Arizona republican., 1904-11-05
President Roosevelt Replies
 to Charge of BIaCkmaiI
ATROCIOUS AND INSANE
The Accusation That the Corporations Are Being Held up by Threats and Promises for Contributions to the Republican Campaign Fund.

Washington, Nov. 4 - President Roosevelt tonight made the following signed statement to the American people in answer to the charges made against himself and Chairman Cortel- won in public speeches by Parker, the democratic candidate for the presiden- cy: White House, Washington, Nov 4, 19O4-Certain slanderOus accusations as to MT. COrtelyou and myself have been repeated time and again by Judge Parker, the candidate of his party for the office of president. He neither has produced nor can produce any proof of the truth of the charges, yet, he has not withdrawn them. and as his position gives them wide currency, ] speak now lest the silence of self re- spect he misunderstood.
 MT. Parker's charges are in effect that the president of the United States and MT. Cortelyou formerly MT. | Cleveland's executive clerk, then MT. AcKinley's and my secretary, then sec retary of commerce and labor and now ] chairman of the republican national committee, have been in a conspiracy l to blackman the corporations, MT. Cor i teIyou using his knowledge gained while he was secretary of the depart lnent of commerce and labor to extOrt money from the corporations and l, the president. having appointed him for i this especial purpose.
 ! 'sThe eraveness of this assertion lies ! in the assertion that the corporations have been bIaclmailed into contribu- : tfon and in the implication, which. in one or two of MT. Parker's speeches l has taken the form practically of, an assertion that they have been promised ! certain immunities or favors or have been assured that they would receive
 some kind Of improper consideration
 in view of their contribution. That
 contributions have been made to the
 republican committee as contributions have been made to the democratic com
 nittee is not the question at issue. Mr- Parker's assertion is in effect that
 such contributions have been made by
 improper motives, either in couse-
 quence of threats or in consequence of improper promises, direct or Indirect,
 on the part Of the recipients.
 MT. Parker knows best whether this
 is true of the contributions to his cam l. paign fund, which have come through his trusted friends and advisers who
 represent the great corporate interests
 that stand behind him. But there is not
 one particle Of truth in the statement as regards anything that has gone on
 in the management of the republican | campaign. MT. Parker's accusations against r~Cortelyou and me are mon- strOus. If true they would brand both of us with infamy; and inasmuch as
 they are false heaven must decide the condemnation of the man making them 'I chose MT. CortelyOu as chairman after having failed successively to per 5 suade Elihu Root, W. Murray Crane
 and Cornelius N Bliss to accept the , position. I chose him with extreme re Iuctance, because could i'll spare hin I from the cabinet. But l felt that h, , possessed the high integrity which . demanded in the man who was to man f age my campaign. am content tha , MT. Parker and I should be judged by
 the people on the characters of the two
 men whom we chose to manage oui
 campaigns; he by the character Of hi:
 nominee, Thomas Taggart, and l bl v the character of MT. COrtelyOu.
 "The assertion that Mir Cortelyol
 had any Knowledge gained while in an! - ! official position whereby he was en r apled to secure ana did secure an!
 contributions for any corporation i
 falsehood. The assertion that ther i, has been any blackmail, direct or in . direct. by MT. CortelyoU or by me i
 falsehood. The assertion that there ha ,- been made, in behalf of and on m! Q authorization by MT. Cortelyou. or b. f myself, any pledge, or that there ha
 been any understanding as to futur
 benefits, in recognition of any contri
 button from any source, is a w1cke,
 falsehood.
 :. That MT. Parker should desire u I avoid the discussion of principles 1 cal z well understand, for it is but the bar
 truth that he has not attacked us oI
 any matter of principle or upon m. . action of the government save afte
 first misstating that principle or thu 2 action. But I can not understand hov . any honorable man, a candidate fo
 the highest office in the gift of tn
 people can take refuge, not merely il I personalities but in such base and uD s worthy personalities.
 "If I deemed it necessary to supper 4 nay flat denial by any evidence I woul 4 ask all men of common sense to ponde d well what has been done in this cam s paign by MT. Cortelyou and to com S pare 1t with what MT. Parker hiInsel 2 did when he was managing Mir Hul' s campaign for governor; and to com s pare what has been done as regard