The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-12-10
". A. |. Thompson
Hardware Go.
5II Kas. Ave.

] r1NeS lis entire importance from the
accompanying letter which you were
asked to read and hand to Mrs Storer.
in which Mrs StOrer was informed
that unless she took certain definite
action your connection with the diplo-
matte service would have to be sew
cred. 1t is of course. unnecessary to
discuss and it ought to be unnecessary
even TO allude to. any proposition so
absurd that this severance of you
from the service would be asked for
not by the president S president, but
in his private capacity. The president
was anxious to treat both you and Mrs.
StOrer with the utmost gentleness and
consideration and It seemed TO him
that his end could be achieved in the
way easiest by following the course
which he actually did follow. The let
ter to Mrs. Storer Of course became
part of the matter of which YOU were
requested to take cOgnizance In it
Mrs Storer was asked to fulfill GER
tain conditions, failure to fulfill which
would require. as was informed your
severance from the service, which
conditions she never fulfilled You
were requested to read this letter and
hand it to her. 1t is difficult to stig-
Matte merely as folly the PROPOSE
ton that under these conditions the
I have the honor to be- sir YOUR
Obedient servant,
ROBERT BACON,
e Acting. Secretary.
An Ungentlcmanly Act.
1T is never pleasant to have to dis
euss personal affairs or quote or to ex-
plain from personal correspondence
which is one reason why. it Is held to.
be a peculiarly ungentlemanly thing to
publish private correspondence. But
as Mr.. Storer in his extraordinary
pamphlet prints various letters writ
ten by himself. by me, and by Mrs.
Storer, shall set forth briefly the facts
of the case, giving certain letters which
are necessary in order to understand
clearly those which he prints.
Il first met the Storers while I was
civil service commissioner and he had
come to Washington as a congressman.
They were then kind and friendly in
their relations with me and my family
1 retained a lively recollection of this
kind and friendly attitude, and be-
cause of the affection it inspired, l sub
StOrer to which I would have submit
TED from no other ambassador and his
wife; and did not resent their actions
until it became evident that they were
likely to damage American interests.
Mrs. Storer insisted to me often that
their change of creed had proved a
deadly blow to her husbands career,
and that they were suffering for con-
ment as true and it gave me a certain
chivalric feeling that l ought to do
what 1 could to help them and be as
patient as possible with them.
Under President Mckinley, Mr.. Stor-
er was made minister first to Belgium
and then to Spain. About the time of
my accession to the vice presidency, l
wrote at President McKinley's request
to Mr.. or Mrs. Storer that the Dresi-
dent desired me to say that Mr. Storer
was ultimately to be made an ambas-
sador. Mr.. and Mrs. Storer were great
~ interested in securing the promotion
Of Archbishop Ireland to be a cardinal.
had and have a sincere respect and
admiration for Archbishop Ireland, a
respect and admiration which I have
often publicly expressed The letters
from me to Mr.. and Mrs. Storer quoted
in Mr.. Storer's pamphlet give with pre-
cision my views both upon Archbishop
Ireland and upon the possibility or pro-
priety OF my taking in his behalf the
steps which the Storers asked, and
can add nothing to what these letters
themselves show. When they first wrote
to me on the subject I was governor of
New York. Not being president my
self and not having thought out with
clearness the exact situation, 1 asked
President Mckinley whether he could
properly do anything to help Archbish-
Op Ireland. He responded that it was
not a matter with which he could with
propriety interfere, although he ex
pressed himself as having the same |
high opinion of Archbishop Ireland that
had. I had further conversation with |
the president on the subject either Just
before or Just after my election as vice
president, in which he stated what he
felt was the proper position-a position
with which I absolutely agreed
Following this conversation. in my
letter to Mrs. Storer of November q, |
1900, quoted by Mr.. Storer in his pamph- |
let. I stated with absolute clearness my
position and why it was out of the
question for the president to try to get
any archbishop made cardinal; and all
the letters quoted by Mr.. Storer a. hav-
ing been subsequently written by me
to him or to his wife take precisely the |
same position.
Friendship for Archbishop Ireland.
7 explained repeatedly that my
friendship and admira ton for Arch /
bishop ireland (Which is like my friend !
ship and admiration for Bishop Laur-
ence, Of the Episcopal church, and |
Bishop Cranston Of the Methodist |
church, like my friendship and admir-
alton for many clergymen of many de-
Observation-Disclosures, Lutherans, Con-
gregationaljsts, Fresbyterians and 9TH
ers) would make me pleased to see any 4
good fortune attend him, or any church. |
man like him, Of any creed: but that /
I could not interfere for his promotion, |