Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1908-12-18
NATION IS L|BELED
PRESIDENT AGAIN DENOUNCES
THE CANAL CHARGES.
MESSAGE TO THE SENATE
Roosevelt Uses Strong Language Con
cerring New York World and
Joseph PuIitzer-Wants
Latter Prosecuted.

Observation-Disclosures Roosevelt
Tuesday afternoon sent t. the senate
a statement concerning tho purchase
of the Panama canal property by the
United States. denouncing in strong
language charges that there was any.
thing wrong in the acquisition by the
United States of the Canal property.
"ThCse storieS." he continues. were
first brought to my attention as pub
Iishrd in a paper in indianapolis.
called the News, edited by Mr.. Della
van Smith. The stories were sCurri.
Gus and libelOus in character and false
in every essential particular. MI
Smith shelters himself bchird the eN-
cuse that he merely accepted the
statements which had appeared in a
paper published in New York. the
World, owned by Mr.. Joseph Pulitzer
1t is idle to say that the known char,
actor of Mr.. Pulitzer and his ncwspa-
per are such that the statements In
that paper will be believed by nobody;
unfortunately. thousands Of persons
are i'll informed in this respect and
believe the statements they see in
print. even though they appear in
newspaper published by Mr.. Pulitzer"
He Charges Libel.
THE charges form. partly. libel
upon the United States government. !
do not believe we should concern our
selves with the particular individuals
who wrote the lying and iibelous edi-
torfals. articles from correspondents,
or articles in the news columns. The
real offender is Mr.. Joseph Pulitzer,
editor and proprietor OF the World
While the criminal Offense Of which
Mr.. Pulitzer has been guilty is in form
a libel upon individuals, the great In
jury done is in blaCkening the good
name OF the American people. 1t
should not be left to a private citizen
TO sue Mr.. Pulitzer for libel. He
should be prosecuted for libel by the
government authorities. In point of
encouragement Of iniquity. in point Of
infamy, OF wrong-doing. there is moth
ing to choose between a public serv.
ant who betrays his trust. public
servant who is guilty of blackmail, or
theft, or financial dishonesty Of any
Lind, and a man guilty as Mr.. Joseph
Pulitzer has been guilty in this in
stance
1T Is, therefore, high national
duty to bring TO Justice this viitier
of the American people. this man who
"antOnly and wickedly. and without
one shadow Of Justification. seeks to
blacken the character of reputable
private citizens and to convict the gov
eminent of his own country in the
eyes Of the civilized world Of wrong
doing Of the bascSt and fOulest kind
when he has not one shadow of justi
location of any sort or description for
the charges he has made. The attOr-
ncy general has under consideration
the form in which the proceedings
against Mr.. Pulitzer shall be brought"
The president refers to various pa
pers which he transmits with his mes
sage and calls attention to numerous
utteranceS and acts relating to the
canal and its purchase. He cites the
act of congress by which he was an-
thoriZed TO pay $i0,000.000 for the
canal property and says it was no con
Germ OF the president what the new
Panama Canal Company did with the