Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1908-12-16
CONGRESS- IS EXPECTED TO
BE LIBERAL WITH ARSENAL

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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 to the American people
Did Not Himself Demand 1t.
1t is most extraordinary circun-
stance that Mr.. Roosevelt himself did
not demand such an inquiry. All his
lprotestations of outraged virtue, all
fhis torrents of imprecation and denun-
citation, end with the amazing asser-
| tion that there is nothing whatever
in which this government is interested
| to investigate about this transaction"
The World fully appreciates the COM
pliment paid to it by Mr.. Roosevelt in
| making it the subject of special mes
sage to the congress of the United
States. In the whole history of Amer
lean government no other president
has ever paid such a tribute to the
power and Influence of a fearless, in
dependent newspaper
First Action of the Kind.
The World likewise appreciates the
| Importance and Significance of Mr..
Roosevelt's statement when he de-
| clares to congress that the proprietor
of the World should be prosecuted for
| libel by the governmental authorities"
and that tine attorney general has un-
der confederation the form under which
the procee 1ings 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 prose
cution by the government of citizens
who criticised the conduct of the gov
| eminent or the conduct of individuals
| who may have had business dealings
| with the government. Neither the
| king of Great Britain nor the German
| emperor would venture to arrogate
| such power to himself John Adams
| attempt to enforce the sedition law
destroyed the Federalist party in
America. Yet Mr.. Roosevelt in the alb
sence of the law officially proposes to
use all the power of the greatest gov
eminent on earth to cripple the free
! dom of the press on the pretext that
the government itself has been libeled
and he is the government.
! Last Straw on His Back.
! We are aware that for many years
| Mr.. Roosevelt has been savagely dis
j DlaASed--Eiti,. the editorial conduct OF
the World. II is true that we nave crit
icised him sharply and frankly when
ever we believed the public interest
required, just as we have heartily com.
mended and supported him whenever
we believed the public interest would
thereby be advanced. Mr. Roosevelt's
attack on the World can be explained
only on the theory that he believes he
can muzzle the paper, and our recent
Impeachment of his veracity seems to
have been the last straw that broke
his automatic back.
1t is true that the World printed the
public reports concerning the Panama
canal affair. which resulted from Will
liam Nelson Cromwell's appeal to the
district attorneys office during the re
cent campaign to prevent the publica
ton of story which was said to be in
the hands of the democratic national
committee 1t was Mr.. Cromwelrs
own action which raised the issue in
the campaign.
eff This BE Treason" Etc.
1t is true also that when Mr. Roose
velt made his attack upon DelavaI
Smith the World called attention Il
certain statements which Mr.. Roose
, welt must have known to have beer
false or misleading, and appealed Il
congress to end all scandal by a full
and impartial investigation. If this b,
treason, let Mr.. Roosevelt make tn,
most of it.
Indiana Paper Gaustic.
Indianapolis, Dec. 16.-The Indiana
polls News, mentioned in the specia
Y message on the Panama canal dea
sent to congress yesterday by Roose
e velt. today issued a reply to the chic
: executive. 1t says:
4 ut is difficult to characterize full,
S the latest outbreak of the presiden
e without resorting to the use of Ian
guage as un6ignified and blameworth
e as that which has put the president
n utterances in class by itself in tn
s official literature of the high office h
8 holds"
y Does Not Impugn Good Faith.
The News states that whethe
Roosevelt l.Bows it or not. rumors an
reports touching the Panama transat
tion have been so numerous and pc
= sistent that in spite of all his asse
!. verations, the people still are not col
vinced that everything was as it shoul
have been, and this without in tn
q least impuuging the good faith of tn
president or his agents in the negoti
Itions. The News said many point
have not been cleared up and the
d cannot be cleared up by threats {
IS libel suits and penlashings of editor
r. that hold a good name and the inte
% ests of the. country quite as dear Z
g. does the president.