Devils Lake inter-ocean and Devils Lake free press. (Devils Lake, Ramsey County, N.D.) 1905-1909, 1908-12-25

I9-C~SSSS SSAAlCNLAOA, r"ulICCCly OF
indirectly, of any kind or sort with
any phase of the Panama transaction
from beginning to end. The men who
5attacked Mr.. Root in the matter had
not taken the trouble to read the pub.
nc documents which would have in.
formed them that Mr.. Root had moth.
Ing to do with the purchase, which
was entirely arranged through the de.
l$piatrtment of justice under the then at.
torney general, Mr.. Knox.
F. Z" String of Infamous LibeIs. Z
Now, these stories, as a matter OF
fact, need no Investigation whatever.
NO shadow l;st of proof has been, or can
pc, produced on behalf of any of them,
Ihey consist simply Of a string of in.
FAMOUS nbels. In form they are in
part nbels upon individuals, upon Mr.,
Iaft and Mr.. Robinson for instance.
BUT they are in fact wholly and in
form partly a libel upon the United
States government. l do not believe
we should concern ours elves with the
particular individuals who wrote the
lying and libelous editorials, articles
from correspondents, or articles in
the news columns. n The real offender
is Mr. Joseph Pulitzer, y: editor and
proprietor Of the World. While the
criminal offense of which Mr.. Pulitzer
has been guilty is in form libel upon
individuals the great injury done is in
blackening the good name Of the
American people; it should not be left
to the private citizen to sue Mr.. Pulit-
ger for libel. He should be prose
cuted for libel by the government au:
thorities. In point of encouragement
OF iniquity, in point of infamy, of
wrong doing, there is nothing to
choose between a public servant who
betrays his trust, public servant
who is guilty of blackmail, or theft,
or financial dishonesty of any kind,
and a man guilty as Mr.. Joseph Pu-
liter has been guilty in this instance.
1t is therefore high national duty to
bring to justice this villif1er of the
American people, this man who wan
tonly and wickedly and without one
SNA~NS" - NJ JOSkAACCt1Ou a6ChS u
blacken the character Of reputable
private citizens and to convict the
government of his own country in the
eyes of the civilized world of wrong
doing of the basest and foulest kind,
when he has not one shadow of JUS
LITIGATION, of any sort of description
for thes charge he has made. The at
torney general has under considers
ton the form in which the proceed
ings against Mr.. Pulitzer shall be
brought. S%lST -. r =, .>tr 81
History. OF Whole Transaction.
Meanwhile submit to- you all the
accompanying papers: so that: you may
have before you complete information
on the subject. 4; call your attention
to my communications in my mes.
sages to the congress of Jan. 20, 1902;
March II, 1903; Dec. Z, 1903; Jan 4,
1904, and Dec: 906, i'm which i set
forth at length the history Of various
phases Of the whole transaction. =.
, | recall your attention to the report
and opinion of the attorney general
rendered to me, dated Oct. rs, 1902,
with the: accompanying documents
and exhibits. I call your attention. to
the correspondence Of the: officers and
agents of the Panama company with
the president and other officers Of the
United States printed in senate docu-
ment No. "a, Dec. 10, 1902; also to
the copy of the official proceedings of
the new Panama Canal company. at
Paris on Dec; 80, 1903, together with
a report OF the council of administers
ton Of that company, printed in sen
ate document No. 1873, Jan. 20, 1904 !;
and to the copy Of the general con
veyance by the new Panama Canal
company to: the United States, also
copies Of certain kilograms from the
president Of the company making an
offer of sale and Attorney General
Knox's cablegram In response, print
ed In senate document Ne. 285, March
IS, 1906. T call your attention further
more to the exhaustive Testimony
recorded In public document, senate
document No. A01. F'ifty-ninth con.
gress, second session, which contains
the searching investigation into the
whole transaction made BY congress
for its information and fully consid.
cred BY the congress before II took
action. :ssS 5s 81;
Authority Granted BY Congress.
In the act approved June 20, 1902,
ITO provide for the construction Of a
canal connecting the waters OF the
Atlantic and Pacific oceans the con
gress provided as follows: s,5 s5.5s 55
That the preside emit Of the United
States IS hereby authorized to ac.
quire. Tor and on behalf OF the United
States. at q cost not exceeding s40,-
!. 900, the privileges fran,
sGhises concassi lions: grants Of land,
right of way, unfin isIed work. plants
and other prof erty, real, personal and
mixed, of every anne and nature,
owned BY the new Panama Canal com
pany5 Of France On the isthmus Of
Panama, } and It's maps plans,
drawings and records $on the is hnus
Of Panama and SinS Paris. including all
the capital stock not less, however,
than sssS s SO sila res of HE Panama
Railroad company owned BY Sor held
n 3