The Washington times., 1912-04-26

end manv other men prominent and in
Gmential IN Congress- and politi:s, what.
leaders OF Bosses. DO not hesitate tc
say that Il involves the most audacious
enrontery on his part to attack me be.
cause men he characteriEes as bosses
are nnw supporting me, and to charge
me on that account with helping ma
chine. politics: This is peculiarly unfair
political history. and is another instance
square deal.
In Illinois Mr.. Lorimer was conduct.
Ing campaign OF his own with his owr
nominees. ] did not ask his support
He did not tender II to me. Any infiu.
ence Ne may have given in my favor
WAS was not n because ss,a he liked me, but be.
Roosevelt. Without further circum'
stance or knowledge, II would have
been unfair and unjust for Mr.. Roose.
the popular Indignation against Senator
Lorimer and thus to carry the State oi
Illinois against me; but II was peculiar.
ly unfair In Mr.. Roosevelt to do this
my actual attitude toward Senator
Lorimer.
Writes Letter.
In January of 1911 wrote to Mr.
Roosevelt as follows:
(Personal.)
THE WHITE HOUSE,
Washington, January 6, 1911.
My Dear Theodore: 1t comes to
me, perhaps without foundation, that
you are going to write a strong arti-
Gle on the Lorimer case and publish
everything / could iegitimateiy to
have the closest examination made
into the Lorimer case. I have read
as much of the evidence as could
get at, and am convinced that there
COFT1inti0n
upon which his election was founded
that ought to be stamped with the
disapproval of the Senate. But I
want the movement to oust him to
succeed. 1 have urged different Sen
ators to read the record carefully,
and after talk with Root, and Bur-
ton, and Knute Nelson, and Craw-
ford, and some others. I believe we
are going to line UP a good many OF
the regular Republicans on the side
Of what consider decency and hon
esty in politics.
II has leaked out that I have been
taking some interest in the matter,
and l fear that 1t has not helped the
situation generally, because Of that
strong feeling of clubdom in the SEN
ate and that resentment against out
side interference which nobody who
is not intimately acquainted with the
situation can understand the weight
of. / was talking with Borah this
morning. have consulted a good
deal with him on the subject and he
and agree that It would be unwise
either for you or for me to come out
his being ousted; that II would en-
able those who are determined to
keep him in, especially among the
Democrats. Bailey, and others, 10
terference that would hold number
of Democrats and would deprive US
of the strength we should get by
quiet presentation Of the full facts
Senate itself. Root is going to make
a speech. So is Burton, and l be-
lieve that Lodge will do the same
thing. Now. nothing would have
| stronger weight than speeches from
them; whereas. IL either you or l
came out with an attack, II would
enable the friends of Lorimer to
shift the subject from the tainted
pendence of the Senate in acting as
the Judge of the qualifications OF its
own members.
+ suggest: therefore, that II you
have an article on this subject, you
hold 1t until after the issues are more
plainly made by speeches on the
floor of the body In which the con-
test Is to be won. I want to win. So
Ing you.
Sincerely yours,
WILLIAM H. TAFT.
Hon. Theodore Roosevelt,
The Outlook, 2S7 Fourth avenue,
New York. N. Y.
p. S.-Of course, may be misin-
formed as to your purpose in this
matter.
Since debating the above, have
had the telephone conversation with
i you. but / let It 60
BY the telephone conversation and b.
subsequent correspondence with MI
Roosevelt, which do not publish, bu
which I am ready to publish II desire
by him, learned that no such articl
was contemplated, but that he woul
assist in the matter in other ways.
; submit to the people of Massachu