Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1916-04-07
RoosEvELT's HAT IN RING.
Announces the Terms Under Which He
Would Be Candidate for Presidency
For Preparedness.

Col Roosevelt s. hat is in the ring. He
announced the terms under which he
would be the Republican candidate for
President in telling a political caller
who expects to be a delegate to the
Republican national convention not to
nominate him if he expects the colonel
to "pussyfoot on a single issue he
has raised or unless he thinks the nom
ination is in the interests of the United
States.
This visitor was man from a near
by state who came to Sycamore Hill
saying that he expected to be a candi-
date for congress as we'll as a delegate
to the G.. o. p. convention. Then, in
hopes of the coloncl's support of his
congressional candidacy, the optimistic
pilgrim added: You know, colonel,
may make up my mind that we II have
to nominate you.
"Wcll,' began the colonel, pausing
moment to gather his strength be-
fore letting loose, "now let me give
you a piece of advice. If you have any
doubts on the subject, don t nominate
me.
"Gct it perfectly clear in your head
that if you nominate me it muslin t be
because you think it is in my interest,
but because you think it is in your in
tcrest and the interest of the Republi-
can party, and because you think it is
in the interest of the United States to
to do so.
"And more than that, don t you do
it if you expect me to pussyfoot on
any single issue | have raised. Don I
be for me unless you are prepared to
say that every citizen of this country
has got to be pro-United States first
last and all the time, and not pro-any
thing else at all, and that we stand for
every good American everywhere, what
ever his birthplace or creed and
wherever he now lives, and that in
return we demand that he be an Ameri
can and nothing else, with no hyphen
about him.
every American citizen must be
! for America first and for no other
country even second, and he hash T any
right to be in the United States at al
/ if he has any divided loyalty between
this country and any other
81 don t care rap for the man s
creed or birthplace or national origin
SO long as he is straight United States
I am for him if he is straight United
States, and if he ism t I am against
him. And don t you nominate me un
| less you are prepared to take the posi-
| tion that Uncle Sam is to be strong
enough to defend his rights and to de
! fend every one Of his people wherever
these people are, and he can t be strong
enough unless he prepares in advance
! - am not for war. On the contrary
l abhor an unjust or wanton war
and | would use every honorable ex
Ipedient to avoid even n just war. But
I feel with all my heart that you don =
in the long run avoid war by making
other people believe that you re afraiC
to fight for your own rights.
=" Uncle Sam must never wrong the
weak. He must never insult any one OF
wantonly give cause for offence t,
either the weak or the strong, and tn,
surest possible way to enable him t.
keep the peace and to keep it on terms
that will enable Americans to hole
their heads high and not hang them il
shame is for him to be so prepared il
advance, and l mean prepared in hi
own soul as well as with his army anC
navy, that when he says anything thu
rest of the world will know that h,
means it and that he can make it good
"Don t you try to nominate me un
less you think that policy ought to b,
followed out and followed out for you
sake as well as for mine and for thu
sake of the rest of us here in tn
United States. And don forget tina
that ism t a course that provokes war
it is the only course that in the lonj
run prevents war and secures nationa
sclf-rcspcct and guarantees the homo
of this country and the rights of it
citizens wherever they may be. ~