The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1907-05-30
DR. LONG CALLS ON HIM TO
MAKE GOOD HIS ASSERTIONS
ISSUE IS One OF Truth
Writer OF Animal Stories Calls on
Roosevelt to Publicly Retraet
the False Accusations Made
Against Him.

! Stamford Conn, May 29.-Dr. VIII
liam j. Long today made public a
letter sent by him to President
| Roosevelt The letter in part said:
'rne issue between you and me
| is no longer one OF animals, but OF
men. II is not chiefly matter OF
natural history but of truth and
personal honor. In a recent maga-
zine article you deliberately attack
me as well as my book. You have
used the enormous influence OF your
official position to discredit me as a
man. to injure my reputation and in
cidentally to make a poor man even
poorer by destroying. II possible, the
sale and influence of his works. | in
my books have given the result
of long watching of animals in the
wilderness with no other object
than to study their habits, and, 50
far as man can, to understand the
mystery of their dumb life.
I'm every preface | have stated,
and now repeat the statement, that
every incident | have recorded FROM
my own observation Is true as far as
an honest, educated man can see and
understand the truth. In your re-
cent attack this is what you chiefly
deny. | have spoken the truth and
you accuse me of n deliberate false
hood and misrepresentation. As
p. esldent of the United States you
have gone out of your way publicly
to injure the private citizen who
wa sattending strictly to his own
business; as man you have accus.
ed him OF falsehood and man
whose ideals of truth and honor arc
quite as hig has your own. This is
, the whole issue between us. | NEE.
1t squarely, and so must you. IL
, have spoken falsely; II in any book
, or work of mine have Intentional
r ly deceived any child or man re-
garding animal life-I promise pub
licly to retract every such word and
never write another animal book.
On the other hand. II show TO any
dlsinterested person that you have
accused me falsely, you must pub
licly withdraw your accusation and
apologize. As n man and as President
no other honorable course is open To
you. You base your recent charges
chiefly on the matter of big white
wolf killing a young caribou by a
bite in the chest, described by me in
, Northern Trails
You declare the thing to be a
mathematical impossibility and de.
clare by no possibility could a wolf
perform the feat
Dr. Long declares he knows from
, his own observation and from the
testimony OF Indians that wolves dc
sometimes kill in this way, and then
quates the signed and witnessed state
ment of 5. ]. Hapidan, an educated
Sioux Indian, who relates he saw a
horse which wolf had killed by tear
ing his chest. In addition to this DR.
Long says he himself has seen deer
which had been slain In this manner
by "A wolf, and further recltes that
. his Indian guide, Mayty Mitchell ,i
Bonny Bay, Newfoundland, declares
that the big white wolf frequently
, kills caribou in this manner.
Continuing, Dr.. Long says: These
are the facts underlying the incident
which you declare to be impossible
, and false. II this testimony is not
enough / will fll It up to full scrip
ture measure.
You cannot. at this stage, Mr.
, Roosevelt, take refuge behind the pres
/ idential office and maintain silence
r You have forfeited your right to that
silence by breaking 1t, by coming out
in public to attack a private citizen.
II your talk of a square deal is not
all a shan. II your frequent moral
preaching is not hypocricy | call upon
you as President, as a man. to come
out ard admit the error and injustice
OF your charge in the same open and
public way in which you made it."