The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-05-09
1T is STARTED.


Gus absence of Frederick Dumont Smith
from the councils of the new leagAe
Friday. It has been talked that there
is to be no fight on Morton AlbauRh as
state chairman and that in return D.
W. Mulvane shall be reelected national
committeeman without opposition. Some
of Mr.. Mulvane's friends have been pre-
dieting that this win be the outcome of
the state convention next spring to elect
delegates to the Republican national
convention. Mulvane's enemies say they
do not really care for the job anyway,
as national committeeman does not
amount to much when the state has
two Republican senators, because The
senators control the federal patronage
anyway. In the days when the state had
two POpuliSt senators the national COM
mitteeman controlled the federal pat
ronage and was an important officer.
It is pretty certain that the RepubIi-
can national commmittee viii send 10
campaign funds into Kansas next year
for disbursement, so the national COM
mitteeman will have nothing to say in
the financial line, either. If the state
were likely to be close the national
committee would probably expend con-
siderable money in the state. but it is
absolutely sure to go for Roosevelt so
the expenditure of campaign funds
would be useless.
The Wichita Eagle few days ago
contained the following:
Roosevelt did the baby act at Sharon
Springs. He said the babies woHld
want TO talk about it when they grew
up
All of which is misstatement, and
thereby hangs a tale. The Eagle is
honest enough in making the assertion
but it was founded upon a fake In
terview with the president, written by
a Kansas City reporter OF the Kansas
City Journal-and that, too, after the
- (. - LIFT Ill
stated to the president that he had not
and would not write such an interview.
The Kansas City paper in question
seems to make a speciality of fake IN
terviews with the president On the
morning after President Roosevelt
passed through Kansas City it publish
ed an alleged authorized statement
from him severely criticis1ng St LOUIS
for the treatment which 1t gave MS
party The statement was such a gross
one that the president felt called upon
to have his secretary give out an au-
thorftative denial that such sentiment
was ever uttered by the president The
denial was published by the paper TO
which If was directed, but in the face
of that the paper had the bad taste 10
insist that the president did say what
was attributed to him. thereby virtual
" saving that he falsified in denying
In addition to that the same paper
sent A local reporter from Kansas CITY
to report the presidents Sunday at Sna-
ron Springs. The presloen' ~. ~
through Kansas was reported Tor tue
paper in question by Charles M Har-
ger. Of Abilene one of the best news
1aper men in Kansas, and If Mr. Har~
ger had been allowed also to write the
Tenort Of the Sunday at Sharon Springs
there would have been no misrenresen-
tation of the president.
The reporter sent from Kansas City,
instead of acceDting the arrangements
-1z NV sharon
Springs for the benefit Of the visiting
newspaper men, started out for himself
He even went so far as to insist on sit
ting in the pulpit with the ministers
during the services on Sunday morn
ing He was somewhat clerical In APP
pearance, and these two facts led Pres
ident Roosevelt to suppose that he was
a minister. During the afternoon tbs
president sent for Dr. Carter in order
to thank him for his sermon. Durins
the interview between the two the Kan
sas city reporter stood by and listened,
and the president, suppOSing him to be
brother minister Of DIR. Carriers. in
Guided him in his remarks. And it was
these remarks which the reporter twist
ed into an alleged interview Some OF
the remarks which were put into the
presidents mouth were 50 utterly for
eign to him that they sound ridiculous.
For instance, he is quoted as turning to
the reporter and saying. I do hope the
Journal will print this" In connection
with the informal reception which the
president held for the people in front Of
the little church the reporter in question
published the following direct quotation
from the president:
g I like them, I am so glad you came,
he said, abruptly stopping his reception
a the church door to address The Jour
nal correspondent, who stood on his left.
I am so glad you came, because want
to leave a word or two behind me about
these hardy people Look at them. No
wonder Americans are proud. Here,
here don't go past me with baby
without letting me shake Its hand 1t
is pity we presidents are not more
imposing looking men, and in this hap
py strain he ran on
Some of these remarks are so abso-
lutely foreign to President Roosevelt
that a denial that he uttered them is
unnecessary
The Kansas City reporter could not
helm telling of the hot interview that
he had written with the president, and
the report reached the ears of President
Roosevelt himself Ordinarily sucn a
thing would be above the notice OF
president but in view of the experience
of the day before it was deemed hest by
the presidents friends to head off a rep
etition of the fake interview business
and the Kansas City reporter was sent
for and taken to see the president him
self by Senator Long. He is said to not
only have denied any interview with the
president. but as saying further
have been too long in the newspaper
business to do such thing-I know too