The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-06-04
Decides to Oppose His Election With All His
 Strength
SAYS BARNES IS
 REAL TAFT LEADER
Decision Reached After Long Con- sultation With Perkins. Kellogg and Others = Roots Defeat
 Means Barnes Defeat

selection of temporary chairman Of the republican national convention may
 hang the political fortunes of exPres- ident Roosevelt He decided tonight to
 oppose with all his strength the seat ing of Senator Root and issued a call
 to all his supporters to stand by him. Colonel Roosevelt declares that MT. Root has ranged himself against the
 eipIes within the republican party and
 says it is William Barnes, Jr., of New York who is to be the real head of the Taft canvass at Chicago.
 The coloners decision to make a square issue of the seating of MT Root I was reached after long consultation with advisers. At Sagamore Hill to- day were Senator Dixon. Clifford Pin chot. William L. Ward of New York; l George w Perkins of New York, Frank B. Kellogg and Andrew Kahn, both of l whom are from Minnesota, and Truxton Beale. delegate from California. After Colonel Roosevelt had com pleted his statement he brought up
 the question of whether he is to go | to the Chicago convention.
 | After hearing what the men I have seen today have to say he said, my
 impression is that I will not go. I may reach different decision if any strong-arm tactics are attempted"
 Roosevelt's Statement Following is, in part, the statement dictated today at Sagamore Hill by 1 Colonel Roosevelt:
 "In the past MT. Root has rendered I distinguished service as Secretary of State and Secretary of War But in
 this contest MT. Root ranged himself against the men who stand for pro- 1 gressive principles within the repub- lican party, that is, against the men who stand for making the republican party in relation to the issues of the present day what 1t was in the days of Abraham Lincoln. He stands as the representative of the men and the poll icies of reaction. He is put forward 1 by the bosses and the representatives 1 of special privileges.
 What has recently come to my 1 knowledge makes it clear. that it Is a l question of the absolute duty of every l progressive republican to oppose the selection as temporary chairman at l Chicago of any man put forward in ] the interests of supporters of Mir. Taft in this contest.
 T have before me a copy of the fol- lowing telegram sent to a Roosevelt delegate from Pennsylvania, MT Philip l K. Barber:
 "'The national committee has select ] ed Senator Root of New York for tenn porary chairman of the convention at 1 Chicago. It Is reported that the Roose- welt forces will oppose the action of the 1 committee. I am wiring you in behalf of the New York delegation. with the exception of very few, to ask your support for Senator Root for temporary | chairman. We believe this contest is the most serious one which has afflict- ed the republican party and that the attempt to nominate MT. Roosevelt can +a acfa ri ma which he has advocated we declared in our platform a the Rochester conven- 1 ton to be subversive of our form of l government. Will you please wire I New York city, collect, whether we can rely on your support for Senator Root l for temporary chairman
 WILLIAM BARNES, JR.' Barnes Is Real Head
 "Teegrams like this have been sent to a great number of the delegates: This telegram makes the issue perfectly clear. It is one of principles. not persons. MT. Barnes demands Mir Roots selection as the sign of repudiation of the principles 1 for which I stand, and as an indorse- ment of the doctrines enunciated at the l Rochester convention. These doctrines are so bourbon and reactionary that in every open primary in every northern state since the Rochester convention was i held the people have overwhelmingly re- pudiated them. This telegram of MT. l Barnes shows that the leader and real l head of MT. Tafts canvass at Chicago is to be MT. Barnes. In the next place if makes 1t perfectly clear that Mir. Root l Is pushed for nomination only with the. 1 purpose to secure the defeat of the prin- l ciples for which the progressive republi- | cans stand. MT. Roots personality be- comes unilnportant in view of Mir. Barnes telegram. MT. Barnes stands as the representative of the very worst forms
 of bosssm in politics.
 "If the wishes of the republican voters
 could be given fair expression Mr Taft tha convention. MT Barnes in the tee- l gram above quoted states that the doc trines which I have advocated are sub 1 versive of our form of government. The doctrines that I have advocated are
 subversive only of the form of govern ment for which MT. Barnes stands, that Is. of government by. the, bosses for the special interests.
 What Barnes Must Do
 .'Mr. Barnes has always been frank. l He thoroughly distrusts the people and says so. He disbelieves in democracy. In his preaching and in his practices he ] embodies boss rule in it's most offensive form The kind of representative gov ernment he believes in is that which the representatives shall represent not the people, but MT. Barnes. and the other bosses. MT. Taft's nomination at Chicago l can oniy be brought about by nulifying the will of the people and by fraudu- lently seating 2 sufficient number of boss picked and boss controlled delegates fin the place of those who have been legal lv elected hy the people. Among all the 1 men who represent the combination of privileges in business and privilege in | politics, there is probably no other more eminently fit than Mir. Barnes to be entrusted with the carrying out of such ! a programme.
 Our opponents have shown that they 1 will stop at nothing in the effort to sub
 vert the will of the people. From those southern states where there is no real republican party they have selt delega- tiens secured by the most uublushing use l of the federal patronage. Wherever If has been possible to choose Taft de'e- gates in defiance of the popular will this has been done. At this moment such an instance is afforded in Ohio. In Ohio at -r-o re~o-t prip7arv the majority against Mir. Tafts nomination was 3o.e0a. High