The Mena weekly star., 1916-06-29
URGES
 |CAUSE OF HUGHES
seeIiues to Accept Nomination of
 e,aareSsiyes and Says Wilson and EDemocratic Party Have Failed to Make Good.

Chicago. June 26.-Colonel Roose- :elt in a letter read to the Progress xe National Committee this morn ag finally declined to accept that ,arty's presidential nomination and .rongly urged the Bull Moose to hpport Hughes, the Republican :andidate.
 Closing his letter the colonel said
 Tn any event. and without regard a what personal feelings of any of as may be as regards the action of |he Republican Convention, 1 wish 9sry solemnly to ask the represen- |atiyes of the Progressive Party to sansider at this time only the vel Ere of the people of the United Rates. We shall prove false to our Heals and our professions if, in this Have crisis of the Nations life, we mrmit ourselves to be swerved fom the one prime duty of serving Eth cool judgment and single Xinded devotion the Nations needs. ar own political fortunes. individ- ually and collectively, are of no con- :suuence whatever. when compared &iih the honor and welfare of the In0ple of the United States. Such Angs do not count when weighed il the balance against our duty to 4trye well the country in which, aft ef We are dead, our children and our fiidren's children are to live.
 N.rhe world Is passing thru Heat crisis and no man can tell #at trial and jeopardy will have d bs faced by this nation during q years immediately ahead. There \ now no longer before us for de- Eki0n the question as to what par 4 uar man We may severally de- # e to see at the head of the gov < #nment. We can decide only VI ether during these possible vital Wars this country shall be trusted M the leadership of Mir. Hughes or W Wilson.
 . Mir Wilson has been tried and i8nd wanting. His party, because # it's devotion to the 0utworn theo- zz of state rights. and because of 3E reliance upon purely sectional Npport, stands against that far
 hted nati0nalism which is essen f fl We are to deal adequately
 h our gravest social and indus m problems. Mr. Wilson and his MFty have in actual practice la 'laeatably failed to safe guard the aerest and honor of the United $Iates. They have brot us to im- Mtenee abroad and to division and 7eakness at home. They mve dulled the moral sense of the Hople They have taught us that |fRaee, and peace of cowardice and skh0uor and indifference to the
 R fare of others, is to be put above righteousness, above the stern and MhlnGhing performance of duty
 lsther the duty is pleasant Or un- RRasart. Yet in Mexico they have 4Aled even to secure the peace
 hleh they thus sought. and they |5Ve failed in spite of the most am- |# opportunity and most ample |Rrning, to prepare in any real |Ehion to meet the crisis which Nelr own policy invited. MT. Hughes has shown in his |<areer the instinct of efficiency |#Ieh will guarantee that. under
 En, the government will work once lMpre with Vigor and force He nos
 ses that habit of straightforward
 nklng which means that his
 Fas will he correlated wl.h his
 eds and translated into facts.
 We have the alternative of |s8h htlnuing in office an administra- |:Ra which has proved a lamentahle llre' or of putting into office an E# llnIstFatlon which we have every
 Rson to believe will function with
 oleney for the interest and honor I all our people. I earnestly be-
 ak from my fellow Progressives If ungrudging support of Mir.
 Yours truly,
 Theodore Roosevelt. z- r1nna TTfI1 cfA