Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1908-12-07
PRESIDENT PAYS RESPECTS
TO MENDAC|OUS NEWSPAPERS
Vigorous Reply to Charges of Corruption in Connection With
Purchase of Panama Canal Property From French Gov
ernment; Editor Of Indianapolis News Scored as Scan
daIouS and Infamous PuVeyOr of FaSehoodS.

loving correspondence passing be-
tween President Roosevelt ana Will
lam Dudley Foulke, has been made
public by the latter
Hot Springs Va, Nov. % 1908
The President--Sir: The Indian
apolis News not only during the cam
paign, but even after its close has
been repeatedly and continually maxi
ing serious charges against your ad-
ministration, as well as against Mr.
Taft, in connection with the Panama
purchase, as for example, the follow
ing
"''FhC Panama Matter.
The campaign is over and the
people viii have to vote tomorrow
without any knowledge concerning
the Panama canal deal. It has been
charged that the United States bought
from American citizens for 100000
600, property that cost those citizens
only $12,000,00O. Mr. Taft was sccrc-
tary of war at the time tho ncgotia-
ton was closed. There is no doubt
that the government paid 100000. 600
for the property.
But who got the money? We
are not to know The administration
and Mr.. Taft do not think it right that
the people should know The prcsi-
dents brother-in-law is involved in
the scandal but he has nothing to say.
The candidates brother has been
charged with being q member Of the
syndicate He has it IS true. denied
if, but ne refuses to appeal to the evil !
donco, all of which is in the possession |
of the administration and wholly in |
accessible to outsiders For weeks |
this scandal has been before the peo- |
pie. The records are in Washington |
and they are public records. But the |
people arc not TO see thcm-until after |
the election. if then.
Even after the election this has
hcon continued. it being said that MI
Taft's weakness in Indiana (whcrc
he ran many thousands ahead Of any
other republican canddatc) was due
in a great measure to this alleged
scandal What are the facts in re
gard to it, Whore are those mac
ccssiblC records? 90 What do they con- |
tain, and Whcn did they come into the
possession of the government? If the
statements Of the News arc true, our
people ought to know it, If not true
they ought to have some just means
of estimating what credit should bel
given in other matters to "A Journal
which thus disscminates falsehooda
yours,
WILLIAM DUDLEY FoULKE."
white House, Washington, Dee. /,
1908.
MY Dear Mr Foulke: have re-
ceivod your letter Of the 29th ultimo
and have read It in connection with
your previous letters enclosing quota {
tons from the indianapolis News, n
paper edited by Delavan smith As
Mr.. Smith certainly knew that all the {
statements he made were false, both I
as to this Panama matter and as to I
the other matters of which vow ouclOse {
me clippings, and inaSmuch. therefore. /
as the exposure Of their faisity viii not 8
affect his future statements, am not t
very clear what good viii result frOr- I
such exposure. But inasmuch rs you c
evidently earnestly desire some an 7
swcr TO he made. and inasmuch as J.
You say that some reputable people
appear to believe the falSehOOdS of the =
News and Mr. Smith, and inasmuCh ! .
as YOU soam to think that his false -
hoods as regards the Panama matter !,
are the most prominent | win answer ?
them.
The News states in one Of its issues u
that probably some of the documents II
dealing with the matters have been g
destroyed. This is false: not one has ! p
been destroyed. 1t states that the n
last documents were sent over in n
june of this year the object Of this
particular falsehOod being apparent O.
ly, to connect the matter in some way IS
with the nomination of Mr.. Taft. 9
As matter of fact. the last pa 81
pers We received of any kind were Il
sent over TO us in May, 1904, and they p
nave been accessible to every human II
being who cared to look at them ever co
since. and are accessible now. Any y
reputable man, within or without con- 20
Srcss, republican or democrat has p
now ana always has had, the oppor- W
'unity to examine any of these docu- ca
ments You quote the News as stating cI
mat the people have no official 4!
knowledge concerning the PanamG %
Heal Tho fact is that tho people Il
nave had the most minute offcia' dt
knowledge: that every important stcT n
D the deal and every important docu- in
neut has been made public in com tC
to congress and through re
hr daily press. and the whole mattc' Ia
laS been threshcd over in its details f.
gain and again The News gives cur ia
"ncy TO the charge that the United IN
'tates bought from American citizens m
or $f0.0o0,000 property that cost W
heSo citizens only $4,000 000-' Tho hr
tatcmcnt is false. The United states
i'd not pay a cent of the 100000 n,
no TO any American citizen. The Il,
vows SAYS that there is no doubt that ii,
he government paid S40.0o0.oo0 for -
me- property, ana continues. But who tr
ot the money. We are not to know. :,
IA" administration ana Mr.. Taft do ar
OF think il right that the people ~
hould know Really. This is so ri- =,
iculous as To make one fccl q little NJ
inpatient at having 10 answer II. The T..
act has been officially published ~.
gain and again that the government -,
aid $4,000, 600, and that it paid this ~
iN.OOO0n0 direct 10 the French gov W.
'nment, getting the receipts of the ~
qutdator appointed by the French
lNernmCut To receive the same The p"
nited states government has not the 4.
ightcst knowledge as 10 the particu- ),
r individuals among the French gov .-'
nmcnt 10 whom was distributed the 7"
I'm. This was the business of the ~
rench government The mere sup .n'
lsition that any American received u'
ON the French government "a rake ni
t is too absurd 10 be- discussed. II pa
abominable falsehOod. and il IL q Liu
ander, not against the American Hh
'FernmenJ but against the French
'vernment. The News continues bel
wing that the pres dents brother-iu- tina
W Is involved I'm the scandal. but he still
is nothing to saw. Tn
The presidents brother-in-law was haI
FolNed in no scandal Delavan sps
NTH and the other people who re- fah
ated this falsehood lied about the the
esidents bortheT-iu-law, but why low