The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-06-21
Col. Roosevelt Calls Together a
Selected Number
And Makes Statement Re-
garding His Candidacy.
HE TELLS THEM TO DECIDE
What His Course in the Matter
Shall Be.
Leaves the Room to Let Them
Think 1t Over.

In his statement, Colonel Roosevelt
said of his position:
'1 have nothing to offer any man.
ANY man who supports me will do so
without hope of gain and at the risk
of personal loss and discomfort.
"In either case L shall make my
appeal to every honest citizen in the
nation; and L shall fight the CAM
pafSn through, win or lose, if do
not get single electoral vote
ST do not wish a single man to sup
port me from any personal feeling
for me-
Chicago, June 21.-Theodore Roose-
welt, before his political advisers and Il
personally selected number of dele
gates instructed for him, late Thursday
afternoon read a statement of his posi-
ton in the Republican nomination fight
and left to them to decide what position
they would take in the struggle.
Mr.. Roosevelt called before him two
delegates from each of the states
which has supported him and the lead
ers in his campaign After outlining
his position declaring that he would
continue his fight on principles he had
outlined Ino beginning the colonel
left the room and the delegates and
leaders sat down to deliberate what
should be done.
A protracted session was expected
Col. Roosevelt returned to the confer
eIIce at $3.50 p M, walking arm in
arm with Had1ey, of Missouri, to the
meeting room.
RooseveIt's Statement
Following is the text in part of the
statement issued by Mr.. Roosevelt:
THE time has come when 1 feel
must make certain statements not
of the Republican national conven-
ton but to the rank and file of the
Republican party and to the honest
people of the entire nation.
II went into this fight for certain
great principles. At the moment can
only serve these principles by contin-
ufng to bear the personal responsible
ity which their advocacy has brought
to me. On behalf of these principles,
I made my appeal straight to the peo-
pie themselves. L went to them. I
made my argument in full; and every
move 1 made was in the open with
out concea1ment of any kind.
1.-THE opposition to me was extra
ordinarily bitter for 1 was opposed by
practically the entire phalanx of the
big, constituencies, political bosses
with back of them the practically SOL
id phalanx of the big beneficiarieS of
special privileges in every form and of
course the many big newspapers
which are controlled by or in the in
terest of the bosses and special priv
ilege.
Nevertheless in the appeal to the
people, I won.
Recalls the Campaign.
I'm many of the Republican states
and of the Democratic states where
there is large and real Republican
party, primaries of different kinds
were held and substantial expression
of the will of the people was obtained.
In these primary states some three mil
lion voters, the rank and file of the
Republican party, cast their votes; L
beat Mr.. Taft considerably over two to
one. In these states I obtained about
six delegates to Mr.. Taft's one.
Nearly three-fourths of my dele
gates came from these primary states
where the people had chance to ex-
press themselves.
Mr.. Taft's strength. as Indicated by
the two roll calls already taken con-
sisted chiefly aside from his 80
stolen delegates) of the nearly solid
from the southern states. in which
there is no real Republican party
South Carolina, Georgia. Florida, Ala
bama, Arkansas, Mississippi. Louisiana
and northern states like New York
where the people had no chance to
express themselves at primaries and
40 delegates were picked by the bosses.
Claims a Majority.
TN spite of these orders against me,
obtained a clear majority of all the
delegates elected to the convention In
my campaign 1 again and again stated
that if the people decided against me
would have nothing to say; but that if
they decided for me and the politi-
clans then robbed me of the victory, !
would not silently and tamely ac-
Quiesce. 1t was already evident that
my opponents, with Mr.. Taft's encour-
agement. intended to beat me by foul
means if they could not do so by fair
means.
1.-The crucial, but not the only step
in the concerted, and hitherto success
full effort to cheat the people out of the
victory they had fairly won. was taken
Ut by the now defunct national COM
mittee which without one show of JUS
tif1cation and in contempt of the most
ordinary rules of decency in making up
the temporary roll call unseated ninety |
fairly elected Roosevelt delegates and |
substituted for them ninety Taft dele |
gates, wherein the convention repre- |
sents nothing whatever but successful |
fraud.