Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-03-16
POLITICS DAY BY DAY

| Taft has III delegates to the Chicago
! convention. Roosevelt IL and Cummins :,
Contests are reported in the first Georgia.
the third Virginia. the second and fifth
Missouri and tie third Oklahoma.
; The Taft bureau last night gave out "a
statement quoting Representative Butler
Ares of Massachusetts, progressive
! republican. as follows:
Taft has made a splendid President.
| Ills record OF things done has been such
that any man who believes in government
as il was intended 10 he under uu- Con-
| stitution must support him. ! do not
think there is any doubt that President
| Taft viii get all of the delegates to the
| Chicago convention from the state OF
Massachusetts, ] have recently been UP
home and | have taiked with the people
in every walk Of life. Mr.. Roosevelt $
! Columbus speech has killed him political
| ~ 50 far as my section of the country is
! concerned.
PERSONALLY am nnalterably opposed
| to Mr. Roosevelt's doctrines. lie seems
! TO say Il believe in constitutional gov
eminent. but ! do not think the Coasti-
tuition shCu',. he regarded II YOU want
! 20 do anything | do not believe in the
Judgment of MIR. Roosevelt. nor do L be-
liere i'll his sincerity. think he Is with
out conscience When il comes to matters
political The American people are find
ing these things out.
L. w. Muvane wired Taft headquarters
fl ON Topeka. Kan. yesterday that the
state committee had Endorsed Taft by a
vote of IS to II. The state convention
will be held May s.
Roosevelt headquarters last night gave
out an open letter by Clifford Plnchot
which quotes a letter written by ellison
Gardner. a newspaper man. to Walter L..
l1ouser Senator La Folettes campaign
manager. denying that Col Roosevelt
promised his support to the senator S
candidacy with the assurances that he
himself would not become a candidate.
The letter was given out as an answer to
Mr.. Houser's statement at jamestown. n.
D.. yesterday that .'Pnchot knew that
Roosevelt not only encouraged but was
favorable to La Follette's candidacy I'M
til it came to appear that it might sue
coed"
Gardeners letter to Houser declares I'M
true any statement that Col. Roosevelt
urged Senator La Toilette to become q
candidate. 1t then goes on to say that
Col. Roosevelt sent word by Gardner that
he did not believe Senator La Toilette
could win and that che believed Tafts
denomination would be forced by money
welt said. he did not feel like urging La
Toilette to go into losing fight
Other quota tons from Gardeners letter
follow:
Col Roosevelt had said emphatcaily
that he would not take sides between
candidates or give any candidate SPECIFIC
Endorsement He said he would. in the
columns of the Outlook. and otherwise,
do what he could to direct attention to
the work accomplished by Senator La
Toilette in Wisconsin,; beyond this, he
said he could not go.
Col Roosevelt did not promise that he
would not himself become candidate.
He WAS very careful at that and all
times t. say that he would not bind him.
self as to his future course by any prom
ises or statements. l made this clear to
Senator La Toilette, and the senator to
my own knowledge knew at all times that
Col. Roosevelt regarded himself as free
to take any course that he might con-
slider wise.
Finally I told Senator La Toilette that
Col. Roosevelt agreed that IL Senator La
Toilette proposed to undertake cam
paign for the nomination with the quite
certain prospect that he would make
losing fight the sooner the campaign was
begun the better.
THAT was the sum and substance OF
the message which l brought from oyster
Bay.
at was understood by all Senator La
Follettes friends that he became can
didate without serious hope Of being
nominated and for the purpose OF con-
solidating the progressive movement
Mr. Pinchot's letter, which closes with