The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1915-04-29

Syracuse, N. Y. April ga series
Of confidential letters taken from the
files kept by the late Thomas C. Plat.
while he was representing the state Of
New York in the United States Senate,
were today read to the jury trying
against Theodore Roosevelt in the SUI
creme court here. Some of the letters
were signed by Colonel Roosevelt. In
nearly all of them the writer's discussed
candidates for office in the state gov
eminent and in reply to a question by
Mr.. Barnes counsel. the former prest-
dent said without the slightest hesita-
don that he consulted freely with Sen
ator Platt about affairs at Albany.
knowing and realizing at all times that
he was the boss of the republican
party in this state. One Of the letters
read during the forenoon session con-
tanned a postscript which read: AL
right, I'll change the whole board of
tax assessors"
The colonel denied emphatically that
such conferences constituted invisible
government" My actions the wit
ness asserted. were as visible as they
could be-
When court opened, a stipulation be-
tween counsel that dispositions of four
unnamed witnesses outside the state
would have the same effect as If the
witnesses appeared on the stand, was
read into the record. Mr.. WINS, MI.
Barnes attorney, then put into the
record letters written by Mr.. Barnes
to Colonel Roosevelt n by Colonel
Roosevelt to Mr.. Barnes and to Her
bert Parsons. The letters, dated Au-
gust 81, 1908, were nearly identical in
contents and phraseology. In one let
ter Mr.. Barnes discussed Governor
Hughes. He said that should Hughes
be elected he would set up a political
machine and that all politicians who
opposed him would have to sneak in
the back door or get out of politics."
Thought Hughes Erred.
The reply of Colonel Roosevelt, writ
ten at Oyster Bay, read:
My Dear Mr.. Barnes: Yesterday /
saw Sherman Bennett, George Smith,
Mike Dady. Cocks and Hitchcock,
here. i have been carefully going into
the Hughes matter since l saw YOU.
I appreciate to the full the force of
the arguments you urged against his
denomination. 1t is not pleasant for
me to support a man who has wan
tonly behaved badly to the very men
who did most in securing his selec-
toni would approve his turning
them down in the public interest, but
/ object to its being lone wantonly.
Moreover, I appreciate that he has
alienated quite needlessly very many
voters, and If we had the right man
to put in his place (the right man
from the standpoint of getting votes).
/ should say that it was certainly wise
to nominate such a man. But no such
man is in sight, and there does not
seem to be the slightest chance of his
arising. Under the conditions. it seems
to me hat while it will do damage to
renominate Hughes, 1t will do more
damage not to renominate him., and
that this damage will extend outside
of the state.
while. therefore, 1 want most en-
phatically to disclaim any intention of
seeming to dictate the nomination.
think 1 ought to tell you that my judg-
nent is that the convention ought to
renominate him. l am sure that the
delegates from this district will be for
him. Bennett, Sherman and Dady in
sist that there is no alternative to ms
denomination. Hitchcock says that not
10 renominate him would be a harm to
the canvass outside of New York, as
well as, in his judgment. in New York.
Even Smith finally announced that he
was inclined to take the same view. /
may add that every one present agreed
20 keep absolutely quiet in this matter
and to consult with you. among others,
before any kind of conclusion was an
nounced: but from the papers | should
iudee some one had talked. 1t was not
I for no ~newspape man communicated
with me directly or indirectly, n L
was as much surprised as any one when
T saw the statements in the papers"
A COPY of the above letter was sent
IN Mr. Parsons.