The daily morning journal and courier., 1904-11-05
ROOSEVELT GIVES
 LIE ID PARKER. Issues Statement Regarding Charges Made Against Himself and MT. Cor teIYou by Demo
 cratic Gandi-
 date.
SLANDEROUS ACCUSATIONS

CORPORATIONS NOT BLACK
 MAILED INTO CITING FUNDS. Parker Has Not and Cannot Produce
 any Proof of Ills Assertions Strong
 Defense of Cortelyou-Park
 Charges Termed nIonstrous-s -state-
 ment That Any Pledge or Promise
 Has Been Made to Any Trust a
 Wicked FaIsehood--President Places His Character Against That of
 carker.
 Washington, Nov 4 President. Roosevelt tonight made the following signed statement to the American peo- pie in answer to the charges made against himself and MT. Cortelyou in public speeches by MT. Parker, the democratic candidate for the presiden- cy:
 White House,
 Washington, Nov. 4, 1904.
 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 He neither has produced nor can produce any proof of their truth; vet he has not withdrawn them; and as his position gives them wide currency, speak now lest the si-. fence of self-respect be misunderstood
 MT. Parker's charges are in effect that the president of the United States and MT. Cortelyou, formerly Mir CIeve- lands executive clerk and then Mr.. McKinley's and my secretary, then sec Tetary of commerce and labor, and now chairman of the republican national committee, have been in a conspiracy to blaclsmail corporations, MT CorteI- you using his knowledge gained while he was secretary of the department of commerce and labor to extort money from the corporations and I. the pres- ident, having appointed him for this special purpose. The gravity of these charges lies in the assertion that eor- porations have been blackinailed into contributing, and in the implication, which in one of MT. Parker's speeches has taken the form practically of an assertion, that they have been promis- ed certain immunities or faVoTs, or have been assured that they would re- ceive some kind of improper considera- tion in view of their contributions.
 That contributions have been made to the republican national committee as contributions have been made to the democratic, committees, is not the question as issue Mir. Parker's asser- tion inc fleet, is that such contribu- tions have been made for improper motives, either in consequence 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 con tributons to hs campagn 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 Tn the statement as regards any, thing that has gone on in the manage 1nent of the republican campaign. MT. Parkers accusations against MT. Cor telyou and me are nonstrous. If true, they would brand both of fus forever with infany; and inasmuch as they are false heavy must be the condemna- tion of the man making them. chose MT Cortelyou as chairman of the na- tional committee after having failed successively to persuade MT. Elihu Root, MT. w. Murray Crane and MT. Cornelius N Bliss to accept the posi- fion. I chose him with extreme reluct- ance, because I could i'll spare him from the cabinet. But felt that he possessed the high integrity which I demanded in the man who was to man. age my campaign.
 ssTs am content that Mir. Parker and | should be judged by the public on the characters of the two men whom we chose to manage our campaigns; he by tbe character of his nominee, MT. Thomas Taggart, and by the charac- lar of MT Cortelyou. The assertion that MT. Cortelyou had any knowledge gained while in any official position whereby he was able to secure and did secure any contributions from any cor- 7,oration is q falsehood. The assertion That there has been made ill behalf and hy my authority by MT Cortelyou, or hy any one else, any pledge or promise, or that there has been an understasd- ing as to future immunities or bene- Ats. ir recognition of any contribution from any source, is a wicked falsehood.
 That MT. Parker should desire 70 avoid the discussion of principles can well u.s derstand. So far it is but the bare truth to say that he has not at lacked us on any matter of principle or upon any action of the government save after first misstating that prin- ciple or that action. But cannot un- derstand how any honorable man, q candidate for the highest office in the gift of the people, can take refuge, not merely in personalities, but in such base and unworthy personalities.
 If I deemed it necessary to support