The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-09-27
AVIS DISCLOSES STARTLING LETTER
 FROM ROOSEVELT
Continued from page one)

such will be the case. For it is req sonable to suppose that if the er:.- while leader of the Progressive party is willing to kiss and make up with the generals and admirals who command ed the crew which "scuttled and sank the Republican political ship in 1912, he ought also to be willing to embrace the colonels and captains, as well as welcome the smaller fry to his arms. This may prove pleasing to the sight of some so-ca11ed members of the Pro- gressive party, but there are other Progressives who are neither pleased nor ready to swallow the dose which the Colonel is taking, apparently with out even holding his nose.
 It happened that right after the 1912 election, many Progressive organiza- tions were started in the state of Con- necticut, with the ends in view of strengthening and perfecting the par ty in the state as a whole. l had the honor of organizing one of these l bodies, which was known as "the | Twelfth Senatorial District Progress sive Central Committee And I can say with pride and satisfaction, that I this little organization, in which were men representing nearly every town in the Twelfth district, was composed of citizens of the highest and finest type. On the 28th dag of June, 1913, din- ner and outing was held under the auspices of this committee, at the Mo- mauguin hotel, East Haven. Conn. As the Chairman of the committee, I was authorized to invite speakers for the occasion, and on the strength of this authority among others I sent an 1nvi- tation to Colonel Roosevelt to attend, he to be the principal guest of the af- fair. In fact, it was left to him to set the date for the dinner in order that the dinner might be held at his Iconvenience. Following is the answer to the invitation, which copy from the original letter as,I write:
 "The Outlook, 2s7sFourth Avenue.
 New York, May g, 1913
 Office of Theodore Roosevelt.
 My dear MT. Avis: ,
 earnestly wish I could be with you some Saturday in June to greet the Progressives of the Twelfth Senatorial District. As this is impossibleI send you a letter of good will.
 The Progressive party stands to-day
 
 stood in the days of Lincoln, when it was the Progressive party of the na- tion. It is as idle to talk of our anal gamating with either of the old party machines as 1t would have been to talk of the Lincoln Republicans amalga- mating either with the Bourbon Dem ocrats or the Cotton Wings of their day We stand absolutely for our platform; we believe in applying the principles of that platform to party management as well as to the govern ment. There is no place in our ranks for the boss, for the men who repre-, sent the alliance between privilege in business and privilege in politics. I firmly believe that there are literally millions of Progressives among the rank and file both of the Republican and Democratic parties, and that these men will sooner or later realize that they can do nothing where they are, and the only way they can efficiently fight for social and industrial justice, for political and economic freedom, for equality of opportunity, is by join ing the Progressive Party. They shall have exact equality of treatment with us without regard to whether they are ex-Democrats or ex-Republicans. We welcome all honest citizens to our ranks. "a
 With hearty good wishes, am,
 "''1 Faithfully yours,
 THEnDORE POOSEVET IT