Roosevelt Near Break With Aids.

New York Times 100 years ago today, July 16, 1912:
Emphatic in Opposing the Pennsylvania and Maryland Compromise Plans.
CALLS TO THE PROGRESSIVES
And Insists They Cast Their Votes Only for Electors Who Will Vote for Him.
FAITH IN VAN VALKENBURG
Neither Can He Believe Flinn Would Consent to Let Popular Vote Decide Between Him and Taft.
Special to The New York Times.
    OYSTER BAY. L. I., July 15.—An open breach between Col. Roosevelt and some of his leaders seems likely to develop as a result of the compromise plans made by Republicans in Pennsylvania and Maryland, who cast their lot with the third party, to save their State tickets and State organizations.  Col. Roosevelt sees trouble ahead, and the situation is giving him some alarm.
    The report that ex-Senator William Flinn and E. A. Van Valkenburg, Roosevelt leaders in Pennsylvania, were attempting to arrange an agreement with the adherents of President Taft whereby the Republican electors, who have already been selected would be placed on both the Republican and Progressive tickets, and be bound to vote for the candidate who received the biggest popular vote, started the trouble.  Col. Roosevelt heard of the proposal in detail for the first time to-day, and while he was revolving it in his mind along came George Gaither, one of the Roosevelt leaders in Maryland, and told him that the same scheme was to be carried out in that State. Gaither didn't have much to say about it when he left Sagamore Hill, but there were evidences that his conference with the Colonel bad been an unpleasant one.
    Col. Roosevelt jumped right into the discussion when he met the newspaper reporters. There could be no compromise of any kind so far as he was concerned, he declared. Then, announcing that he had something of great importance to say, dictated this statement:

    In Pennsylvania and Maryland the proposal has been made that Roosevelt and Taft electors should run, and the electors who are chosen cast their vote for whichever one (that is Mr. Taft and myself) gets the most votes. I trust that no such plan will be adopted.
I claim that in every primary State where the primaries were carried for me and where electors have been nominated that as a matter of the highest moral obligation those men are bound to vote for me, for I am the nominee of the overwhelming majority of the rank and file of the Republican Party. Mr. Taft's nomination represents nothing but the successful dishonesty of the Barnes-Penrose-Guggenheim machine, and is not binding on any honest Republican.
    In certain of these primary States, as I understand it, there is now a contest on in the primaries to see whether my name or that of Mr. Taft shall be put upon the regular ticket instead of being nominated by petition, it being the intention of the party beaten in the primary to nominate its electors by petition. This is all right and proper, but so far as I have any say in the matter I shall not assent to any arrangement by which, under any circumstances, my supporters or electors supported by them shall cast their votes for Mr. Taft.
    I make my appeal to all Progressives, no matter what their past party affiliations, who genuinely believe in Progressive principles and who believe as I do that both old party organizations are completely under the dominion of the bosses and of special privilege, and that the Chicago and Baltimore platforms are fundamentally unprogressive and reactionary platforms, showing that it is hopeless to expect from either of the old parties, under present conditions, any real and far-reaching progressive movement.
    Therefore I hope that in every State the Progressives, without regard to past party affiliations, may have the chance to vote at the polls for electors who in the Electoral College will cast their vote for the candidate of the National Progressive Party for President.

    Col. Roosevelt said he thought reports that Van Valkenburg was ready to enter into any agreement of the kind outlined would prove to be unfounded, and with less emphasis he said he didn't think Flinn would really be out for such a proposition either. Van Valkenburg wasn't the kind of a man who would compromise at all, the Colonel said, and he added that he wasn't positive yet that the plan in Pennsylvania was along the lines to which he was so decidedly opposed.
    An attempt was made to get some expression from Col. Roosevelt as to course he would pursue if Mr. Flinn, Mr. Van Valkenburg, and others stick to the compromise plan in order to save themselves, despite the Colonel's views, but he refused to say a word.
    By adopting in Pennsylvania and Maryland the plan to have the same Electors on the Republican and Progressive ticket and have them abide by the vote on electionday, as between himself and Taft, Col. Roosevelt feels that the hope of obtaining any material support from the Democrats would be gone. He is counting on considerable support from Democrats, and this would be thrown away, as they could not be expected to support electors who might in the end have to cast their ballots in the Electoral College for the nominee of the regular Republican  conventions.
    Protest came to the Colonel from the West, pointing out that if he agreed to any such plan it would have a very harmful effect in the West, and urging him to repudiate the scheme.
    Col. Roosevelt is afraid also that the situation in Pennsylvania and Maryland may be repeated in other States, such as Illinois and Missouri, where leaders who have told him that they would support him see in the plan the best chance to save their State tickets. A conference of the leaders will probably be called if the impending break is not smoothed over.
    There is little doubt now that Roosevelt will attend the convention of the Progressives in Chicago on August 5, and he will probably arrange his primary campaign so that it will find him somewhere in the vicinity of Ohio at convention time.
    Gaither, the Maryland leader, who was the nominee of the Republicans for Governor four years ago, said, after his visit to Sagamore Hill, that the final plan of action in Maryland would not be decided upon definitely until the State convention met at Baltimore July 25.
    The delegates to the Chicago convention will be named then and the State ticket nominated. He thought that all of the electors in Maryland, who have already been named, were favorable to Roosevelt.