The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1912-03-05
NOT A CANDIDATE
BUT WILL ACCEPT
NOMINATION
Roosevelt Distinguishes Be-
tween Seeker and ACCeptOr
VAN vALKENBURG LETTER
Written to Correct Statement That he
Was Pledged to the Support
OF Taft

Oyster Bay, March 5.-Col. Roose-
welt said yesterday that 1t was per
fectly true that he had said he would
not be a candidate in 1872. lie mad
made that statement to many persons.
he said, but did not declare that he
would not accept the nomination II 1t
were rendered to HIM. He drew a
distinction between becoming candi-
date and willing to accept the nomlna-
ton. The colonel made it plain that
he saw nothing in the Van Valkenberg
letter, in which he said he would not
be a candidate in 1912, which conflict
ed with his recent statement that he
would become the nominee OF the
party in his party asked 1t. Col.
Roosevelts position in the matter is
set forth in statement which he
gave out yesterday explaining the cir
cumstances which induced him to
write to Mr.. Van Valkenburg. This
Is the statement.
at that time persistent efforts had
been made from Washington to con-
vince the progressives that | was real
ly supporting Mr.. Taft. On this parti-
cular occasion the statement was
made with the greatest explicitness.
promptly denied the statement, and
was assured on the one hand that 1t
had been inspired from the White
House. and assured on the other hand
that it had not been, but on the con
trary was made purely on the initia-
tive of the Associated Press. The AS
ISOLATED Press people assured me that
they were not responsible for the
false statements, and, as 1t will be
seen by reference to the letter itself,
Mr.. Moves was quoted as having got
the information from independent
sources. do not know who gave out
this letter. but | am certain that 1t
was not Mr.. Van Valkenburg, for /
know him to be an honorable man.
ITO all who were at that time writ
ing to me to be candidate | answer
ed that | would not be. To all who
asked whether | would accept If nom
mated I answered yes" II knew
them sufficiently well to be sure that
they would understand me, otherwise
Sdlu SlIlDll ludN NOhih NiOeo NAAN
bridge when | came to II, and in most
cases If the man was at all a close
personal friend / told him that
counted on his doing everything pos
sibe to prevent any movement look
ing to my nomination.
1T was not until the last three or
four months that | was finally obliged
to come TO the conclusion that there
was real demand among the people
as whole for my nomination, which
did not come In any way from any
personal friends of mine and was
neither inspired nor engineered by
them. When | became convinced that
this popular demand was real and
was considerable, and when the gov
errors of seven states, increased by
this time to 10, | may mention Incl
dentally, asked me whether j would
accept II nominated, / answered yes
| added an expression OF my wish that
whenever possible open preferential
presidential primaries might be held
so as to find out who the republican
voters wished to have nominated.
IF the people do not wish me &c
serve, most certainly | do not wish &c
serve. II they do desire me to under
take in their interest great task
shall do so and shall perform II with
whatever courage and ability | pos
ess. Whether there will be such al
expression of the popular will, | can
not say, as where there are no pre-
ferential primaries II unfortunately
seems too often to be the case tina
the effort OF the political leaders II
not to give expression to the popular
will, but to thwart 1t In every wa!
possible"
Washington March 5.-The Wash
ington Star yesterday printed unde
New York date what purports to b.
the full text OF the letter written b,
Col Theodore Roosevelt saying tina
he would not be candidate for th'
presidential nomination in 1912. Thu
letter, addressed to Il. A. Van Valken
burg, president and editor Of the Phi
adelphia North American, dated jun
%, 1911, reads as follows:
MY Dear Mr.. Van Valkenburg:
am really Obliged to you. Now vii
you not give Mr.. McClatchy from m
a copy OF this letter that am writin
, to you, and also send copy of tn
letter to Mr.. Frank u. Noyes2 MI
McClatchy states that Mr.. Noyes II
formed him. anent the story sent on
by the "A. p that Mr.. Roosevelt ha
pledged himself TO support Taft for
second term; that he (Mr, Noyes) ha
the same information from source
entirely Independent OF those fror
which the Associated Press receive
the story.
"Mr. Noyes states that he undel
stood that did so express myself I
member OF the cabinet and also (
an lnsurgent senator and says that h
believes that President Taft think
that he has assurance OF support froi
me. Mr.. Noyes adds that he explain
my denial on the theory that ha
explained my attitude CONFIDENTIAL,
and felt entitled to deny Il when
was given publicity.
"Will you tell Mr.. McClatChy an
Mr.. Noyes from me Cor send thei
copies OF this letter., that Mr. Noys
IN absolutely and completely mist
formed, and that there ls not one pa
ticle OF truth IN the statements mad
10 him which he thus repeated to NJ
McClatohy. The only two members ,