Waterbury evening Democrat., 1908-12-16
PULITZER HITS
 AT PRESIDENT.
RetOrts by Calling Him "Un= scrupulous Demagogue."
"LIBELER AND BULLD0zER.' 5

itor's Prosecution For Criminal Libel
 In Matter of Panama Canal Pur-
 chase Denounced as leze Majesty.
 Mr. Roosevelt Declared to Have
 "Lamentable Habit of Inaccurate
 Statement"
 New York, Dec l6.-Replying today to the message of President Roosevelt to congress, in which the chief execu- tive denounced the Panama canal stories as "a string of infamous libelS," Joseph Pulitzer essayed to outdo the president in stringing epithets.
 His newspaper, the World. having been singled out by the president as lying "wantonly" and "wickedly" about the Panama canal purchase, Mir. Pulitzer retorts by calling MT Roose- welt "a reckless. interruptions dema- gogue' and says he "huldozes judges" 'hesmirches congress-" assaiis the in tegrity of courts and has "viltied the honor of citzens,' grossly liheled the United States and maintained q reign of terror" He says.
 MT. Roosevelt is mistaken. He cannot muZzle the World
 While no amount of hillingssatc on hts part can alter onr determination to treat him with judicial impartiality and Scru- puous fairness, We repeat what we have already said. that the congress of the United States should make a thorough Investigation of the whole Panama trans action that the full truth may be known to the American people.
 After saying that the World conSid- CTS it a compliment 10 be made tho subject of special message to con gress MT. Pulitzer continues:
 The World fully appreciates the impor- lance and significance of Mr. Roosevelt statement when he declares to congress that the proprietor of the World should be prosecuted for libel by the govern mental authorities" and that the attor- ney general has under consideration tho form under which the proceedings against MT. Pulitzer snail be brought"
 This is the first time a president ever asserted the doctrine of leze majesty or proposed in tke absence of specific legs- 1ation the criminal prosecution by the government Of citizens who criticised the conduct of the government or the conduct Cl lnClFloudlS NnO may nave fau DuSl- ness 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 MT. Roosevelt in the ab- Sence of law officially proposes to use all the power of the greatest government on earth to cripple the freedom of the press on the pretext that the government itself has been libeled-and he is the govern ment.
 MT. Pulitzer then admits that the World published the reports about the Panama canal affair. but says the original publication was caused by the action of William Nelson Cromwell in appealing to District Attorney Jerome to prevent such publication He adds
 MT Roosevelts laInentahle habit of in accurate statement makes 1t impossible to accept either his judgments or his con clus.As. Tn his message he does not state .orrec<pv even so simple a matter as he pretended causes of his grievance.
 He says, for example that the World asserted that there was "corruption by or on behalf of the government of the Init ed States No such charge Was made by this newspaper.
 He says il was asserted that there were 'improper dealings of some klnd between agents of tue government aud outs de persons" No such charge was made
 He says that among those persons who, it was alleged made huge profits were MT. Charles r. Taft d brother of Mir William H. Taft. then candidate for the presidency. and Mr Douglas Robn- son, my brother-in-laW. No such charge was made.
 The World has never said that ChalIes F. Taft or Douglas Robinson made any profits whatever. MT. Taft denied that he was concerned in the transaction m any way which denial the World pub ished and accepted IT would have been equally glad to print Mir Robnsou's de- nial could it have Sncreeded in ohtaIrlng one from him, as 1t frequently attempted The World has no e}Ideure that he was associated with Nr. CIOnWeH and would accept his ~ ord 10 that effect for NJ Robinson k an eStnabe gentleman of high character. whose reputation for We racity is infinitely better than that of h.s distinsuished hrotlcr-ln-lan
 If the World has Ibeed al, bod We hope it Will be punished but We do not inte-d to be intinjdated bv Nr ROose- welt S threats. Or hy Alr ROoSevelt'- de nunciatiou. or hv Mr RoosHve1ts power
 No other living man eyer SD grossly iibeled the United States as does this president wlO beSmIrcHeS congress ball dozes judges. aSsdIls the jutegrit< of courts islanders private citizens and " hO has shown himself tie most le, IlesS. r.0- scrupuous dernagogue V ,rl 'h. Amer can people ever trusted with great power and authority.
 The World has Imroasarah.v more TO speCt for tn" office of pr"SldsTt of me United States tldu Th+odore Rooselet has ever show durlug tho years m N hicH he has maintained < reign of terror and viliied the honor and nono>ty "t both public officials and Prvat" citizens Wro opposed h's pol1o'es ar thnartod hum ln his purposes
 So far IS the N orId Is ,onrerued its proprietor may % 10 ta'I f Mi Roosevelt succeeds 4S he threatens htsf even m tsil the World nrI not rcaso to be s fe- r. less champion of free speech a free press and free people I' rannot ho muzzled
 Mir Pulitzer added this personal statement
 So far ss | am personally ~SlrcrneJ was at >ea during tnc whole of Oc- fober, and. in fact. practically for two years I have been yachting on ac- count of my health
 'I never read a word or syllable of this Panama story. was not in connoc- .ion with the paper and had nothing tO do with it. Mir Roosevelt knows all this perfectly He knows I am al chronic invalid and mostly abroad yachting on account of my health"
 ;L. tL. cr,nk.