Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1914-07-01
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REPLIES VIGOROUSLY
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Mr.. Roosevelt's Presidency, my rela-
tions with him were cordial. 1 CO.
operated with him in nearly all of his
policies as a member of the United
States Senate; and when certain po-
tential elements in the Republican
party were plotting to defeat Mr..
Roosevelt for the nomination in 1904,
/ was, as chairman Of the Republican
State committee of Pennsylvania, most
active in having him Endorsed for
nomination and election at our State
convention. Pennsylvania being the
first State to indorse him.
II co-operated in forcing similar
resolutions on the State convention in
Ohio, which occurred very soon after
wards, against the opposition of Ma.
Hanna. AS chairman of the Republic
can State committee of Pennsylvania,
in the same year, / was largely in
strumental in giving the splendid ma
jority to which the letter above men
toned refers; in fact, while Mr.. Roose-
welt was President, my relations with
him were cordial and 1 always appre-
ciated the consideration which he gave
to my recommendations in matters of
Federal patronage.
1T cannot be that his new-found
associations with William Finn have
altered his conception of my activities
in Pennsylvania. Surely a notorious
political contractor and a former po-
litical boss of Pittsburgh. under whose
regime all the franchises in Pittsburgh
were appropriated to the use and profit
of himself and associates, while
money poured into Films pockets
from municipal contracts could have
been the source of Mr.. Roosevelts
change of attitude regarding my po-
litical activities.
81 am further informed that Mr.,
Roosevelt refers to the fact l opposed
him for nomination at the Republican
national convention in 1912, and ]
axe this as the real reason for his
change of attitude.
Men are apt to be bosses to theiI
enemies and leaders to their friends.
Even Mr.. Roosevelt cannot escape
the frailties of human nature.
81 exercise my privilege as a Re-
publican, and as a Republican United
States Senator to use my own judg-
ment as to what course should follow
in the presidential contest of that year
| pursued the course, l took, not from
my personal or selfish reasons, but fol
what 1 considered to be to the ad-
vantage of the Republican party ano
VI Iflc DCODlS VI L "a ~
Mr.. Roosevelt has assured me In
the most positive terms that his am
bition had been fully satisfied and that
under no circumstances would he evel
be a candidate again for the presi.
dency. He assured a great many mem
bers of the United States Senate an6
prominent Republicans from all over
the country to the same effect. He
had taken himself, as far as we were
informed, entirely out of consideration
in connection with this office.
ut had been the custom of the Re,
publican party to renominate a Re
publican President in most cases. Mr.
Taft had incurred more or less opposi-
ton in the Republican party, as /,
we'll known, by reason of his officia
acts and policies. 1t seemed to me
however, that on the vital issue il
which Pennsylvania was interested
namely, the maintenance of the pro,
tective principle, it was to the interes
of our State for me to cooperate with
him while he was President.
"Mr. Taft voted for Democratic tar
if bills which were passed by thu
/ House and the United States Senate
which. during the last part of Mr.
Taft's administration, had a nomina
Republican majority only.
ileSe Itii1otl ~ III "NIt pdSctA
in the Senate, Notwithstanding thii
nominal Republican majority. by tn,
votes of Progressives and s~o-calleC
near Progressive Senators.
'These bills were vetoed by Mr.
Taft. In this way the dreadful indus
trial depression which now inficts our
State and has brought about an arm!
of unemployed throughout the Com
monwealth. entailing great misery ant
distress, was averted for two years, o.
until the advent of another admins
tration.
81 certainly could not. as an honor
able man, have abandoned Mr.. Tai
because Mr.. Roosevelt changed hi
mind, ever had / had any desire o.
had there been any obligation that
should leave Mr.. Taft for Mr.. Roose
welt.
II have, however, all through m,
political career been careful of my pc
iitical word and obligation, and re
CARELESS of results l adhered stead
tasty to my loyalty to Mr.. Taft. based
as l say, on a policy of the Republi
can party and on my belief that II
that way ! was best serving the indus
trial interests in Pennsylvania in sup
porting the man who was vetoing tn,
bills that were aimed to destroy on
prosperity.
"In the Republican national conven
ton. Mr.. Roosevelt. at no time. ha,
a majority of the convention. 1 can