Omaha daily bee., 1912-03-06

needs Of thu future may demand cannot
tell.
You say that my keeping silence leads
to mlsoonstruction and gives opportunity
for my enemies to mako every kind Of
false statement about me and TO create
in the minds Of tire people . false i'm
preston Of me, some good people beins
led by my silence into the belief that q
10 useless TO Try TO nominate me. because
would certainly refuse, and others he
ing nisled into tho belief that I am un-
derhandedly intriguing for what I dare
no. openly ask; 90 that the impression on
the pubic Is detrimental to me.
MY dear sir, / am entirely agreed with
you as to the fact that my silence Is de-
iiberately misrepresented by my enemies.
with the purpose Of confusing good peo-
pie and getting them TO get a wrong
view. moreover. entirely agree with you
that the purpose Is at least partly
achieved The trouble IL that as so often
happens. this Is case where any course
pursued would lead to just such mlsrep-
representation. just such misjudgment,
just such puzzling Of the minds Of good
people. Personally. think that any
other course than the one I am adopting
would at present lead to even more mis-
representation and misjudgment than ac-
tuslly exist. As have again and again
said. ! am delighted to state my POSI-
ton fully and frankly. not only to any
sincere and honest supporter. but to any
sincere and honest opponent.
What have sid to you. and am
about to say TO you, have. for Instance.
said not only TO other friends, who think
| ought 10 be nominated, but to friends
land even foes) who think l ought not
10 be nominated. provided only / could
trust their sincerity, intelligence and
truthfulnesx. For instance, 1 have said
the same things - Secretary stimson.
5ecretary Meyer and Congressman Long
worth, who are supporting Taft. to Mr..
Plnchot and Congressman Lenroot and
Kent. who are supporting La Toilette.
have said them 20 editors like Mr.. Nelson.
Mr.. Van Valkenbury and NJ. Wright;
| personally said them to tie entire Al
dine club. democrats. republicans every
one. ] am not and shall not be can
didate. I shall not ses!; tho nomination
nor would ! accept 1t II Il came to me
as the result OF any intrigue. But | will
not tie my hands by a statement which
would make II difficult or impossible for
me to serve the public by undertaking a
great task II the people Us a whole
seemed definitely TO como TO the coaciu-
sion that ! ought to do that task. In
other words. as far as In mo l!oz. I am
endeavoring to look at this matter purely
from the standpoint of the public inter-
est. or the interest OF tho people as a
whole and not In the least from my own
standpoint.
III should consult only my own pleas
ure and interest l should most cmphat-
ically and immediately announce that
would not run. l have had all the honors
that any man can have from holding the
office OF president. From every personal
standpoint there Is nothing for me to
gain. either In running for the office or
In holding the office once more. and
there is very much TO lose.
would Do Task worth while.
Under such circumstances II I con-
suited only my own interest the obvious
thing TO do would be TO announce that 1
would not obey any popular mandate;
that / would not run II nominated. L
shall not follow this course, because I
am sincerely endeavoring to look at the
matter only from the standpoint Of the
popular interest 1t Is not only neces-
sary for the people to have the right
instrument. the right tool. with which TO
work in any given emergency. but 1t Is
necessary that they themselves shall
choose and shall believe In the sufficiency
OF that instrument II at this particular
crisis with the particular problems ahead
Of US at this particular time the people
feel that ! am the one man In sight to
do the Job. then l should regard myself
~ Sinking a plain duty II refused to
do II.
what I am interested in. remember.
il not In the least In holding the office.
but In doing job that is actually worth
doing; this Is the position that TO the
best Of my belief. ! have always taken
and always shah take. II the people
should feel that was the instrument
to be used at this time. 1 should accept
even although ] knew that should be
broken and cast aside in the using. The
right motto for any man Is: spend and
bs spent, and n. IN order TO do a job
worth doing from the public standpoint.
he must pay with his own life, actual
life on the field OF battle. or political
life in civic affairs, he must not grudge
tina payment. In short, ! am not con-
ccrned with the welfare Of any one man
In this matter. not with Mr.. Taft's well
fare. nor with Mr.. La Follette's and
least Of all with my own; I am concerned
only with the welfare Of the people Of
the United States.
'Now your point is that when ! feel
thus ought 10 be willing to state openly