest solicita-
tion to LaFollette through ellison
Gardner. a Washington correspond
ent." go.
Statement Not True.
nope you are not correctly quoted,
e. you know these are not the facts.
you personally. / will now recall the
facts. First, in regard to the state
ment that Senator LaFollette became
|a candidate because Roosevelt begged
him to make the race. This is shown
to be untrue by the fact that Senator
LaFollette had determined to become
q candidate and had announced that
determination to hts friends at least
three months before the message of
Bay. .......... =,
Ny trip to Oyster Bay occurred May
Il lSll. .AsearlY as February, 1911.
Senator kAFcilette had Held .consu1fa-
tons with. his friends, myself among
them. relative to steps. to. be taken to
promote his nomination. There are
many people who know about these
inferences who will furnish full par
ticulars.' ''..
Second. in regard to the statement
that Roosevelt urged. .LaFollette to
become candidate. This is not true.
On the other hand, Colonel Roosevelt
sent word through me that he be.
lieved Senator LaFollette could not
win. He believed Taft's denomination
eral patronage. and therefore. Colonel
Roosevelt said he did not feel like
urging LaFoilette to go into losing
fight. This was the message delivered.
Cconel Roosevelt had said emphati-
cally that he would not take sides as
between the candidates or give any
candidate . specific endorsement. He
said he would, in the columns Of the
could to direct attention to the work
accomplished by Senator LaFollette
in Wisconsin,. Beyond this he said he
could not go.
Colonel Roosevelt did not promise
that he would not himself become d
candidate. He was very careful at
that and all times to say that he would
not bind himself as to his future
made this clear to Senator LaFol-
lette and the senator to my own
knowledge. knew at all times that Col
onel Roosevelt regarded him as free
to take any course that he might con-
slider wise. In order to make this
matter perfectly clear to Senator La
Toilette, at one time read him the
following extract from q letter written
by Colonel Roosevelt in November,
1910: III we had won. in New York,
I can now see that would have had
to face the question OF accepting the
Nomination of 1912 and it would have
been a most painful and most doubt
full question to decide. Now l feel
that shall not have to make such a
decision. and can simply tell every
one that as circumstances are feel
It unwise and indeed out of the aues-
tion for me to become candidate.
Here in New York as well as in Mas
sachusetts and Ohio every effort was
made to get me to say that I would
not be q candidate in 1912. and some
effort was made to get me to say that
r..,ould support Taft in 1912. ut
terly refused to make. either asser-
tion told my ouestioners that did
not think there was one chance in a
for me to become % 4 cand,dats m steesa ang
that the one thing I most desired was
not to be put in a position where I
would have to become one, but that
I would treat the auestion. not the
least from the :standpoint Of Taft's
interest, still less in nav own inter
ests but solely from the standpoint Of
the public good. and that therefore
though / thought II in the hiehert de-.
gree: improbable that it would be,nec-