New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-10-02
ANSWERS T.R.
"Highwayman" Charge Brings
Rejoinder of Tool of Trusts.
CALLS HIS AMBITION INSANE
Missouri Congressman Makes
Long Letter Public on Re-
turn from Europe.


souri,. who returned from Europe yester-
day, gave out copy of letter to Theo-
dore Roosevelt under date OF September
IL, of Plymouth. England" answering
Colonel Roosevelt's attack on him 80
''one Of the highwaymen" Of the Repub-
lican National Convention at Chicago.
The letter says:
In the newspapers OF september 5-the
morning sailed for Europe-you are
reported as having used the following lam
guage I'm a speech delivered at Des
Moines, Iowa, to wit:
II see Mr. hat's-his-name, that
Congressman from ST. Louis. Bar
tholdt-he is one OF the highwaymen--
has asked Mr.. Cummings to debate the
Texas. California and Washington
contests at Chicago. hope Mr..
Cummings will refuse for the reason
that | wouldn't debate with pick
pocket the ownership Of a watch ne
handy I'll hand him over to them.
IL they are not, I'll tend TO him myself.
Any man, any candidate for Governor
or other office who has knowledge OF
the fact and supports Mr. Tart
gives us the right to say that he IL
not competent TO pass upon honesty
In public life"
kind, as to do so would mean to stoop
TO the level of the COWBOY In speech ana
tanners, with apologies to the COWBOY.
Nor shall l discuss with you the merits
OF the Chicago contests, for your re-
peated EXAMINATIONS on this subject snow
you 10 be either guilty OF persistent pre-
varication or else innocent OF all knowI-
edge of the facts concerning H.; In as
suming the latter everybody VIII anini'
that, In the face Of the printed eNl-
dence, am taking = charitable view.
Saying that the letter is not intended as
All argument. and adding that You
Colonel RoosevelD would not admit the
truth concerning the contests even ~ you
were convinced Of II because u wouid
knock the props from under your candl-
dacy," Mr. Bartholdt gives his reasons
for opposing Mr.. Roosevelts candidacy
partly as follows:
First-I charge you with being. con-
sciously OF mconsciously, the tool OF the
steel and harvester trusts IL President
Taft had disregarded the law and the IN
teresis of the people a. you have DONE
through your failure TO prosecute these
trusts, he would have had no opposition
for denomination. But the moment ne
had authorized his attorney general TO IN
stitute proceedings. these powerful com
blnations looked around for candidate
with whom 10 beat Mr.. TAFT and they
settled on you and furnished all the money
deemed necessary To carry the primaries,
Second.-I challenge your sincerity IA
the championship OF progressive measures
and assert II TO he an insane ambition ana
rot an honest desire for progress ana re-
form which prompted your candidacy.
Why did not you propose all these new
plans while you were still President and
had the power to carry them out? In
stead you sneered at Senator La toilette
and his followers.
Third charge you with violation Of
solemn promise given to the American
people when you declared that under no
circumstances would YOU accept another
nomination. Your subsequent explanation
that you had in mind only consecutive
term" is a. subtcrfuge and an after.
thought, and every sane American citizen
Is convinced OF that fact
FOURTH am opposed to your candi-
dacy because II Is for third term.
Fifth charge you with deliberate
effort to overthrow the Constitution and
the courts, for this and nothing else Is
what the proposed recall OF judges and
judicial decisions means. II the consti-
tutional guarantees which youchsafe our
inalienable rights and their enjoyment
the passing wnims Of majority. why
have constitution at all and why
courts7
SIXTH charge you with responsibility
for the defeat OF the arbitration treaties.
the greatest progressive measure yet
proposed by an American President.
The same as in the case OF reciprocity,
which you both favored and opposed.
you advocated the gospel of peace in
your Christiania speech, but immediate
iy began knocking II when President
Taft submitted concrete plan TO carry
it out The deciding vote by which the
treaties were emasculated was cast by
your own political manager. Senator
Dixon. who had favored them up TO the
time of a visit with you at New York on
the night preceding the vote In the Sem
ate. Your opposition evidently was
prompted by envy and jealousy of Presi-
dent Taft's possible success In the mat
ter OF this great world reform.
SEVENTH hole up 10 the sober JUGS
ment of the American people your denial
OF all knowledge OF the $1,000 contrlou.
ted TO your campaign by the Standard OIL
Company IT. 1904. As you knew OF every
thing else connected with that campaign.
that denial repr sents one OF the most
remarkable issues or this remarkable
campaign. But why go back as far as
SO instructive an object lesson? George
w Perkins, Frank Munsey, Medill Nc
Cormick, Dan Hanna and others have
been publicly charged with having fur-
nished your sinews of war since you
threw your hat into the ring. and you
have never denied il. And are not these
men the representatives of the steel and
harvester trusts, namely, the trusts pro-
tected by you and prosecuted by Presi-
dent TAT. a., ,
Eighth charge you with having at
tempted. by your diatribes against the
national committee. to incite the people
10 riot and bloodshed. Have you for
gotten what you said about such crime
land a crime II is-in your first message
TO Congress after the assassination OF
President Mckinley? Have you forgotten
that you sent your then secretary OF
State TO New York to charge Mr.. Hearst
with responsibility for that great la
tlonal calamity? But Mr.. Hearsts edito-
rails were mild as compared with your
furious outbursts in which you character
ized honorable men AS thieves ana
brigands.
Ninth charge you with having basely
BETRAYED a friend in the person OF Presi-
dent Taft. Even to-day neither he nor
the country can account for your faith
iessness except on the theory Of your own
inordinate ambition or the lesal pro-
cedure against your pet trusts. And was
not President Taft. by virtue OF party
tradition as well as his conscientious per-
Torrance OF duty and progressive achieve
ments, Justly entitled to q second term!
Tenth shall not only support MT
Taft. but oppose you with all legitimate
means at my command. because OF the
contrast between you and him. Mr.. Taft
Is sane, safe and judicious, and under
him the country's progress and peace VIII
be secure. But what is the use or telling
YOU? You know all this TO be true ana
have eaId tho same things yOurSel1, only