Arizona republican., 1912-06-18
He Declares That the Fight Which Sets in Today Is Not Between Him and Former Friend, But One of Principles.
FORCES OF EVIL
 AND THOSE OF GOOD
The Latter, of Course, Are Represented by Him - How the Colonel Expects Righteousness to Triumph This Week
ASSOCIATED PRESS pIspATcH1

1 CHlCAGO, June 17.-On the even- l ing of the republican convention Roosevelt tonight disclosed his line pies. He said the delegates whose selection resulted from contests must ! not vote in the organization of the convention or on the settlement of contests and made it clear that he would resist it.
 He said no action of the conven- tion based upon the votes of these "fraudulently seated delegates would be binding upon the republican party" It was at the Roosevelt rally at the auditorium that the ex-president
 made the challenge. He was facing a
 cheering throng which damned the
 huge building as tightly as the fire marshal would permit.
 Reaching far to the rear to the last line of seats and to topmost
 gallery were solid rows of men, wo- men and delegates from every part
 of the country The Roosevelt lead
 CTS and the host of privates in the
 Roosevelt army gave the colonel
 mighty welcome Roosevelt made a fighting speech His hearers were in
 fighting mood They cheered him
 on as he denounced his opponents
 and shouted to him ''go at them Teddy" Knock out the steam roll
 CT" Hit them again"
 Colonel Roosevelt said in part: I address you as my fellow repub- licans, but I also and primarily ad-
 dress you as fellow Americans. fel- ait 0uy be- ome much more than an ordinary
 party fight. The issue is both sim pier and larger than that involved in
 the personality of any man, or than that involved in any factional or in any ordinary party contest We are
 standing for the great fundamental rights upon which all successful free government must be based. We are
 standing for elementary decency in politics. We are fighting for honesty against naked robbery and where rob-
 bery is concerned the all-important
 question is not the identity of the
 man robbed but the crime itself
 As far as MT. Taft and I are per
 sonally concerned, it little matters
 what the fate of either may be. But
 with MT. Tafts acuiesence or by his
 direction, and in his interest. his fol-
 lowers have raised an issue which Is all-important to this country. It is not a partisan issue; it is more than a political issue; it is a great moral issue If we condone political theft. if we do not resent the kinds of wrong and injustice that injuriously affect the whole nation, not merely our democratic form of government, but our civilization itself can endure. IT. the methods adopted by the na- tional committee are approved by the convention which is about to assem- ble, great crime will have been committed. The triumph of such pro- ceedings at the moment would mean the wreck of the republican party and if such proceedings became habitual it would mean the wreck of popular government. The actions of the Taft leaders in the national committee taken with the active aid of MT. Tafts private secretary and one of Mir Taft's cabinet officers are mon strous and they should be indignantly condemned by the moral sentiment of the whole country. Tonight we come together to protest against crime which strikes straight at the heart of every principle of political de- cency and honesty. a crime which represents treason to the people and the usurpation of the sovereignty of the people by irresponsible political bosses inspired by the sinister in- fluence Of moneyed privilege. We here in this hall are engaged not only in a fight for the rights of every decent republican but of every decent American, whatsoever his par ty may be. And, oh my friends, for one thing at least we should be pro- foundly grateful. We are more fortu- nate than our fathers in that there is no slightest tinge of sectionalism in the fight we are now waging. The principles for which we stand are as vital for the south as for the north, for the east as for the west. We make our appeal to all honest far sighted and patriotic Americans no matter where they may dwell.
 When in February last I made up my mind that it was my duty to en- ter this fight it was after long and careful deliberation. I had become convinced that Mir Taft had definitely and completely abandoned the cause of the people and had surrendered himself wholly to the biddings of the professional political bosses and Of the great privileged interests stand