The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1912-10-25
BARTHOLDT ANSWERS T. r..
Calls Him Ambition Ihsane-NiiS-
souri, Congressman Makes Long
Letter Public on Return
from EurODe

New York, Oct. 24-Congressman
Richard Bartholdt, of Missouri, who
returned from Europe yesterday,
gave out a copy of letter to Theo-
dore Roosevelt under date of Sept.
12, "off Plymouth, England" an
swering Colonel Roosevelt's attack
on him as "one of the highwaymen"
of the Republican National Conven-
ton at Chicago. The letter says:
In the newspapers of September 3
the morning | sailed for Europe
you are reported as having used the
following language in a speech de-
livered at Des Moines, Ia, to wit:
Il see Mr.. What's s-his-name, that
Congressman from st. Louis, Bar
tholdt-he is one of the highway
men-has asked Mr.. Cummings to
berate the Texas, California, and
Washington contests at Chicago. /
hope Mr.. Cummings will refuse, for
the reason that l wouldn't debate
with a pickpocket the ownership of
a watch he has just stolen. If the
police are handy, I'll hand them over
to them. If they are not I'll tend to
him myself. Any man, any candi-
date for governor or other office
who has knowledge of the facts, and
supports Mr.. Taft gives us the right
to say that he is not competent to
pass upon honesty in public life"
l shall not attempt to answer you
in kind, as to do so would mean to
stoop to the level of the cowboy in
speech and manners, with apologies
to the cowboy. Nor shall / discuss
with you the merits of the Chicago
contests, for your repeated fulmina-
tions on this subject show you to be
either guilty of persistent prevarica-
tion or else innocent of all knowl-
edge of the facts concerning it. In
assuming the latter everybody will
admit that, in the face of the print
ed evidence, am taking a charitable
view.
Saying that the letter is not in
tended as an argument, and adding
that you Colonel Roosevelt) would
not admit the truth concerning the
contests even if you were convinced
of it because it would knock the
props from under your candidacy"
Mr.. Bartholdt gives his reasons for
opposing Mr.. Roosevelt's candidacy
partly as follows:
First charge you with being,
consciously or unconsciously, the tool
President Taft had disregarded the
law and the interests of the people
as you have done, through your fail
ure to prosecute these trusts, he
would have had no opposition for
denomination. But the moment he
had authorized his attorney-genera
to institute proceedings, these pow
erful combinations looked around
for a candidate with whom to beat
Mr. Taft, and they settled on you
and furnished all the money deemed
necessary to carry the primaries.
Second challenge your SINGER
ity in the championship of progress
sive measures and assert it to be an
insane ambition and not an honest
desire for progress and reform,
which prompted your candidacy.
Why did not you propose all these
new plans while you were still
President and had the power to
carry them out? Instead you sneer-
ed at Senator La Toilette and his
followers.
Third charge you with a viola
tion of solemn promise given to the
American people when you declared
that under no circumstances would
you accept another nomination.
Your subsequent explanation that
had in mind only a Consecutive
term" is a subterfuge and an after
thought, and every sane American
citizen is convinced of that fact.
Fourth am opposed to your
candidacy because it is for third
term.
Fifth charge you with a DELHI
crate effort to overthrow the Con-
stitution and the courts, for this and
nothing else is what the proposed
recall of judges and judicial decis-
ions means. If the Constitution
guarantees which Youchsafe our in