The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-04-27
The Colonel Replies to Presi-
dents Boston Speech.
Accuses MIR. Taft of Uttering an
Absurd Untruth.
DISLOYALTY TO FRIENDSHIP
Is Another Charge Hurled at
His Adversary.
Quotes From a Private Letter
Written to Himself.

Worcester, Mass, April 27.-Merciless
denunciation of President Taft was
Colonel Roosevelts reply to the pres1-
dents attacks upon him yesterday:
Colonel Roosevelt -OOk up President
Taft's attack upon him point by point
assailing the president in one scathlng
sentence after another.
When Colonel Roosevelt reached here,
at the beginning of mis- MASSACHUSETTS,
trip he found the streets thronged- "A
band and a torchlight procession es-
corted him to Mechanics hall, where ne
delivered his main speech. Later he ad-
dressed overflow meeting
Colonel Roosevelt, in part, said:
I'm this campaign, 1 regard the issue
at stake as altogether too important to
permit it to be twisted into one OF per-
sonalities between President Taft and
myself. But Mr.. Taft's speeches yester-
day contained statements that I must
answer. Most of what he said needs
no comment from me. When, for in
stance, he said that 1 have endeavored
to minimize the Importance of my Col
umbus speech. he says what he must
know to be untrue; he can not have
read my Carnegie hall speech, my
speech before the Massachusetts lower
house, my MONDAY speech at ST. Louis,
my Philadelphia and PittSburg and
Louisville speeches, without knowing
that have elaborated and emphasized
Again. when Mr.. Taft in any speech
speaks of me directly obliquely as d
neurotic or demagOgue, or in similar
terms, shall say nothing except to
point out that If he is obliged to use
such language he would better preserve
his own self respect by not protesting
that it gives him pain to do so. No
man resorts to epithets like these if 1T
really gives him pain to use them. I
have never alluded to him in terms
even remotely resembling these. I
have never quoted his private letters or
private communications. I have dis
cussed exclusively his public actions
Calls 1t Crooked Deal.
Colonel Roosevelt referred to Presi-
dent Tafts explanation of his state
ment that ours is a government of all
of the people by a representative part
of the people"
For him to try said Colonel Roose-
Welt, Ito escape the consequences of his
statements by saying that he alluded
only to women and children, is trif1ing
with the intelligence of the people. To
speak of such action on his part as a
square deal is itself the crookedest
kind of deal. He is trying to dodge the
consequences of his statement by DELHI
crate Misrepresentation of that state
ment."
Colonel Roosevelt defined the political
boss" as the man responsible for the
alliance between crooked politics and
crooked business which has been re-
sponsible for nine-tenths of the corrup-
ton of American political life''
If there is any such man among nv
supporters he continued, II do not
know him. Mr.. Taft says that Mr..
Finn, of Pittsburg, is a very bad boss
There is an element of grim comedy in
Mr.. Taft weeping over the thought of
Pennsylvania being put under the rule
of a boss through Mr.. Penrose being
ousted from control of the rule of or
ganization."
The bosses. Colonel Roosevelt de-
clared. were on the presidents side
Mr. Taft says he continued, that
in my various campaigns 1 accepted the
assistance of these bosses. So 1 did
when they chose to go my way and to
support the cause of the people The
trouble with Mr.. Taft is that he gets
their assistance at the price of going
their way and opposing the cause of the
people.
Mr.. Taft said yesterday that never
in thought or deed had he been dis
loyal in his friendship for me- 1t is
hard for me to answer such a state
ment save by calling it the grossest
and most astounding hypocrisy. When
Mr.. Taft ade that statement he had
just sent to the United States senate
on half an hours notice, obviously in
collision with the Lorimer Democratic
senator who made the request. naDers
impression that had improperly favor
ed the Harvester trust by declining to
prosecute it in 1907.
Says He Is DisIoyal.
when Mr.. Taft obviously to inf1u- |
ence the Massachusetts primary. and |
obviously in collision with one of Mr.. |
Lorimers senatorial supporters of the !
political party, takes the ac-
ton he did. he has not merely in |
thought, word and deed been disloyal |
to our past friendship, but has been
to every canon of ordinary |
decency and fair dealings such as !
should obtain even in dealing with |
mans bitterest opponents. Such con-
duct represents the very crookedest kind |
of a crooked deal.
This is not an exceptional instance |
of how he has behaved to me. The |
same course was followed last summer |
in connection with the Tennessee Coal !
& Iron company. The assaults upon |
me by Mr.. TaftS campaign managers, |
made in Washington, under Mr.. Taft's |
very eyes, have been foul to the verge |