Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1912-07-04

Iteresting things In Q letter to the
newspapers this week. He says:
At least one Kansan who went to
Chicago imbued with the militant
spirit and committed to the Rocse-
welt candidacy came back with modi-
fled Ideas and his eyes wide open.
rhe Ransan in question 10 Harold
T. Chase, editor OF the Topeka Capt.
tai. MIR. Chase was not one OF the
original Roosevelt boomers, At the
first he wanted Chief Justice Hughes.
He still thinks the convention should
have selected Hughes. But Hughes
being unavailable. he went to Chi
eago to pump for Roosevelt. Il got
my bellyfull OF IT," said Mr.. Chase
TO the writer today. And since Mr..
Chase rarely descends to strong lam
guage and "bellyfull" means much
more than II would coming from the
average man. Mr.. Chase says the
Roosevelt campaign in Chicago was
the high water mark OF imbecility
for this country. and that II was not
at any time illuminated by a CLEAN
OF intelligence. II was Roosevelts
disposition from the first to bolt and
that only the fools and firebrands
among his supporters who constantly
advised the same thing could get his
ear. Mr.. Chase says George L. Re-
cord OF New Jersey was the only one
of Roosevelt's intimate following who
had any seIse. He says William
Finn of Pittsburg is the worst type
of political boss he has ever seen
and compares, him to John 1. Sui
livan greatly to Sullivan's advan-
tages. Colonel Cecil Lyon OF Texas
he characterizes as a slave driver
Governor Johnson Of California as
crazy reformerA without a balance
wheel and Heney as a firehrand
dangerous to any political organiza-
ton with which he affiliates him
self
On the othe hand Mr.. Chase thinks
well of Clifford Pinchot, J. r. Gar
field and q few others who were in
the Roosevelt following, but say they
were wholly out of place in the crowd
in which they found themselves. The
advice of his more conservative fol-
lowers made no impression on Roose-
welt. He listened only to Johnson
Heney, Finn, Munsey and others OF
the hellraising type. When the ques-
ton Of boiling came up to the Kan
sas delegates only three members
were for it, Henry Allen, U. 8. Sar-
tin of Kansas City and Harry Woods
of Wellington. Henry Allen cried
like a baby when the delegation vot'
!, ed not to bolt and announced that he
would bolt alone. Allen, Mr.. Chase
says, is completely under the Roose'
welt spell.
The Kansas City Journal is the
first OF the western newspapers to
plug the Roosevelt armor at its weak
est point. The Journal cut loose In
Its Sunday issue and made positive
charges which other newspapers had
previously only limited at in guard
ed way. Those familiar with the
inside gossip of political circles have
known for months that Roosevelt
was drinking greatly to excess and
nobody has sought to deny the num-
erous stories that he is drunk the
greater part of the time. Many also
believe him to be crazy. The Journal
openly charged him with being both
drunk and crazy. The Rev. Bernard
Kelly told the writer a few days
ago that Roosevelt's private car was
the scene of drunken debauch at
the time he visited Osawatomie for
the dedication of the John Brown
monument. This will be recalled as
the occasion on which Roosevelt ded-
icated a monument to John Brown
without mentioning Mr.. Browns
name. 1t was common gossip at the
time Roosevelt visited st. Louis last
spring that he was on glorious
drunk during his entire stay. The
stories OF those who followed him
! ON his trip through Kansas during
the pre-conventiOn campaign all
agree that the trip was not made in
the interest OF temperance. At the
editorial meeting held in Lawrence
/ in April Thomas A. Mason, editor
of Life, told the writer there was q
streak of insanity in the Roosevelt
family and that he had a brother
who had been in the insane asylum