The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-12-07
Branded as False by the Presi-
dent in a Letter.
DEFENDS EVERYBODY
Against Charge of Being in a
Secret Deal.
Says All the Records Are Open
to Inspection.

Hot Springs. Va, Dec. THE fol-
lowing correspondence passing be-
tween President Roosevelt and Will
liam Dudley Foulke. has been made
public by the latter:
Hot Springs Nov 90, 1908
THE President-Sir: The Indiana
polls News, not only during the cam
paign, but even after it's close has
been repeatedly and continually MAX
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:
The campaign is over and the
people will have to vote tomorrow
without any official knowledge con-
cerning the Panama canal deal. 1t
has been charged the United States
bought from American citizens for
100000 600 property that cost those
citizens only $12.OO0,0O0. Mr.. Taft
was secretary of war at the time ne
gotiations were closed. There is no
doubt that the government paid $40
100000 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 presidents brother-in-
law is involved in the scandal. but he
has nothing to say. The candidates
member of the syndicate. He has,
it is true, denied it, but he refuses to
appeal to the evidence. all of which is
in the possession of the administra-
tion and wholly inaccessible to out
siders. For weeks this scandal has
been before the people. The records
are in Washington and they are pub
lie records, but the people are not
then.
Even after the election this has
been continued, 1t being said that Mr..
Taft's weakness in Indiana (where
he ran many thousands ahead of any
other Republican candidate) was due
in great measure to this alleged scan
dal.' What are the facts in regard to
it? Where are these inaccessible rec
ords2' When did they come into the
possession of the government and
what do they contain? If the state
ments of the News are true our peo-
pie ought to know il. II not true they
ought to have some just means of es-
timating what credit should be given
in other matters to a journal which
thus disseminates falsehoods. Yours,
"WM. DUDLEY FOULKE."
Roosevelt Replies.
white House, Washinton, d. c., Dec.
l. 1908.
my Dear Mr.. Foulke:-I have re-
ceived your letter of the 29th ultimo.
and have read it in connection with
your previous letter inclosing quota
tions from the indianapolis News, a
paper edited by Delavan Smith. As
Mr.. Smith certainly knew that all the
to this Panama matter and as to the
other matters of which you inclose me
clippings, and inasmuch therefore, as
the exposure of the falSity will not af-
feet his future statements, / am not
very clear what good will result from
such exposure. But inasmuch as you
evidently earnestly desire some answer
to be made and inasmuch as you say
that some reputable people appear to
believe the falsehoods of the News and
Mr.. Smith and inasmuch as you seem
to think that his falsehoods as regards
the Panama matter are the most promi-
nent, 1 will answer them.
THE News states in one of its issues
that probably some of the documents
dealing with the matter have been de-
stroyed. This is false. Not one has
been destroyed. 1t states that the last
documents were sent over in June of
this year, the object of this particular
falsehood being, apparently, to connect
the matter in some way with the NOM
ination of Mr.. Taft. AS a matter oe
fact the last papers that we have re-
ceived of any kind were sent over to
us in May of 1904 and they have been
accessible to every human being who
cared to look at them ever since and
are accessible now. Any reputable man
within or without congress, Republican
or Democrat has now and always has
had the opportunity to examine any OF
these documents. You quote the News
as stating that the people have no off,
cial knowledge concerning the Panama
canal deal The fact is that the peo-
pie have had the most minute know
ledge, that every important step in the
and every important docu-
ment has been made public in COM
TO congress and through
the daily press, and the whole matter
has been threshed over in its details
again and again The News gives cur
rency to the charge that the United
sAaf A -fpnr4 f-ff
for $40, ,O00, 900 property that cost these
only $12000.00O.'
"Statement Is False"
''The statement is false. The United
States did not pay a cent of the $40
600, 900 to any American citizen The
News says there is no doubt that the
government paid $40. 100000 for the
property and continues-'But who got
the money? We are not to know. The
and Mr.. Taft do not
think it right that the people should
know Really. this is so ludicrous as
to make one feel little impatient a
having to answer it. The fact has
been officially published again and
again that the government paid S4O,-
100000 and that ii paid this 10000
900 direct to the French government.
getting the receipts of the liquidator
appointed by the French government
to receive the same. The United States
has not the slightest
knowledge as to particular individuals
tributed the sum. This was the busi-
ness of the French government. The
mere supposition that any American
from the French government