Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1912-04-11
COMMITTEE FAVORS TAFT
National Organization for the
President, Says Hilles.
Roosevelt Contradicted-Wssb :.
Letters show Objections An.
piled 10 Three Con-
secutive Terms.

tional committee fnvors tho rcuom,n,t,o,
OF President tart, according to n stn,,.
nent issued by Secretary IIi,oa cn,
orally speaking. tho ebuljItious og ,ho
Roosevelt campaign managers nro o., ,n,
tastic that In the estimation op peat.
dent Taft's managers. they carry ,boI,
own REPUTATION on their face, and IL Is
u waste of time to answer them 1,hst a.
the case with the great majority of the
contests which have been announced from
the Roosevelt headquarters
| AS, however, instances have hoo, Imam,
where contesting delegates, withont a
shadow of right, have been seated bv
committees opposed to the candidat. fo,
whom the regular candidate was instruct.
ed, the impression that a majority OF the
national committee was Favorable To The
candidacy of MIR Roosevelt. IA has boon
asserted by Senator Dixon. might lead
people to believe that. however fallacio,,s
'he Chains OF inc contesting delegates
might be, the national committee would
place them on the temporary soll of the
convention
For that reason the secretary to the
president took occasion to assert VIVA.
10 we'll known 10 all who keep in close
touch with the political situation, name
~ that an overwhelming majority of the
committee favors the nomination of
President Taft. Mr.. Hilles adds that the
PRESIDENTS friends ask only for n SQUARE
zeal, but thai they are quite certaiu
they can count on that His statenent
follows:
The members OF the national commit.
tee. in overwhelming majority, are sup
porting the candidacy of President Taft
This is demonstrated by letters. tele-
grams, interviews and public statements
IN which the members have made Their
positions perfectly clear, We are confiden:
That the committee Will decide all con.
tests fairly on their merits. All we as,
is that we shall be given real SQUARE
deal.
But President Taft's nomination will not
depend on the decision OF the contests
He will have a large majority OF the TN.
contested delegates
WASHINGTON LETTERS ON THRU
TERM
George Washington was not actuntet
solely by personal reasons IN rejecting a
third term and his objections, which
were On principle. applied with equa
force to three terms which were not con
secutive. As the contrary of both of these
propositions has been emphntically as
serted IN the publication of which Colo
mel Roosevelt Is the Contributing editor
Director Mckinley called attention
to-day TO letters OF the first President
which. he thinks, rerute both contentious
Ihese letters were written to Governor
1rumbutl of Connecticut, who had writ
ten to the ex-President urging him to b,
candidate. presenting reasons amusing
~ like the arguments OF 1.-The seven littl,
Governors.
Elk President Washington's last lette
OH the subject shows that Trumbull afte
the first refusal. replied with addittona
arguments. urging that by reason OF tn
unpopularity Of John Adams. and tn
lack OF a candidate who could command
general enthusiasm the Federalists woul,
certainly be beaten unless Washington
would head their ticket. Governor Trum
bull told the ex-President that his noml
nation. while It might not draw vote
from the ants Uhe Jeffersonian Re
publican party, was the only one tina
would call out the full strength of tn
federaliste.
In a letter to Governor Trumbull date
Mount Vernon, July q, 1893, Georg
Washington said.
1t would be Il matter Of sore regret I
me If l could believe that seriou
thought was turned toward me as hi
John Adans's) successor. not only as 1
respects my ardent wishes TO pass throug
the vale OF life In retirement undisturbe
In the remnant of the days | have t
sojourn here. unless called upon to defen
my country (Which every citizen is boun
to doj, but on public ground also: for
although I have abundant cause to b
thankful for the good health with whic
am blessed, yet am not insensible t
my declination in other respects. II wou
be criminal. therefore, in me. although
1t would be the wish of my countrymer
and I could be elected to accept an OF
flee under this conviction, which anothe
would discharge with more ability; an
this too at time when ! am thorough
ly convinced ! should not draw a singl
vote from the anti-fcderal side, and. O
course. should stand upon no othe
ground than any other federal characte
we'll supported, and. when ! should be
come a mark for the shafts of envenOm
ed malice and the bnsest calumny L
fire at; when ! should be charged no
only with irresolution, but with conceal
ed ambition which awaits only an occa
sion 70 blaze out. and. in short. witt
dotage and imbecility.
All this, grant. ought to be like dus
in the balance, when put to competition
with a great public good, when tho &C
complishment Of 1t Is apparent But, a
no problem Is better defined in my min
than that principle, not men. Is now, an
will be, the object OF contention: AM
that I could not obtain a solitary vot
from that party: that any other respect
able federal character would receive tn
Same suffrage that | should; that at IN!
time Of nfc (verGing toward threescor
and tend ! should expose myself. withou
rendering any essential service to IN.
country, or answering tho end oontenl
plated, prudence on my part must arres
my attempt OF the well meant but mis-
taken. visws OF friends to Introduce III
asnin into tho chair of government.
PUT HIS TRUST IN PRINCIPLE,
On August 10, 1909. General Washing
ton wrote second letter to Governo
Truinbuii, in which he said
II men, not principles, can influence III
CHOICE on the part OF thu federalists
what but fluctuations are to be expec tsd
The favorito to-day may have the cur
tain dropped on him Tomorrow, Will
steadiness marks the conduct Of tn
"antis"; and whoever is not on their sid
must exnact tn ma loaded with all IN