The Washington times., 1912-04-26
TAFT SHOWN BY
SPEECH TO FAVOR
LOR|MER SENATORS
Opposed Blond Boss, But
Lauds Those Who Sus-
tanned Him.


heralded broadside of exposure" of
Theodore Roosevelt in a speech at Bos-
ton last night. 1t was almost exactly
what had been expected. The President
produced letter written by himself
early in 1911 saying that he wanted
Lorimer unseated. How much in ear
nest he was in wanting Lorimer un-
seated is indicated by the fact that the
particular purpose of writing 1t was:
TO BESEECH MR.. ROOSEVELT
MOT TO PRINT ANYTHING IN THE
oUTLooK UNFRIENDLY TO LORI
MER OR IN SUPPORT OF THE
FIGHT TO GUST HIM!
That is all. The Taft managers in
Washington had given out, and OBJ
tanned wide publication for, a report
that Taft had a letter from Roosevelt
that was friendly to Lorimer. Instead
the letter produced was from Taft to
Roosevelt, and told Mr.. Roosevelt in
very direct fashion that 1t would be
better for him not to interfere with the
Senate's settlement of the Lorimer
issue! Incidentally, Mr.. Taft said he
also wanted Lortmer unseated.
What Letter Said.
Mr.. Taft told his predecessor that
Root, Burton, and Lodge were going to
make speeches against Lorimer, and he
expected them to have real weight; but
he was sure that any pronouncement
By Roosevelt would do more harm than
good.
Thereafter Mr.. Taft went right ahead
transacting his legislating business
through the. Senators who were SUP
PORTING Lorimer. $50 '''.'
The Boston address Is a most inter-
esting rehearsal of the relations be-
tween Taft and Roosevelt. Private let
tiers, which Colonel Roosevelt had not
apparently dreamed of using, were
brought forth. Just why Mr.. Taft should
have made public his letter begging
Roosevelt not to fight Lorimer is caus-
Ing wonderment among politicians to-
day, for they think 1t calculated to
injure Taft, rather than strengthen him,
with people who believe Lorimer should
be ousted
Mr. Taft defends his reciprocity pact
and shows that he told Roosevelt about
1t before 1t was made public, and that
Roosevelt indorsed the program. That
Endorsement. however, was given, as
MIR. Taft admits, on the Taft statement
of the case-a statement which was not
borne out when the pact itself was
brought forward and the truth about
its effects was made known during The
discussion.
The President once more defends the
Payne bill and gets back to his WI
mona declaration that 1t was the best
himself for the railroad bill Of 1910, not
withstanding that the whole country
now knows that that measure, as pre-
pared and approved by him, was reac-
the program of Government control.
1Ie also defends the DEGREES in the
Standard Oil and Tobacco cases.
Colonel's Reply.
When Colonel Roosevelt learned the
character of the Taft attack he prompt
by gave out a statement touching only
on the Harvester trust AFFAIR. To the
rest of the Taft address he will reply
in his Massachusetts speeches. His
statement follows:
"As regards the Harvester trust
matter, the following statements sent
20 me by Mr.. Bonaparte, my Attorney
General at the time. and by Herbert
Knox Smith, then and now commits
sioner of corporations. explain them
selves:
"Mr. Bonaparte wrote
when became Attorney General
file about the Harvester trust, and some
Of these were SO serious and specific
that I directed an investigation. ap-
pointing B. D. Townsend, then Assist
one Of the Da]sotas, as special counsel
for the subject. He worked very
slowly, and while we were awaitine G
his report l received information from
other quarters (submitted by Cravath
~ I remember right, in defense OF
the trust. and made up my mind that
a suit ought to be instituted for its
dissolution.
"T then learned from Herbert KnoA
Smith that he was engaged IN an in
vest!ea ton of the affairs of the Har'
Ivester trust directed by the Senate. un
Hanshrough. Smith said tfat the in
sl:tution Of a suit against the trus
would put a stop to his Investigation
at a Cabinet meeting. After full
hut harmonious discussion, it was de
cided. I think, on the advice of Secre
taries - and Taft. that. inasmucl
law creating the Bureau of Corporation!
TO direct an investigation by. that bu
reau this investigation of Smiths mus
be considered AS one conducted hv thu
Senate itself, and it would be appro
pirate for the Department of Justice
tc await its conclusion before proceed
-" You never gave me any instruction.
of any kind about the suit. / have al
iniistlnct recollection that you askeS
Inc to see somsbodv who wished to tall
trust and think it probable this wa
Cravath, as know he gave me hi
hrief and other papers. OF course, yol
had nCthing to do with preventing thu
Institution of the suit. except In 50 IA
as you ac0uicsced IN the view taken b!
the Cabinet 20 the effect that in cOnse
uuence of the provisions of the Bureal
0f Corporations act delay was damend
ed by comfy toward the Senate"
Haste Not Essential.
"Mr. Smith writes me in two com
! mupications," says Colonel Roosevelt;
I'm the first he recites that on Angus
! "a, 1907, he met me at New York, wher
he said that MIR. Perkins proteste
against any suit (Which he, Mr.. Per
kins, then understood to be pending) be
ing brought against the Harvester trus
while the investigation by the burea
was still pending: that on August h
called on me at Oyster Bay and advo
Gated my carrying out the policy G
seeing that the bureaus investigate
was finished before any suit was start
ed, on the ground that the tnvestiga
ton would be far more effective fo
reform than any suit; that the suit, be
ing a civil and not criminal proceeding
no statute of limitations applied an
consequently haste was not essentla
and. finally, that II the corporation wa
q substantial offender the suit woul
have vastly more chance OF successfI