The Washington times., 1912-04-27

can only characterize as unpardonable
baseness, began to circulate the fact of
reason why should not be nominated -
Denounces absurd Untruth."
Plunging into the Presidents allusion
that " the influence Of Federal office
holders in the Chicago convention this
year will be less effective for any one
candidate than ever before in the his
tory of the party" Roosevelt exclaimed
with Kissing breath:
This is not only an untruth, but It
Is an absurd untruth. Never in thirty
years close observation have 1 seen
such scandalous abuse of the patron
age as of this year. Moreover, II is
out OF the question that Mr.. Taft can
really be ignorant of what Is being done
under him As to the outrageous at
reclamation service, / can testify my
self, because forest officers have for
warded to me the letters sent to them
by Mr.. Tafts managers.
Some of the abuse of the patron
age has been done directly by Mr.
Taft himself, as in the case OF the
various North Carolina nominations.
Does Mr.. Taft think that the people
have forgotten the letter his secre-
tary sent out as to restoring to the
insurgent Senators the patronage of
which he had deprived them? Having
all these facts In view, 1t is simply
ture the assertion that he has not
used the Federal patronage to de-
bauch politics"
After going into detail to show Cor
ruption and confusion" in the Ken
lucky, Indiana and New York prim-
aries, Roosevelt took up the Presi-
dents defense of his attitude on the
Payne -Aldrich tariff law.
'If Mr.. Taft will look back to his
own Snaach Rath hefOre election
and compare 1T with his Winona
speech he will find his own condem-
nation written large" he declared in
tones of contempt.
"It Is a most curious thing that Mr..
Taft should actually critcise me for
not having assailed him about the
Payne tariff law. have eagerly en-
deavored to praise Mr.. Taft whenever
possibly could. and where possible
have merely kept silence where l dis
agreed.
Charges Deception on Tariff.
"As he now insists that 1 should
break silence about the tariff law. l
will say that / hold him culpably re-
sponsible for having led the people to
believe that he favored a substantial
downward revision, and that he would
work actively for II, and for then hav-
Ing 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 in
sincerity when he signed it,
Roosevelt maintained that he him
belf had tolerated the support of Sem
ator Aldrich, and Speaker Cannon and
| other 'standpatters" only when they
were for the right kind Of legislation -
such as the railroad bill.
when Mr.. Taft speaks for the trusts,
he is guilty of deliberat e mis-state-
ment OF a great and vital fact" the
colonel continued. He says | propose
! to abolish the antitrust law. l never
made any such proposal. and this he
we'll knows. When he thus deliberately
mis- states my position he is himself
! guilty Of crooked deal.
Taft and the Trust Suits.
Mr.. Taft, without my permission,
has quoted letters from me written in
answer to letters OF his which were
marked CONFIDENTIAL | shall, so far
avail myself of hisSexample as to quote
four lines of letter from him to me
which was not marked confidential.
it was written shortly after he became
President. II runs:
81 can never forget that the power
] now exercise was voluntarily trans
ferred from you to me. and that / am
that your Judgment in selecting me as
your successor and bringing about the
, succession shall be vindicated accord.
ing to the standards which you and
in conversation have always formu'
lated
1T is a bad trait to bite the hand
that feeds you. Mr.. Taft is President
only because ! kept my promise In spite
Of hfinte pressure to break 1t: anc
now he says that am not to be trusted
to keep my word. and that n ! were
elected now l must be President thu
rest of my natural life"
Raising his voice to an intense
MITCH RCnSeVplt nFOCeeded.
'In this contest there has been {
good deal of talk. but never by me
about ingratitude. A very few peopl'
have spoken as II ! was ungratefu
to Mr.. Taft.
Why He Is Against Taft.
Il make not the slightest claim oil
Mr.. Tafts gratitude. l was not ant
am not thinking of him. l was an'
am thinking of the American people
When thought he was the best in
strument in sight for serving III
. have continued to be for him withou
any>regard to his personal actions to
ward me II only he had continued t
act as the interest of the people de
'T am against Mr.. Taft because h
= has failed to give such service I
the people of the United States. Un
= til less than han a year ago ! kept Ges Ges
"
himself would at least show himsel
reasonably At for the task befor
him. or that II he failed some or
Y else would arise to whom the peopl
y could turn. Reluctantly I made II
my mind that Mr.. Taft could not d
II do not believe the Reepublica
= party could win under Mr.. Taft's leat
!, ership, and, moreover, ] feel that II
did win. having in view the meri
:. that Mr. Taft has developed and Il
y character of the support that is no
n behind him. keeping in view the IA
that he would owe his nomination ar
election to the big political bosses al
the crooked financial interests back
;, at least some of these bosses, the R
publican party would be turned into
party of reaction, that all it's usefulne
y would cease, that It would become
helpless to aid the country as the VIII
o party under Millard Fillmore. as Il
4, | Democracy was under Franklin, PierC
aand Buchanan.
r. "I wanted from President Taft
lo square deal for the people of the Unit,
n States. If he had given the people
square deal he could have continu,
=, on my enthusiastic support.
u 'I do not believe he has given Il
O people a square deal. I believe that
has yielded to the bosses and to Il
- great privileged interests. I think tn
he has done this through feebleness, n
,5 through viciousness. l have no possit
| lFnAn al ipa af i'm, a