The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1908-12-15

them that Mr.. Root had nothing to DO
with the purchase. which was entire
ly arranged through the department
of justice, under the then Attorney
General Mr.. Knox Now, those stories
as a matter of fact need no investiga-
tion whatever. No shadow of proof
has been or can be produced in be.
aalf OF any Of them. They consist
simply of string of infamous libels.
In form they are in part libels upon
individuals. upon Mr.. Taft and Mr..
Robinson, for instance. But they are
in fact wholly and in form partly a
libel upon the United States govern
ment do not believe we should
concern ourselves with the particp
lar individuals who wrote the lying
and libelous editorials. articles from
correspondents or articles in the
news columns The real offender is
Mr. Joseph Pulitzer, editor and pro.
prietor of the World. While the
criminal offense of which Mr.. Pulit-
ger has been guilty is in form libel
upon individuals, the great injury
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 govern.
mental authorities. In point of en-
couragement of iniquity, in point of
infamy of wrong-doing. there is moth
ing to choose between public ser
want who betrays his trust, a public
servant who is guilty Of blackmail,
or theft, or financial dishonesty of
any kind, and a man guilty as Mr.
Joseph Pulitzer has been guilty in
this instance. II is therefore a high
national duty to bring to justice this
vilifier of the American people, this
man who wantonly and wickedly,
without one shadow of Justification
seeks TO blacken the character OF
reputable private citizens, and to con-
vict the government OF his own coun.
try in the eyes of the civilized world
of wrong.doing OF the basest and foul
est kind, when he has not one shadow
of Justification OF any sort or de.
scription for the charge he has made.
Legal Action Threatened.
The attorney general has under
consideration the form in which the
proceedings against Mr.. Pulitzer shall
be brought Meanwhile, | submit to
you all the accompanying papers, so
that you may have before you COM
plete Information on the subject.
call your attention to my communica-
tions in my messages to the congress
of Jan. 90 1902; March IL, 1908; Dec.
I, 1908; Jan. 4, 1904, and Dec. II
1906, in which | set forth at length
the history Of various phases OF the
whole transaction. | recall your at
tention to the report and opinion of
the attorney general rendered to me,
dated Oct. 25, 1902, with the accom-
panying documents and exhibits. /
call your attention to the correspond
ence of the officers and agents of the
Panama Canal 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 the 30th of December, 1908,
together with a report of the council
of administration of that company,
printed in Senate Document Nc i33.
Jan. 2S, 1904. and to the copy Of the
general conveyance by the new Pan
ANA Canal company to the United
States; also copies OF certain tele.
grams from the president OF the com
pany making an offer OF sale, and At.
torney General Knox's cabegram in
response, in Senate Document No
2S5, March 90, 1906.
call your attention furthermore TO
the exhaustive testimony recorded in
the public document (Senate Docu.
ment No. 401, Fifty-ninth Congress,
Second SESSION.. which contains the
searching investigation into the
whole transaction made by the con.
gress for its information and fully
considered by the congress before It
took action t
In the act approved June 2s, 1909,
ITO Provide For the Construction OF
Canal Connecting the Waters of
the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans" the
congress provided as follows:
That the president of the United
States is hereby authorized to &C
quire for and on behalf Of the United
States. at a cost not exceeding siO-
100000, the rights, privileges, fran
chises, concessions, grants OF land,
right OF way, unfinished work, plants
and other property, real, personal
and mixed, OF every name and nature.
owned by the new Panama Canal
company OF France, on the isthmus
of Panama, and all its maps. plans,
drawings, records, on the isthmus of
Panama and in Paris. including all
the capital stock, not less. however,
than 6S,663 shares Of the Panama
Railroad company, owned by or held
for the use and aid of the canal com.
pany, provided a satisfactory title to
all said property can be obtained"
Shareholders Of No Concern.
II thereupon became the duty Of
the president in execution OF this
statute to purchase the property
specified from the New Panama
Canal company of France, provided
he could obtain a satisfactory title