Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1903-04-10
HE is UNRELIABLE.
HOW ROOSEVELT VIOLATED HIS
PLEDGE TO SENATOR SIMON.

to Senator Simon in Doing Sole Did the
Act Deliberately With Full KNOWLEDGE of
facts-Probably fastened Senator Corbstt's
Death.
Special Correspondence of the STANDARD.
II. W. Corbett will not introduce the
President Of the United States when
he lnaugurates the Lewis and Clarke
Fair. H. w. Corbett will not be chair.
man OF a committee, or be present to
grasp the hand Of President Roosevelt.
Cleveland claimed to be better than
his party. The Rough Rider claims to
be better than his party, and the Ore
gonidn has constantly tainted the
leaders of each party by parading the
virtues of the twin paragons. Sam
Randall of Pennsylvania, died of bro.
ken heart.
Less than three years ago, the great
banker was in absolute control of the
Republican party in Multnomah coun-
ty and could dictate the nomination of
men who would support him for the
U. 5. Senate. One Dresser lived in
Clackamas county, and in order to Sc
cure his election to the State Legisla-
ture, he wrote to the banker pledging
him his vote for U. S. Senator. RELYING
upon this written pledge, the Dresser
was nominated and elected, but instead
OF supporting or voting for the banker,
the Dresser added insult to injury BY
denouncing his benefactor as a corrup-
zionist. Though past the meridian of
life, there were columns OF the great
Portland daily to prove the virility
and the personal appearance of the
banker was the personification OF man.
ly vigor.
There has been another Senatorial
election but the Lewis and Clarke Fair
was engrossing the attention OF the
banker; it was more cOngenial and bid
indeed fair to crown life spent in up.
building the city which had made such
manifold returns to him. There might
be many Dressers in politics but there
could be none in the Fair.
When the banker was a candidate.
one Steel was the manager of his cam
paign, as chairman of the Republican
central committee, and President
Roosevelt had promised Senator ST.
mond that Steel should be appointed
Register of the Oregon City land Office.
Early in March, the man Dresser was
recommended for the same office by
those who had profited by his treache-
ry to the banker, and the President
was Immediately informed OF his
pledge and perfidy, and the Secretary
OF the Interior and the Commissioner
OF the Land Office refused to recon.
mend the appointment.
On the 18th day of March, the tele-
graph brought the news that Dresser
would be appointed. On the same day
the banker sent to the board of Fair
Commissioners his resignation as its
Chairman. On the next day, the
morning paper contained, in the first
column OF the second page a dispatch
from its own news bureau in Wash.
ington, which showed that the two
Senators from Oregon had, in further
ance OF the appointment of Dresser,
justified him in violation of his pledge
because the banker chad been freely
using money before the Legislature"
Two days thereafter the banker died.
II he had lived, how was he to main.
tain his Retrospect without injury to
the great fair?
The foregoing was cleaned from the
recent kilograms and what appears to be
indisputable evidence. From the 2Sth
OF March until the LIST of April the
three daily papers in Portland told in
minutia of the strange transaction
not one word from Steel, but this was
not strange at all. parties had good
words Tor him; not word from Dress
er, but he did not need it, he had the
pull in Washington, and what more
did he need?
At the time OF his resignation. four
days before his deash, the banker as
signed the state of his health as the
reason, but it was so sudden and start.
ling that the resignation had not been
accepted when he died. There are
many strange condolences in life, and
it may be that this is only one of
many. Seventy-six years is more than
the allotted time to live, but am one
OF those who believe that life is often
shortened by unexpected reverses and
the desire to avoid unwelcome, though
inevitable, approaching events.
ADDENDA.
The county and judicial officers, and
the clergy, of Clackamas county, gave
of character to Mr.. Dresser
WHITE House, }
WASHINGTON, ID. c., Feb. II, 19O3.S
My DEAR SENATOR SIMON:
l shall take things little into my own
hands. Senator Mitchell still insists
upon his objections to Steel, but l have
told him / shall override him on this
point, and that will send in Steel after
Bibee has been sent in. l think Bibee
should go in first. As Won know, |
signed his commission some time ago.
and have been holding it up ever since.
1t is very clear that his name should 90
IN at some little interval before Steel s
but within three or four weeks shall
send In SteePs name. / do hope that i'm
next appointments you two can get to-
gether. Sincerely yours,
THEODORE ROOSEVELT.
Hon Joseph Simon,
United States Senate.
The President has given several in
consistent explanations of his failure
to redeem this letter, among which
are forgetfulness: that Simon did not
call upon him often to press the mat
ter; that Senator Simon got huffy
with him. and, as a clincher, that ST.
mon bolted the ticketin Oregon. The
President says that he has contempt
for boilers. This contempt is reserved
Tor the men who bolt at only one cleo.
ton; he, Theodore Roosevelt. has a
profound respect for men like Mitchell,
who bolt at three successive elections,
but then Mitchell was a Silver Repub.
licatlon, and he will reward that