The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-03-11
M'K|NLEY'S !. TOD|XON AROUSES
 IRE OF ROOSEVELT Expresses Himself Upon the Subject of Presidential
 Primaries HE AGAIN ATTACKS
 USE OF PATRONAGE Seems to Take Great 0ffense to Me, kinley's Words About Rules oi
 the Game-Says Proies- sionals Oppose Him

Washington, March 10.-Copits of letter on the subject of preferential presidential primaries written by Col onef Theodore Roosevelt to Senator Joseph NJ Dixon. director of the were given out tonight by Senator Dixon
 Colonel Roosevelt apparently r- dorses Senator Dfxon's challenge to Director Mckinley of the Taft head quarters for such primaries and scores MT. McKinley's reply that lie did not favor changes in the rule of the game while the game was :n progress
 Criticises Taft's Motives
 Colonel Roosevelt refers to the aoaa- nations of federal officeholders which President Taft recently withdrew from the Senate, and infers that the Pres ident's action was taken to provide Tn 'example' for the politicians of the state
 "Practlcally the entire body of pro- fesslonal politicians are pitted against us in this contest" the colonel wrote, land in every state and in every com eressional district they are led by the offceholders who. with the example be- fore them of what was done in connee- ton with the nominations for local of fcers in North Carolina, are working as we have rarely seen them work h American political life" The Roosevelt Letter
 Colonel Rooseveit's letter In full was as follows:
 My Dear Senator Dixon--I have re- ceived your letter of March 6, stating that in your opinion it is of vital im- portance to the success of the repub- llcan party In the November elections that tho national republican convention shall nominate the candidates whom the mass of the republicans wish nom- mated and that therefore. this sent- nent should be given expression
 through presidential preferential pri-
 lnaries n the several statas in sanrssS
 that the wishes of the voters may ce
 ascertained before instead of after the
 nomination.
 T have also seen your corresponds
 ence with MT. Mckinley. You proposed
 to him that as far as possible the se- l lection of the republican candidate for
 tho presidency should be determined by
 the voters of the party in preferential presidential primaries. Mr. Mckinleys ' answer is contained practically in one
 sentence in the letter sent you | "'I don't favor changes in the rules | of the game while the game is In l progress.
 Issue as He Sees It
 "The point of view expressed In that sentence contains the issue within the republican party at this time. We who stand for the progressive cause, for the cause of honest and genuine democ- racy. genuine representative govern ment, hold that public contest be- tween parties or within parties Is not carried on as game, Is not carried on for the purpose of winning prizes for the contestants or with the view 10 the personal wishes or welfare of any one man.
 We hold that it should be carried on for the purpose of ascertainlng and put
 ting Into effect the will of the people so that the people may jointly do for them-
 selves what no man can do SO well for them. eve hold that the laws that govern | elections and govern party organizations should not be treated as rtfes which are | Tt SuD1ffts TOT tficky IHdiipuldtioH Dy contestants for prize.
 We hold that as far as possible these | laws should be treated as rules 10 as | certain the will of those whom the pub
 lie officials and party officials ere sup | posed to represent. In sum. therefore. | WIG hold that the object of this contest is not to secure rewards for individuals, but | to secure tho more effective government of the people by the people and for the people.
 Opponents Take Opposite View
 "our opponents, on the contrary. take Mr McI<nley's view that we are engaged in a game in which interests of the people. 1t Is true. arc at stake but in which the people themselves arc not 10 have their voice. MT. McKinleys position was | stated with frank cynlcism by Congress-
 man Campbell on behalf of the reaction ary elements in the republican party when in a recent speech in New Hamp shire he is quoted as 'rousing the greatest enthusiasm by declaring that the repub- lican party does not believe in an appeal from the umpire to the bleachers. MT. Campbell has simply stated more frankly the view held (as is evident by
 McKinleys statement generally among our opponents. Their feeling is that poll ties is game, that the people should ! simply sit on the beachers as spectators and that no appeal lies to the people from the men who for their own profit are play l ing the game.
 Their Action Is Astounding "It Is astounding that men should ven ture to take such a position and it shows | that these men and those for whom they speak and those whom they represent
 has wandered far indeed from the ground | held by Abraham Lincoln when he de- l clared this to be a government dedicated l to the welfare of the common people and | to be managed justly and honorably by
 these plain people for their own welfare
 in accordance with the immutable laws Of
 righteousness
 | "Our opponents take the view that this l contest is merely a game. that the obs | feet is to win prize for the contsntants | and that public office is the reward that | goes to the winners of the game and ! that. therefore, it is a piece of allowable smartness to refuse to make changes In
 the laws during the progress of the con- 1 test. if these changes would deprive the ! captains of the political world of the ad vantage they now hold over the plain
 people.
 Issue Summarized
 "ln short, the issue may be stated as | follows: Should election laws be framed with view to the interests of politicians or should election laws be framed with view to carrying out the popular will. | We have on the one hand Mir. Mckinley