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Show TAFT AND TEDDY I WORKTDGETHER I President Issues Statement Pos- fl itively Declaring He Never Opposed Roosevelt. FORMER PRESIDENT GLADLY H ACCEPTS THE EXPLANATION Some New York Politicians H Come in for Scoring on Atti-tude Atti-tude Assumed. NEW YORK Aug. 22. President Taft and ex-President Roosevelt arc again fellow workers in the same politi- ll cal field. The threat that they might lH pull apart has been forcfended by a full 11 explanation on one side and an unre- served acceptance on 'tho other. SH Tho president mado it plain in a let- tor given out hero today by Lloyd C. JH Griscom. chairman of tho New York Republican county committee, how tho jl misunderstanding arouse. He explained il that ho never took any part in a com- fil mittce cabal to defeat Colonel Boose- iH velt for temporary chairman - of tho Il coming state convention. On the con- lH trary he explicitly deplores the result of MH the committee meeting which chose Vice Ul President Sherman; ho rebukes the lH party leaders who have permitted it lo ll go abroad uncontradicted that tho jH president of the United States was be- iH hind their factional preference; he iu- sists that at every opportunity he ad- ll vised the fullest conference with Roose-velfc Roose-velfc and he'explains he has been pained by the "columns of unfounded stories iu jH newspapers concerning nry attitudo iu jH respect to tho New York situation." jH Roosevelt Is Floased. jH For his part, Colonel Roosevelt, when he read President Tnft's letter as com- Bl municated to him at Oyster Bay, said jjl "I am very glad to sec President IH Taft's letter and am plenscd with it.' Sl The president's lotter comes in reply fll to Mr. Griscom 's blunt assertion by fl telegraph that "tho absence of any authoritative information as to your at-titudo at-titudo is seriously misleading many Re- Dublicans." Ho tells how, when he first jH learned from Vice President Sherman of. ill the plan to onpose Roosevelt, he "per- jH cmptorily declined" to be drawn into a ftH iieht with Mr. Roosevelt and again re- nH newed his urgent advice that there bo jH full personal conferenco with him. Fin- IH ally ho asserted that the solution of the IH direct primarv issue can bo found in pro- H visions similar to thoso of the Cobb bill defeated bv the last legislature in diro H rebuke to Mr. Roosevelt and Governor Hughes. IH Taft Urged Harmony. IH In tho course of the correspondence fl thero comes out a telegram from tho H president to the- vice president hitherto H withheld but of which mention had crept into print. In substance the prosident informed Timothy H L. Woodruff, Republican stale chairman, H and William L. Ward of the National Republican committee, "that the thing of all others that ought to be avoided is any controversy in the convention.' Tho president's letter, throughout is temperate, although positive. Mr. Gris- com in his comment on it was much H more outspoken. He did not hesitate to H chargo that the Republican organization of tho state had played -ooliticis with the president's namo and had misrep-resented misrep-resented his attitude. He asserted in so many words that "some of the 'old guard' arc not seek- ing Republican success at the coming IH election; they wish to pcrpctuuto their IH control of tho Republican organization IH at any cost to the party." IH Some Plain Speaking. And he goes on to particularize that in such event they would, have been glad to unload defeat on the shoulders of tho president on the ground that he had ignored the policies of Hughes nnd snubbed Theodore Roosevelt, tho vory men whom they hud consistently op-posod op-posod at overy turn. Lastly, he chuTges that in the last two legislatures thero had been disgraceful allianco be twoon Tammony Hall and somo of tho jH "old guard" lenders. Roosevelt in his statement eiven out at Oyster Bay explains what has been the courso of his negotiations with tho IH organization and how after his succes-oH sive rebuffs, he had felt tho furthcrcteflH crturos could not consistently conuBH attitude no flH ho yet JM effect on public sentiinH dent Taft's letter havejH boon the iH letter iH to GrlsconH tho RcpubllcaiH horcHH AutH ".My Dear Griscom AH from convenH ofllco, T rcftH tho or nocessiH replying to nuwspajH mcnta, based or and H willing, Jl to reply categorically to your tl August has Just arrlvH Griscom's Stand. H am Informed and bellevo that oral members of the New York RcpuflH can Htato commlttoo who voted for trB President Sherman over cx-ProsldeiraKVKKKKK Ftoosovult as nomlnco for tctnpontryBBVBVBVBVH chairman of the state convention were In- ftjftjftjj flucnccd by statements that the vice H prcsldunt'd namu w:us presented to d.- Jl feat Colonol iloosuvclt In accordance AVflVflVJ with your wish. A member of the state vQBBYJ commit teo declared to ma boforo tho meeting thut Mr. Sherman's candidacy ll had bucn urrnntid with you by tele- H phono tho previous day. Efforts havo H been mado to create nn impression that IH you favor a particular candldato for tH election us state chairman. 1 want you lH to know that tho Injection of the name H of a high mombor of your admlnlstrn- M Hun' Into a factional conflict has pro- H duced a most complicated ultuatlon and IH tho absence of any authoritative lnformu- H tlon as to your attitudo Is seriously mis- lB loading many Republicans und impairing .H a movement for a progressive party . M leadership and clean government in this r,H state. I know you desire us to have a Continued on Pago Eleven jjH TAFT AND TEDDY WORK TOGETHER Continued from Pago One. fair field and hopo this may be made clear to the public ' Taft Flatly Denies. "The suggestion that I luave evor expressed ex-pressed a wish to defeat Rlr. Roosevelt for tho temporary chairmanship of tho convention or have ever taken the slightest slight-est step to do so, is wholly untrue. I never heard Rlr. Sherman's name suggested sug-gested as temporary chairman of the state convention until I saw In the newspapers news-papers of August IB that he had been selected at the meeting of tho committee. commit-tee. When you called at my house Saturday Sat-urday evening. August 13. you told me that Rlr. Roosevelt intended to go to the convention as a delegate and you suggested sug-gested Incidentally his being made temporary tem-porary chairman a suggestion In which I acquiesced. "It did not occur to mc that any one would opposo It. This was the llrst lime tho subject of tho temporary chairmanship chair-manship was mentioned to mc by any one. You didn't ask mo to tako any action whatever with respect to It. After a full discussion of tho Now York state situation. I drafted. In your presence, pres-ence, the following telegram anil sent It to Rlr. Shermnnr Message to Sherman. " 'Beverly, RIass., Aug 1-1, 1910. " 'Hon. James S. Sherman, vlco president. presi-dent. Ullca, N. Y. " '1'lcase say to Ward and Woodruff that I have had n long conference with Grlscom. He confirms my Judgment, already al-ready expressed to you, that tho .whole situation In New York may be saved without humiliation to any one and that with victory for the party by a full conference con-ference with Rlr. Roosevelt nnd reasonable reason-able concessions with reference to platform plat-form nnd candidates. " 'Tho thing of all others that ought to be avoided Is a controversy In tho convention. I am told by sir, Grlscom that such a conference with Rlr. Roosevelt Roose-velt anight conveniently no neld and would bo welcomed by him before the stale committee meets on Tuesday. "Hope you will be able lo report satisfactorily solution when you come on Wednesday. (Signed) " 'WILLIARr II. TAFT.' Subsequent Dovoloptncnts. "On the afternoon of RIonday. August 15, Rlr. Sherman telephoned mc from Now York and for the first time apprised me of the fact that there was a proposal to oppose Rlr. Roosevelt for the temporary tempo-rary chairmanship and that with Rlr. Root's name. No other name than Rlr. Root's was mentioned. I protested against the Idea of a contest on such a matter, purposely declined to be drawn into a light against Rlr. Roosevelt and again renewed my urgent advice that there be prompt and full personal conference with Rlr. Roosevelt beforo the committee meeting meet-ing with a view to securing harmony and victory for the parly. ".Mr. Sherman called upon me hero on the 17th Instant lo meet an engagement of a week's standing made with him and Rlr. Loudenslagor to discuss tho congressional con-gressional campaign textbook. Rlr. Lou-denslager Lou-denslager was prevented rrom coming by an Illness. In the conference with Rlr. Sherman, I told him that 1 deplored the result of the meeting of the New York state committee, because, unless the break wore repaired, it meant division between New York Republicans, and probable defeat. Ready to Seo Teddy. "Upon leaving me Rrr. Sherman agreed to go Into a conference with Rlr. Roosevelt, Roose-velt, provided ho were invited to do so. with a vlow to adjusting tho situation If possible even at that late date. Rlr. Nicholas Longworth was present and said he would send a telegram to bring about a conference. What the result has boon I do not know, "Finally. In your telegram received this morning, you state that efforts have bcfp made to create the Impression that I favor a particular candidate for election elec-tion as state chairman. This Is absolutely untrue. I have cxprcascd no opinion oil the subject slnco an effort was made lust winter by the New York congressional delegation to further Rlr. Woodruff's retirement re-tirement which failed. "I am very sorry Induod to observe columns of unfounded assertions In the newspapers concerning my attitude In respect to the New York situation. Y'ou know, however, as well as other New York leaders, that whenever mv advlco or assistance In reaching a. satisfactory adjuiitmont of the difficulties has lnon sought. I havo urged the necessity for the fullest conference with Rlr. Roosevelt Roose-velt by tho mombers of the organization and with duo deference to honest, differences dif-ferences of opinion, havo expressed tho view which I still entertain that the solution solu-tion of the direct primary issue can be found In provisions similar to those of (be Cobb bill tnrp.ir.l , ,,.,.,,) wlll tho memorial signed by Rlr. Seth Low, Rlr. Joseph Choato and other prominent Republicans of New York City. "Sincerely yours, "WILL1ARI IT. TAFT." Griscom Changes View. In commenting on President Taft's letter let-ter and the situation which It discloses, Rlr. Grlscom gave out the following statement: state-ment: "The methods used to accomplish tho defeat of Rlr. Roosevelt when his namo was before the sta.tc committee are now clear and may be Judged by the public "Those personally acquainted with Mr. Taft's views were of course never in doubt that his advice had been Ignored and that his attitude was misrepresented that those who misrepresented him might appear aa tho defenders of his administration. admin-istration. "I have not the slightest doubt that the action of the state committee will be reversed re-versed and that Rlr. Roosevelt, if his engagements en-gagements will permit him lo accept, -will act as temporary chairman of the convention con-vention and make the preliminary speech. As chairman of the New York state committee, com-mittee, I shall co-operato with Republicans Republi-cans throughout tho state who believe It In the Interest of the party that this result be brought about. Contradiction of Reports. "Rlr. Taft's reply to my telegram discloses dis-closes that tho reports Industriously clr-I clr-I culated of ti supposed conflict between the president and the ex-president on Now York state matters arc baseless. "The way Is now clear for the Republican Repub-lican party In this slate to take steps which will warrant and secure success at the polls In November. It Is evident that some of the so-called "old guards" are not seeking Republican success at the coining election; thoy wish to perpetuate their control of tho Republican organization organiza-tion at any cost to the party. "The defeat which their plans Invited they very willingly would have unloaded upon the shoulders of President Taft by making It appear that ho failed to Indorse In-dorse the policies of Governor Hughes and Rlr. Roosevelt In this state. "The alliance of some of the 'old guard' leaders with Tammany hall In the last two legislative sessions was a disgrace and should be repudiated by the party. "Substantially all the Republican primaries pri-maries are stllf to be held throughout tho state. There can be no misunderstanding misunderstand-ing of the position taken by President Taft. lCx-Presldent Roosevelt and Governor Gover-nor Hughos for- progressive lpadorahlp In tho party and clean government. Opposing Op-posing are Rressrs. Barnes. Woodruff, Al-drldgc. Al-drldgc. Ward and their associates. Tho voters In the primaries will have an opportunity op-portunity of making their choice." |