Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1900-10-15
GOV. ROOSEVELT
Gave an Answer to Bryan's
Deliberate FaIseho0d
Which Should Forever Close His
Mouth or Bring an Apology.
Shows Bryan's Unenviable Position in His
Talk About the Ice Trust.

Spring Station, Ky, Oct. 14.-Here
since early morning, IS miles from
Lexington. Gov. Roosevelt's special
train has remained on a Louisville &
Nashville side track. The candidate for
Vice President accompanied by Leslie
Coombs, chairman Of the Republican
state central committee. Mrs. Coombs,
Major Horsey of Rough Rider fame,
and Col. Curtis Guild. Jr. spent the
day at the residence OF A. j. Alexander,
situated i'll the center of a farm com
prising 1900 acres Before leaving Louis
Vile, word was given out that the
train would proceed at once to LeXing-
ton. but secret order directed that it
stop over Sunday in the country 10 en-
able the governor to recover from the
fatigue caused by his unusually hard
work Of the last few days.
The rest brought about the desired
physical Frightening. The governors
voice has almost lost its huskiness and
he says he feels as well as on the first
day % the trip. The special will leave
for Lexington early tomorrow morning
arriving there a o'clock.
Tonight Gov. Roosevelt gave out an
open letter 10 Mr.. Dickinson Of Mich
igan. in response to the following from
Mr.. Dickinson:
Detroit. Mich. oct. 11.-My Dear
Sir: Yesterday and today. Mr.. Bryan
is speaking in this state. The pro
Bryan paper publishes. this morning,
among other things. the following re-
port of his utterances:
d" He talked about trusts in every
town where he spoke. In six Of these
towns. today. the question was fired at
Bryan by a Republican who asked him
to explain about the trusts He had
an answer that made the crowd guy
the questioner every time. 1t was:
There is a Republican governor and a
Republican Legislature in New York
and what have they done to throttle
the trusts. for he is too busy out here
telling about it
The same charge was made by Mr.
Bryan at length and all the press Of
the country had an answer to il. given,
/ think. in 2 speech in the same state.
Every reader of the papers. too. know s
If your action as governor in respect
to the Ice Trust, and I am under the
impression also that YOU recommended
the legislation under which such a
trust might he reached in New York. "
Gov. Roosevelt's reply follows:
My Dear Sir: | thank you very
much for your letter Of the 18th inst
When Mr.. Bryan talks as in the quo
tatiOn contained in your letter. he
simply says what he either knows or
ought to know to be without the slight
est foundation in fact He made a
s.iv i1,, -,
answered him and asked him in return
whether he would pay the obligations
Of the government in gold or in silver
if elected. He never answered my ques-
ton. but as my statement was printed
broadcast. he must have seen il and
therefore he must know that there is
no warrant in fact for the statement
as to the Ice Trust.
In my message to the New York
Legislature. l recommended certain ac-
ton about trusts. The Legislature did
not act along the line l suggested, but
il did pass a very stringent antitrust
bill introduced by a Democrat, and
signed il. The attorney general is now
proceeding against the Ice Trust under
this bill. Mr.. Croker and his fellow
stockholders in the Ice Trust, through
their attorneys. are fighting us on tech
meal legal points through every stage
of the proceedings
Now. as 1 say, Mr.. Bryan knows al
this from my previous answer He
knows perfectly well that I cannot
suppress the Ice Trust in any manner
save by due process of law, and that
the attorney general is proceeding
against it under the law and is being
hampered by the delays inevitable in
attacking a corporation well defended
by able lawyers when the corporation
contains stockholders as wealthy as
Mr.. Croker and his associates. Mr..
Bryan knows that where the attorney
general is undertaking these proceed
ings | have absolutely nothing 10 do
with them. He therefore knows that
| have taken every step that can pos
sibly be taken in the matter. Under
these circumstances it is unnecessary
for me 70 comment upon his contin-
ual repetition of a statement which he
must know has not the slightest foun-
dation in fact.
Whether the Ice Trust can legally
be dissolved is question which must
De settled by the courts ana summary
it is question to be settled in accord
ance with law whether or not any
Tammany leaders who hold stock in it
are amenable under the law. The trust
itself is certainly one that can be said
TO be a bad trust. dealing as it does
in an article OF necessity for the poor
of New York I have no doubt, how
ever. that most of the stockholders
have invested in il simply as they
would invest in any other corporation.
The striking point il that among
the heaviest Of these investors appears
the Tammany Bryanite leaders who.
in conjunction with Mr.. Bryan. are
loudest in denouncing trusts. Hypoc-
risy could be carried no further than
it has been carried by these men and
their defenders. In the Tammany state
convention in New York they denounc-
Cd the Ice Trust in their political ca
pacity. while in their private capacity
they were stockholders in il and
through their counsel We're doing
everything to prevent its dissolution
by the attorney general.
Mr.. Bryan is now going to New
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