The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-04-26

office I hold not to indulge in personal controversy.
 President Tafts Dilemma
 "But I am presented with this diff culty. 1 represent cause. l am the titular leader of that movement and the substantial and sane Legislation of my ad- mnistration vindicates it's existence and continuance. The supporters of this cause feel that by such Charges and appeals Mr. Roosevelt has clouded the real issues and has misled a great many patriotic people to his support, because no one has an swered them as they ought to be an- sweredF As the titular head of the re- publican party whose integrity is threat ened, l must meet MT. Roosevelts att tacks, however unpleasant may be per 4sonal controversy with one whom in the past l have greatly admired and loved, and whose present change of attitude is the source of the saddest disappointment.
 "NIr. Roosevelt brides himself on being a true sportsman, and he likes to take maxims from the language of sport The maxim which he has exalted above all others is that Every man is entitled to square deal l propose to examine the charges he makes against me and to ask you whether in making them he is giv- ing me square deal?"
 In detail MT. Taft dealt first with the statement by Colonel Roosevelt in his Carnegie hall address in which the colonel said:
 MT. Taft fairly defines the issue when he says that our government is and should be a government of all the people by a representative part of the people. That is an excellent and moderate description of an oligarchy. It defines our govern ment as a government of all the people by few of the people"
 Replies To 0ligarchy Charge
 In reply MT. Taft said in part:
 ''rhe excerpt which MT. Roosevelt uses is garbed. l did not say this should be- q government of all the people by rep 1esentative part of the people l said, It is thus apparent that ours is a government of all the people by a representative part of the people," and it is. l had pointed out that the government was by popular vote, that the voters did not include the women and children, that in number the voters were less than one fourth of all the people and that their action was the action Of their majority. Does MT. Roose- welt deny this fact?
 Was it honest, was it fair of Theodore Roosevelt to seize one sentence from a speech to sarble fl and then to give it a meaning which he knew from the context it could not bear?'
 Mr. Taft next took up what he termed the unfair" charge he was in favor of an OligarcnX or posses.
 He (Colonel RooseveD says that all the bosses are in my favor, and all of them against him. That Is not true. By his association with William Finn of ristsburg, there is being restored to power in that city and in Pennsylvania one of the worst municipal bosses the history of that state knows. He charges me with as- sociation with MT. Barnes of New York, while he is silent as to the support and .f1t 10 ic nd of the same state. MT Roosevelt knows that in 1910, but for the support he re- ceived from my friends as against MT Barnes and MT. Ward. he would not have been nominated as temporary chairman of the New York convention
 Both Men Are the Same
 'The truth with respect to me is the same as it is with respect to MT Roose- vel. When 1 am running for the presi- dency l gratefully accept such support as comes to me. MT. Roosevelt Is doing SD now. l am making no bargain. I am agreeing to no conditions that would hamper me in the administration of the government should be reelected. l do not say that MT. Roosevelt has done so or is doing so. But when I consider the eagerness with which MT. Roosevelt has accepted in his various campaigns the as- sistance of MT. Aldrich, Ni. Cannon, Mir Penrose, MT. Quay, MT. Platt MT. For aker and many other men influential in politics, I do not hesitate to say that it involves the most audacious effrontery on his part to attack me because men he characterizes as bosses are now support ing me and to charge me on that &C., count with helping machine politics"
 MT. Taft charged that MT. Roosevelt and his supporters during their recent campaign in Illinois linked his name with that Of Senator Lorimer.
 Explains Lorimer Support
 ..I have not seen Mir Lorimer for two years. and have had no communication with or for him. Any influence he may