Albuquerque citizen. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1907-1909, 1908-12-16
PULITZER MAKES REPLY
TO THE ATTACK OF
ROOSEVELT
New York World Declares
That President Cannot
MuZZle That
Newspaper.
Says PRESIDENT
LIBELLtD NATION
He Has Shown Himself the Most
Reckless Demagogue Ever
Trusted by American
People Declares the
Editor.

New York, Dec. 16.--In reply to
President Roosevelts attack on Jo-
seph Pulitzer, the World says ed
itorially:
"Mr. Roosevelt is mistaken. He
cannot muzzle the World.
while no amount of 'billingsgate'
on his part can alter our determine
tion to treat him with judicial i'm
partiality and scrupulous fairness,
We repeat what we have already said,
that the Congress OF the United States
should make a thorough investigation
of the whole Panama transaction,
that the full truth may be known by
the American people.
"The World appreciates the import
ance and significance of Mr. Roose-
velt's statement when he declared to
Congress that the proprietor of the
World should be prosecuted for libel
by the government authorities and
that the attorney general has under
consideration the form under which
the proceedings against Mr.. Pulitzer
shall be brought
This is the first time a president
ever asserted the doctrine of lese
majestic. or proposed. in the absence
, OF specific legislation, the criminal
prosecution by the government Of
citizens who criticized the conduct
OF the government or the conduct Of
individuals who may have had deal
ings with the government. Neither
the king of England nor the German
emperor would venture to arrogate
such power to themselves. President
John Adams attempt to enforce the
sedition law destroyed the federalist
party in America. Yet Mr.. Roose-
Welt, in the absence of law. officially
proposes to use all the power of the
greatest government on earth to Grip
pie the freedom of the press on the
pretext that the government itself
has been libelled-and he is the gov
ernment.
ut Is true that the World printed
the public reports concerning the
Panama canal affair, which resulted
in william Nelson Cromwelrs appeal
to the district attorneys office dur
ing the recent campaign to prevent
the publication of a story which was
said TO be in the hands of the Dem
ocratic national committee. 1t was
Mr.. CromwelPs own action which
raised the issue in the campaign. 1t
Is true also that when Mr.. Roose-
welt made his attack upon Delavan
Smith, the World called attention to
certain statements which Mr.. Roose-
welt must have known to have been
false or misleading, and appealed to
Congress to end all scandal by full
and impartial investigation. II this
be treason, let Mr.. Roosevelt make
the most Of it,
"Mr Roosevelt's lamentable habit
OF inaccurate statements makes ii
impossible to accept his judgments or
his conclusions. In his message he
does not state correctly, even so sim
pie a matter as the pretended causes
of his grievances
1.-The World has never said that c.
p. Taft or Douglas Robinson made
any profits whatever. Mr.. Taft de-
MED that he was concerned in the
transaction in any way which denial
the World published and accepted. II
would have been equally glad 10
print Mr.. Robinson's denial had II
succeeded in obtaining one from him.
as II frequently attempted to do. The
World has no evidence that he was
associated with Mr.. Cromwell and
would accept his word to that effect.
For Mr.. Robinson is a gentleman OF
high character, whose reputation for
veracity is infinitely better than that
of his distinguished brother-in-law.
''If the World has libelled anybody
we hope 1t will be punished but we
don't intend to be intimidated by Mr..
Roosevelt's threats or by Mr.. Roose-
velt's denunciation. or by Mr.. Roose-
velts power.
mo other living man has ever so
grossly libelled the United States
as does this president, who besmirches
Congress. bulldozes judges, assails the
integrity OF courts, ISLANDERS private
citizens and who has shown himself
the most reckless. unscrupulous dem
agogue whom the American people
ever trusted with great power and au-
thority.
I'VE say this not in anger, but In
sincere sorrow. The World has inn
measureably more respect for the Of
nee OF president of the United States
than Theodore Roosevelt has ever
shown during the, years In which he
has maintained reign OF terror and
lviiiiied the honor and bunesty Of
! both public officials and private citi-