Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-03-23

ner
Declaring that Roosevelt had encourage
ed La Toilette to be a candidate to up
hold progressive principles because this
was democratic year. and Roosevelt
could not afford defeat" while La Fol-
lette would not be injured by defeat that
Roosevelt had promised to do what he
corld to help La Toilette; charging that
Ormsby McHarg had "gum-shoed'' the
south i'm Roosevelt's interest; before the
latter became a candidate, and charging
that big business is back of Roosevelt,
Walter l.. Houser, chairman of the La
Toilette campaign committee, has re-
piled to ellison Gardner. who a few DAYS
ago wrote a letter setting forth his ideas
Of the understanding between Roosevelt
and La Toilette.
Roosevelt's Message to La Toilette.
Col Houser's letter to ellison Gardner
was given out at La Toilette headquar-
ers today. Col. Houser says:
The message you say you brought from
Col. Roosevelt to Senator La Toilette can
be construed in no other way than an in
ducement to Senator La Toilette to be-
come candidate. You say, He Roose-
velD said he would, in the columns OF
the Outlook or otherwise, do what lie
could to direct attention to the work ac-
complished by Senator La Toilette In
Wisconsin,
IF he had said no more. that would
justify what | have said, viz, that the
message brought by you to La Toilette
from Roosevelt encouraged La Toilette to
become a candidate.
But you said more than this. You
said that Roosevelt declared that he
could not be a candidate; that his place
In history was made: that he could not
afford to take defeat, and that who
ever made the fight was certain to be de-
feated for nomination, and for election if
nominated; that this was a democratic
year; that La Toilette would not be in
jured by a defeat; that there should be
a candidate representing the progressive
movement; that La Toilette was the log
ical man and that If he decided to make
the fight, he should announce his candi-
dacy at once
Encouragement of La Toilette.
This. in addition to what you admit
you stated, is substantially what you
stated to me and to others. / have
stated no more in my interviews or
speeches You and 1 have reviewed this
message at different times and there was
never any misunderstanding of its intent
or meaning.
THAT Roosevelt encouraged La Toilette
to become candidate you cannot deny.
That he promised to do what he could
to help him by directing attention in the
columns Of the outlook or otherwise, to
the work accomplished by Senator La
Toilette in Wisconsin, is admitted by
yourself and Mr.. Pinchot. Can you say
that such promise would be no encour-
agement to a man who was being urged
to lead a fight? 1t would speak little for
the influence of Col. Roosevelt IL his
promise to help could not be regarded as
encouragement.
At First Small Hope of Success.
but aside from this contention over
the particular form of the message from
Roosevelt to La Toilette, there is much
else concerning the campaign with which
you are familiar that it may not be anliss
to call to your dttention, anu 10 the at
tention Of the country. There can be
no disagreement between us as to the be-
lief upon the part of Col. Roosevelt and
that group of men who urged Senator
La Toilette to become a candidate for
President that at that time there was
little, IL any, hope Of success, so far as
the nomination was concerned. 1t was
generally agreed that the most that
could be accomplished would be to make
the progressive movement national In its
scope and to put IT forward.
But the unexpected happened. As a re-
suit of energetic work. the progressive
sentiment in the country was aroused
and the movement and the candidacy OF
Senator La Toilette developed surprising
strength. Your own letters written from
differetn parts of the country to the press
Indicated that the campaign was making
most gratifying progress. The Chicago
conference made plain that there was a
mighty movement under way. Following
this. the campaign in Ohio threw conster-
nation into the ranks of the representa-
tiyes of big business You know that 1t
was generally conceded that La Toilette
would carry Ohio against Taft. You are
well aware of the methods pursued in
that state to stop La Toilette
"You are familiar with the frequent
conferences in New York about that