Arizona republican., 1912-06-27
Chief Reason He Is Offer ing for His Election Is That Big Sinister Influ- ences Want to Defeat Him
BUT HIS HATS IN
 ANOTHER RING
He Gives It Out That in No Circumstances Will He Retire From the Fight or Yield to Another Can didate
[AssoC1ArED PRESS DIsPArcH]

OYSTER BAY, June 26.-The issue upon which Roosevelt will make his campaign for president was indicated by him today. He purposes to base his appeal upon the assertion that what he has termed the big sinister influences" have determined to elimin- ate him from public life because he is the one man whom they really fear To accomplish this purpose he be- lieves they are willing to take up any man who they think can win the presidency over him. Having defeated him in the Chicago convention he says they hope to control the demo- cratic convention to the same end.
 ''They know me and I know them, . I am fighting a lone hand and I am going to fight it out to the end.'' The former president made this re- l mark after long conferences with l William Prendergast who came to Oyster Bay to induce the colonel to say definitely that under no circum- l stances would he withdraw from the fight.
 l Has any suggestion been made" it was asked of Prendergast that any ! other than the colonel should lead the fight for the new party? l T will answer the question for I Preadergast," said Roosevelt Tn a statement which I made in 1 Chicago on Monday. I said I would stay in the fight to the end. Since l then I have received hundreds of let
 ters and telegrams urging me to go
 on with it and not one of them sug-
 gested that I get out of it. In every
 case my reply was just what I said
 at Chicago.
 I'm in this fight to stay, and ] am going to make more trouble than
 the standpatters think" said Roose-
 welt.
 Tt is perfectly surprising to see the amount of support I am receiving A good many men were opposed to me at Chicago because they though,
 I was in the minority, but these men do not tolerate theft and are now com ing out for me because they believe improper methods were used to de- feat me"
 Tn Chicago, Prendergast continu- ed, some of the Taft leaders asked him to go to Roosevelt with an of- fer to give the nomination to Gov ] ernor Hadley or any other man the colonel might name. They had ever
 offered he said, to put the Roosevelt delegates from TeNas and Washing ton back on the list if he would con-
 sent to his.
 1 Roosevelt cOrrobOrated this state
 ment and added that the same in- tereSts were at work in the Balti- more convention.
 Prendergast said in his statement that he had pointed out to Roose-
 welt that the overshadowing issue was l whether nomination for the presi-
 dency can be stolen, and the people
 not be given an opportunity to pass judgment on the theft"
 "The object for which this fraud
 was perpetrated." he said, was the defeat of Roosevelt and the nomina- 1 tion of anybody else. This convention 1 piracy will be successful if any other man is elected to the presidency. The l object of every honest man therefore i should be to elect him. Should either
 Taft or a democrat be elected, the
 success of the conventions piracy will i be complete. If the presidency or the
 nomination for it can be stolen and the thieves escape unpunished. what
 security can there be for property i or order?"