The Twin City star. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1910-19??, 1912-06-29
ONE NAN WHOM \
INTERESTS FEAR
Roosevelt Alleges Plot to Elm.
Inate Him From Public Life.
COLONEL PLAYING LONE HAND
Intends Staying In tho Fight No
Matter What Happens.

Oyster Bay, N. Y, June 27.-The is
sue upon which Colonel Roosevelt is
to make his campaign for. the presi-
dency was indicated by him. He pur.
poses to base his appeal upon the as
sertion that what he has termed the
"big sinister influences" have deter
mined to eliminate him from public
life because he Is the one man whom
they really fear.
To accomplish this purpose he be-
ieves they are willing to take up any
man whom they think can win the
presidency over him. Having defeated
him at the Chicago convention he
says they hope to control the Demo
cratic convention to this same end.
"They know me and l know them,"
he said. 1T 10 anything to beat me.
I am playing a lone hand and I am
going to fight it out to the end"
The former president made this re-
mark after a long conference with
William A. Prendergast, comptroller
of the city Of New York Mr. Prem
dergast came to Oyster Bay to induce
Colonel Roosevelt to say definitely
that under no circumstances would he
withdraw from the fight.
"KIas any suggestion been nader"
was asked of Mr.. Prendergast, that
any man other than Colonel Roosevelt
should lead the fight for the new
party?"
Roosevelt Answers Question.
II will answer that question for Mr..
Prendergast," said the colonel. In
the statement which l made in Chi.
oago on Monday said that would
stay in the fight to the end. Since
then have received hundreds Of let
ters and kilograms urging me to 20
on with 1t and not one Of them suG-
gested that get out Of 1t. In every
case my reply Is just what said in
Chicago"
The comptroller said the reason he
was anxious to make It clear that
Colonel Roosevelt would make the
fight was that the Interests" which
defeated him at Chicago would do
anything in their power to keep him
out Of the White House and for that
purpose would gladly accept any other
progressive. In Chicago, he continued,
some of the Taft leaders asked him to
20 to Colonel Roosevelt with the offer
to give the nomination to Governor
Hadlsy or any other man the colonel
might name.
They had even offered, he said, to
put the Roosevelt delegates from Texas
and Washington back on the list II
he would consent to this.
Colonel Roosevelt corroborated this
statement and added that the same
interests" were hard at work at the
Baltimore convention and were willing
to take up any Of the Democratic pro-
gressives II they thought they could
thus defeat him.
Prendsrgast Defines Issue.
Comptroller Prendergast said he had
pointed out to Colonel Roosevelt that
the overshadowing issue was "wheth-
or the nomination for the presidency
can be stolen"
The people should be given an op-
portunity to pass judgment on the
theft" he said.
"The object for which this fraud was
perpetrated," he said, was the defeat
Of Mr.. Roosevelt, not the nomination
Of anybody else. This conspiracy will
be successful II any other man 10
elected to the presidency"
Colonel Roosevelt said he had heard
no news from the Democratic con-
vention and seemed surprised when
he was told that Charles r. Crane Of
Chicago and others Of his supporters
were in Baltimore. He said he did not
know what they were doing there.
His chief interest was In reports
which appeared in the newspapers
that Charles f. Murphy, leader of
Tammany Hall, was assuming com.
handing position at Baltimore. The
report pleased the colonel, who
professed to see in them a parallel to
conditions which existed in Chicago.
That's fir e." said Colonel Roose-
velt. "Do ytL suppose 1t may mean
Gaynor?"