The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-05-10
SECRETARY KNOX DEFENDS MIR. TAFT Attacks the Colonel as Too
 Ambitious UNUSUAL CONDITIONS He Charges Roosevelt Is Trying to Attract Attention From National
 Issues to State Issues-At-
 tacks "New Nationalism''
UNUSUAL CONDITIONS

Los Angeles, Cal, May 9.--In a speech here tonight before the Southern califor- mia Taft associa&on, ia which Secretary of State Knox made his first political ut terance since his return from Central America, he defended President. Taft fiom the criticisms of Colonel Roosevelt and attacked the colonel as a man prompted hy whims' of "imperious ambitions. van ities and mysterious antipathies,'' and as one "who would break the rule of his party and his country and his own word to gain the seat of a friend.
 The new nationalism' of Colonel Roosevelt was termed by Secretary Knox ''as violent an assault upon the autonomy of the states as the new nationalism of 1861 was upon the integrity of the union.
 Quotes Roosevelt's Words
 In refutation of Colonel Roosevelt's s claim that President Taft was unfit for reelection, MT. Knox cited the coloneis language, which. in 1908, commented Taft as .the true friend of reform, the true foe of abuses"
 MT. Knox, declaring that this is per- hsps one of the most extraordinary ante- convention campaigns within the history of our party,'' said that the effort so far has been to confuse the situation by dragging in issues with which the states alone are concerned"
 If MT. Roosevelt" he said, "claims that President Taft is seeking or has the sup port of the men who for years have stood for leadership in the republican party and guided it's columns to victory, President Taft can reply that MT. Roosevelt sought and had their support in his campaign in 1904 and that in many places now his interests are in the hands of rejected and disaffected' political bosses whose political ofrenses smell to heaven
 Mir Knox quoted a eulogy of MT. Taft by Colonel Roosevelt in 1908 as an answer to the colonel's assertion I,that President Taft is unfit to suc- ceed himself" He also cited passages of praise of Mir Taft in MT. Roose- welt speech as temporary chairman of the Saratoga convention in 1910.
 MT. Roosevelt" the speaker con- tinucd has given no coherent reason for changing his just appraisement of Mir. Taft's character and qualifications"
 New Nationalism Questionable
 The most conspicuous. point of diff ference between Taft and Roosevelt. MT. Knox asserted. centered in the "a new nationalism" proposed by Col onel Roosevelt
 .sThis inyolves,v he said, "a new con- cention by MT Roosevelt of the CO., hesive principles by which the states are hound together to constitute the Ifnjted states of America.
 We heard much of new national | ism prior to 1S61- It was also predict ed upon false conception of the nd ture of the union It's fundamental weakness was that some states claimed the right to destroy the union by sep arating themselves from the union. That issue was decided by the moss tra gic war of modern times-a war that carried grief into a million American homes.
 The new nationalism of Mir. Rooss- welt represents the other extreme. It is as violent an assault .upon the auton- omy of the states as the new national | m of 1861 was upon the integrity oi tho union.
 "Who dares prophecy that the people the patient. undemonstrative people. whose full voice is never heard except in a great orisis-will not. when aroused to the dan- ger of the substantial loss of iadependeni statehood at a great cost. defend the ] states as they did the union2' Makes Earnest Plea | MT. Knox made an earnest plea that President Taft he given second term.
 This has been." he said. the republi- can rule without exception, except one | fPresident Hayesl. which so forcibly em- i 2hasizes the rule and unless the repub- l lcan party has become the plaything of one man. prompted by his whims, his inn 1 perious ambitions. his vanities and nys-
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