The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1906-05-15
IINcovERINo ROOSEVELT.


II anything had been needed to con-
firm the conviction that President
Roosevelt had betrayed the friends of
the railroad rate bill and broken faith
with Senators Ti1lman and Bailey, the
evidence would be complete with the
statement Of ex-senator Chandler given
70 Mr.. TiIlman for use on the floor of
the senate.
II will be remembered that Senator
Lodge for the, president declared he had
not referred to Knox, Spooner and For
aker as attempting to defeat the meas
ure he desired. This denial of Lodges
was made on direct authority of the
president in Roosevelt's own words.
With characteristic RooseveItian en-
phasis, the statement was denounced s
"a deliberate and unqualified false
hood
Naturally, this raises an issue Of We
racity between Chandler, a Republican
Ofnceholder, who had conducted the ne
sotiations with. the Democrats for
Roosevelt. and the chief executive him
self. Senator Chandler, in his written
statement, says the president used the
language attributed to hinn-and Chand-
trusted to convey his MESA ges TO Till
man and Bailey, the man who was
trusted by all concerned to act in good
faith
1t takes no long memory to recall the
fact that Roosevelt has raised similar
issues before. No man in public life
has been quite so ready TO accuse 9TH
Judge Parker accused Cortelyou-and
inferentiaHy. RooseveIt-of soliciting
and accepting campaign contributions
from New York corporations, Roosevelt
denounced him in unmeasured terms for
bearing false witness. The insurance
Investigations showed that Judge Par
ker had told the absolute, unqualified
truth; that Cortelyou had received hun
dreds Of thousands OF dollars from the
corporations and that Roosevelt owed
Parker an apology which has never
been made.
When Mr.. Whitney of Boston quoted
the president as favoring tariff revi-
sion, the president denied the quotation
and abused the Bostonian although he
was and Is one Of the most highly es-
termed citizens Of the Bay state. On
the issue Of veracity, Mr.. Whitney was
supported by the evidence Of the two
gentlemen who accompanied him on his
visit TO the White House-and very few
men in Massachusetts had any doubt
as to the accuracy and honesty OF
whitneys statement.
If this had been the first instance
where the presidents word was ques-
toned: IL he had never raised an issue
OF the sort before, one might possibly
think II was a case of confusion as to
words or misinterpretation Of CONVEX
sion. But. recalling the Parker cpl
sode and the Whitney case, remember
ing the tremendous Importance Of
Chambers errand, the fact that he has
been asked TO act for the president in
vital situation, the conclusion is in
evitable that the president, finding him
self I'm an awkward situation has chosen
70 repudiate his own agent and take
refuge in abusing the men he had first
enlisted as allies and then betrayed.
The corroborative evidence confirms
the belief that Chandler quoted Roose-
Welt correctly. A man who would ask
his enemies to waive their party preju-
dices tn order to help in a patriotic
cause. and then break faith with them
is entitled to no confidence. If he would
do this-as he did-he would not hest
tate to eat his own words and throw.
the onus Of proof on the men who had
literally befriended him
The act IS the more cowardIv that
Roosevelt's official position gives him
an enormous advantage. Though he is
just a common man, a common poll
tician. as events prove. his place giIds
his word with an assumption Of truth
protects him from meeting others on a
common plane and loads the dice
against any opponent he may have An
honorable man would feel the obliga-
ton Of such a position. Roosevelt has
taken a towards advantage Of it. An
honorable man. pledged to his oppon-
erts IN comrnen cause. would have
felt bound TO keep faith with them
Roosevelt betrayed them. An honorable
man would at least have given fair
warning II he meant TO surrender