The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1912-04-01
Houser Explains the Betrayal
False Friends Face Limelight|
Manager Denies Advising
La Toilette to Go
Over to T. r.
PITY Progressive Cause, :
If the Colonel is
Renonlinated


y ALTER l.. Houser, nationa
NV campaign manager for Senate
Wv La Toilette. is at the Palac
hotel. where lie arrived Sat
urday. Houser has some to Caiiforni
in the interest of la FoIlette's cam
paign for the presidency and to prepar'
the way for his chief. who is expecte
here in about three weeks. Naturally
he is looking into the detection in tn
original La Toilette ranks. and whel
he read Chester II Rowen's letter t
Rudolph Spreckels as published in yes
terday's Call. he SAT- up, took motto
and gave out the following statement:
am not disposed to enter into
personal controversy over nnim-
portant matters concerning the
presidential campaign, and even
though / might admit all that is
said criticising my course IN con-
nection with the campaign. 1T could
have no bearing upon the real issue.
However. briefly and once for all,
/ will say that / never advised SEN
ator La Toilette to Withdraw as a
candidate in favor of Colonel Roose-
yelt Neither did I suggest to any
supporter OF Senator La Toilette
that he go over to Roosevelt.
DeveIo yments Annoying
In the course of developments in
the campaign. and some Of the de-
veIopments were very annoying,
different. expedients were discussed
to meet them.
The evident purpose of Colonel
Roosevelt and his friends, some OF
whom were ostensibly, and some
honestly, supporting Senator La
Toilette. to keep within reach of
the presidential nomination., not
withstanding his repeated asser-
tions that he was not candidate,
and that he had encouraged Senator
La Toilette to become a candidate,
and the secret and. in some quar-
ters. open work that was being
done to organize q Roosevelt cam
paign, was discoucerting to our
plans, and naturally we considered
plans to force a show Of hands.
La Toilette SteadfaSt
But Senator La Toilette, who Is
seldom in error in Judgment OF
situations or the real motives of
men, always held true to his course,
and never once did he yield or
swerve. He maintained that he had
consented to lead the progressive
fight in order to promote the cause
and that 10 WELD to, or compromise
with, especially. men Of the Per-
kins, Munsey. Hanna type, would
be a betrayal of the cause, and this
he fatty refused to do.
This fight is not between man,
or men. and myself; it is a fight
between men opposed to privilege
enjoyed by the few at the expense
of the rank and file, led by Senator
La Toilette, who has made record
in service for the people, on one
side, and the trusts, monopolies and !,
those who have grown fat and ar
rogant by feeding at privilege pro-
vided troughs, on the other side.
Not Vital
The issue must not be confused,
neither must attention be diverted
from the real issue to trifling mat
ters or controversies between in
dividuals who are only incidents to
the great contest. Senator La Fol-
lette can not be held responsible
even for mistakes | have made. il
| have made any, or for the incon-
sistent course taken by some of his
former supporters. He has pursued
straight course from the begin
ming and would not turn back or
change at the behest of those who
thought they had found another
leader who would prove sure win
ner. but were mistaken.
Here are Mr. clifford Pinchot's
own words, spoken in December
last. that record his Judgment OF
the man in this respect. They are
burning words that were true then
and are true now: "A little at
time I learned his 0.a Follette's)
history. and that he could not be
driven from a position in which he
believed. that nine times out of ten
his stand was exactly in the right,
and that in the full sense of the
term he was constructive states
man."
Pinchot Was Positive
Mr.. Pinchot also said: IF Sem
ator Dolliver had lived he might
have been the nominee. If Colonel
Roosevelt had not made his recent
statement. and l am in a position
to know that he means what he
says, he might have been the candi-
date. do not assert that La Fol-
lettc is yet sure of the nomination,
but now that circumstances have
made Mr. Taft's denomination
either impossible or extremely i'm
probable. the attention Of the coun-
try is turning swiftly and eagerly
to Bob La Toilette Of Wisconsin,
have never deserted Bob La
Toilette I never will desert him,
because have full faith in his
superior Judgment and In the in
tegrity of his purpose. Men who
have deserted him in this contest
have done so on their own motion.
They must Justify their course S
best they may.
Betrayal Signs Appear
When the signs of betrayal were
easily discernible, when we were
convinced that Colonel Roosevelt
was playing the game for his
own advantage, we discussed and
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