Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1912-08-03
MISSOURI man
UPH0LDS TAFT
CONGRESSMAN BARTHoLDT DE-
CLARES NATIONAL COMMIT
TEE WAS FAIR IN CONTESTS.
CALLS T. r. TRAITOR
Says Colonel Would Have Made Race
on ANY Old Platform" and Still
Received Blind Support
Of Followers.

Of Followers.
! Washington, Aug. I'm connection
with Taft's notification of his re
nomination the imbroglio over the in
Itegrity of the republican national con
Ivention broke out afresh in the house
Representative Bartholdt OF Missouri
who held proxy in the meetings Of
the national committee when the con
tests were heard, contributed to the
symposium with a speech that en-
braced a sensational attack on Colonel
Roosevelt. His defense of the com
mittee against the charges OF bur.
glary" that have been made was in
reality incidental to the imputations
cast in the course pursued by the
presidents rival for the nomination.
The Missouri representative pointed
out that there was no secrecy about
the national committee meetings.; that
everything was done openly and
above board. He declared that perusal
Of the stenographic evidence would
prove to anyone that the Taft dele
gates were fairly seated. Not only
this, he asserted, but the same study
would reveal unparalleled political trick
cry on the Roosevelt side.
He came with treachery In his
heart and fully determined to bolt II
things were against him. declared
Mr.. Bartholdt, referring to Colonel
Roosevelt. 1.-The cry Of fraud was pre-
meditated and the shameless ejacula-
ton Thieves!' was the battle cry or
the new party. If he himself had been
nominated he would have made the
race on any old platform, with his
frantic followers shouting 'Hosanna!
II shall not refer to the slurs of men
who have grown tired of their party
affiliation," said Mr.. Bartholdt. and
who, If convinced against their will,
would be OF the same opinion still
I do deem it proper and timely, how
ever to throw some light on the poll
tical situation by examining the fling
ers which are trying to throttle the
republican party. When we are I'M
Justly assaulted we have a right not
only to defend ourselves but to in
ouire into the motives Of the assail-
ants. Let me open up the inquiry
with this question: Do you believe
the national committee would have de-
voted ten days to their most pains
taking and exhausting work II they
could have realized that there was to
be but one real republican candidate
before the convention? Many dele
gates had their misgivings at the time.
They remembered that, in the widely
advertised Columbus speech the name
republican was not even mentioned,
but they still felt confident that no
man would have the audacity to ask
for a presidential nomination at the
hands of a republican national conven-
ton when at heart he was no longer
a republican.
s'In the light OF later events we
know, of course, that this was a case
of misplaced confidence; in other
words, that Mr.. Roosevelt never in
tended to abide by the decision of the
convention except he himself would
be the nominee. We know now that
it was an ordinary hold-up, not even
without the customary threat: Your
purse or your life!' Give me the NOM
nation or I'll kill you'll Yes, and we
can go further and say when the Oys-
ter Bay candidate made up his mind
to violate all American traditions OF
political decency and go to Chicago,
at that very moment he knew he was
beaten. but expected to save the. day
by personal appeals to the delegates
through persuasion, promises, coercion
or threats
There was no more effective means
to undermine the old party than to de-
fame its character" continued Mr..
Bartholdt. "In order to put new
party on it's feet, it became necessary
to run down the old one. Certainly
no san, citizen will desert his party
and all it's happy associations as long
as he has confidence in 1t, hence that
confidence had to be destroyed.
What &yas there more convenient
than to seize upon the contests as the
handiest big stick for the work Of de-
struction? If the national committee
had needed the injunction, Thou shalt
not steal except for mel all would
have been we'll. But it's determination
to do it's work consciously brought all
the prearranged plans of party treach-
cry to full fruition.
"Since the convention has spoken
and assumed responsibility, said Mr..
Bartholdt, referring specifically to the
contests, "the scurrilous charges
hurled against the national committee |
really SIGNIFY WHOLESALE inulctLAeuI
against the republican party Itself; I
hence the republican who, with the
record before him and in spite OF it, |
continues to talk Of tainted delegates |
and an illegal nomination is no long
er attacking individuals, but is befoul- |
ing his own nest.
"And, more than that, careful |
scrutiny Of that record will convince
him that. If he wishes to leave the re-
publican party. he must leave it for
other reasons than the malicious SLAM !