The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1912-05-03
TAFT ANSWERS
COL. ROOSEVELT
President Exposes DupIicity Of
His Old Friend.
REPLIES TO EVERY CHARGE
Produces Proof That Roosevelt DELHI
erately Mlsrepresented Him In
This OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES Him
Menace to Republic and
to Prosperity.

President Taft, In three speeches. IN
Massachusetts, on April rs, person
ally answered the Misrepresentation
of Theodore Roosevelt of the position
Of the president with respect to the
issues Of this campaign, with respect
to his administration and to himself
personally. The president said he re-
GREETED the necessity Of speaking
| plainly about his "old friend" to whom
he frankly admitted personal obliga-
ton. The president said, however,
| that the situation created by MI.
Roosevelt's personal attacks on him
and his administration, made further
silence intolerable, and he answered
Mr.. Roosevelt's attack, charge by
charge.
The basis Of the presidents reply to
Mr.. Roosevelt was the well known
square deal" maxim Of Mr.. Roose-
welt. AS he answered each Roosevelt
charge, the president inquired: Have
I had a square deal?" In order, these
subjects were treated by the presi-
dent as follows:
Misrepresentation Of the Presi-
dents Speeches" Under this heading
President Taft declared that Mr..
Roosevelt had deliberately misrepre-
sented him when he said: "Mr. Taft
defines the issue when he says that
our government is and should be a
government of all the people by rep
representative part Of the people"
1.-THE excerpt which Mr.. Roosevelt
| uses is taken from my speech at To
lee )" said the president. 'It is gar
bleC did not say this should be- a
| government of all the people by a rep
resentative part Of the people. I said
| 1t Is a government Of all the people
by representative part of the peo-
ple,' and it is. / pointed out that this
| government Of ours Is government
by the adult voting males in order to
show the necessity for constitutional
restrictions to protect the non-voters
among the people against the possible
injustice and aggression Of major
| ity Of the voters. Was 1t honest? Was
1t fair In Theodore Roosevelt to seize
one sentence from speech, to garble
1t and then give it meaning which
he knew from the context 1t could not
bear? Do the people Of Massachu-
sets think that this is square deal?''
Charge as to Bosses.
"2-Unfair Charge as to Bosses.
In reply to the charge that "bosses'
/ were supporting his candidacy, Presi-
dent Taft pointed out that William
Finn of Pittsburgh, Pa, zone Of the
worst municipal bosses that the his
tory of that state knows" Walter
Brown Of Ohio "the only boss in full
commission In the state" and William
Ward Of New York were supporting
Mr.. Roosevelt. Senator Crane Of
| Massachusetts,, whom Mr.. Roosevelt
has mentioned, President Taft said,
had three times been invited by Mr..
Roosevelt into his cabinet and that
Mr.. Roosevelt had invited him to man
age his presidential campaign in
1904"
when I consider the eagerness
with which Mr.. Roosevelt has accept.
ed In his various campaigns the as.
sistance Of Mr.. Aldrich, Mr.. Cannon,
Mr.. Penrose, Mr. Quay, Mr.. Plat, Mr..
Foraker and many other men," said
the president, II do not hesitate to
say that It involves the most auda-
cious effrontery on his part to attack
me because men he characterizes as
bosses are now supporting me. This
is peculiarly unfair on his part in view
of his well-known political history
and is another instance of his depart
ing from the rule Of square deal"
"3-False Statements in Lorimer
Case to People of Illinois" In this
connection President Taft said Mr..
Roosevelt had made 1t appear that a
vote cast for Taft in Illinois would be
a vote for Lorimer. II have not seen
Mr.. Lorimer for two years and have
had no communication with or from
him." he said. 81 did not ask his sup
port. He did not tender 1t to me. Any
influence he may have given in my
favor was not because he liked me,
but because he felt more bitter to-
ward Mr.. Roosevelt" The president
then quoted ia full q letter he had
himself written to Mr.. Roosevelt on
Jan. 6, 1911, In which he outlined the
steps he was taking to have Lorimer
unseated In the senate and stating
that Senators Root, Burton, Nelson
and others had become interested at
his suggestion. He pointed out to
Mr.. Roosevelt how they could best
work together on the case and quoted
Senator Borah of Idaho as one of the
men he had consulted before writing
Mr.. Roosevelt.
II make this letter public only to
show that of all the people In the
world Theodore Roosevelt ought to
have known, and did know, that I was
not partisan of Lorimer, did not
sympathize with him, and never gave
Mr.. Roosevelt or any one else the
slightest reason to suppose / had
changed my mind. I submit to the
people of Massachusetts, that, with HE
intimate knowledge of the facts, Mr..
Roosevelt's linking Of my name with
Lorimer's was for the purpose of in
ducing the people of Illinois to vote
AGAINST me on account of their feeling