The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1914-07-16
SAYS WHITMAN IS
WEAK OR ALLIED
WITH BARNES
And Roosevelt Refers to Albany
Man as BOSS Barnes"
CONTROVERSY IN ACUTeSTAGE
Negotiations to Secure Support for
Whitman for Governor Have
Apparently FALLEN Flat

Oyster Bay N. Y. July 15.-District
Attorney Charles S. Whitman of New
York was characterized tonight by
ex-President Roosevelt as either a
"hopelessly timid weakling" or else
as being in league with William
Barnes, Jr., republican State chair
man. whom the former president
styled BOSS Barnes.
The controversy grew out of what
Colonel Roosevelt said, was an at
tempt by men, representing them
selves as acting in Mr.. Whitman's in
terests, to obtain Tor the district at
torneys candidacy for the governor
ship the support OF the forme: presi-
dent Negotiations were carried on
for several weeks, Colonel Roose-
welt declared, principally through
Charles H. Duell, Jr., of New York
organizer of the non-partisan Whit
man League. They fell through, ac-
cording to Colonel Roosevelt. largely
because, Mr.. Whitman failed to de-
clare his opposition to Mr.. Barnes as
il had been represented Colonel
Roosevelt said he would do.
These negotiations. Colonel Roose-
welt declared, reached the point
where Mr. Duell submitted to him
the rough draft OF a letter which, ac-
cordng TO Mr.. Duel. Mr.. Whitman
had promised to make public in case
Colonel Roosevelt would support him
or at least refrain from assailing
him. Mr.. Whitman denied yesterday
that he had ever written such a let
ter. Colonel Roosevelt in state
ment tonight included letter of that
description, signed with the initials
of the district attorneys name. 1t
was explained that the initials were
not in Mr.. Whitman's handwriting.
having been affixed by some other
person.
1t was the controversy over the
letter which led Colonel Roosevelt TO
make his statement. He gave il out
on his return from New York, where
he spent the day at progressive head
quarters.
Colonel Roosevelt explained that
his quotation from the letter from
Whitman to DUEL was substantially
but not verbally exact The colon
ell said the letter was in the possess
ion OF Mr. Duell and il Mr.. Whitman
will ask him to publish ii he will pub
lish it at once in detail"
The colonel says he told Mr.. DUEL
that the platform outlined by Mr.
Whitman was satisfactory provided
Mr. Whitman would state explicitly
in writing what Mr.. DUEL assured me
he had stated again verbally,
that he was as hostile to Mr.. Barnes
as to Mr.. Murphy and regarded the
Barnes machine as being more EN-
phatically than the Murphy machine
the enemy of decent and honest gov.
eminent in the State OF New York.
Mr.. Duell assured me that he had
Mr.. Whitman's authority To promise
that Mr.. Whitman would Immediately
make this statement such as | desir-
ed.
The colonel SAID he expressed him
self as not having liked Mr.. Whit
mans attitude in accepting the Tam
many nomination for district attor-
ney last fall but that il he would in
as Mr.. Duell stated
he had the right to promise that Mr..
Whitman would come forward.
would gladly do what could TO sup
port him as the head of a non-partis-
an union citizen ticket in an open
against the two bosses. |
Mr. Duell further told me that Mr..
Whitman assured him that he had
voted for me for president as an evil
dence of his independence OF the or
ganization."