The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1908-12-24
PRESIDENT ROOSEVELT
DENOUNCES MR.. PULITZER
In Hot Message to Congress 'ie
Scores Worlds Proprietor.

Washington. ID. G. (SpeciaD.--
The President in a special message
to Congress answers the charge made
in connection with the purchase of
the Panama Canal and excoriates Jo-
seph Pulitzer. proprietor of the New
York World. In which paper the
charges were first published 9th
ers who Joined in the criticisms are
included in the excoriation
In language probably more en-
phatically denunciatory than was
ever used in such a document, Mr..
Roosevelt says Mr.. Pulitzer is guilty
of blackening the good name of the
American people and 1t should not
be left to a private citizen TO sue
him for libel Mr.. Pulitzer should
be prosecuted by the governmental
authorities declares the President,
and continues:
Compares Pulitzer To Embezzler.
I'm point of encouragement of in
iquity, in point of infamy, OF wrong
doing, there is nothing to choose be-
tween a public servant who betrays
his trust, a public servant who is
guilty of blackmail, or theft, or IL
naneial dishonesty of any kind, and
man guilty as Mr.. Joseph Pulitzer
has been guilty in this instance.
ut is therefore a high national
duty to bring to justice this vilifier
of the American people, this man
who wantonly and wickedly and with
out one shadow of justification seeks
to blacken the character of reputable
private citizens and to convict the
government of his own country In
! the eyes of the civilized world of
wrongdoing of the basest and foulest
kind, which he has not one shadow
of justification of any sort or de-
scription for the charge he has
made"
The attorney general, Mr.. Roose-
welt adds has under consideration
what steps shall be taken against the
editor.
In clearing Charles P. Taft, broth
er of the President-elect, and Doug
las Robinson, the Presidents broth
er-in-law, of the accusations made
by the World, Mr.. Roosevelt says:
New, these stories as a matter OF
fact need no investigation whatever
No shadow of proof has been, or can
be, produced in behalf of any oi
them. They consist simply of
string of Infamous libels. In form
they are in part libels upon indi-
viduals, upon Mr.. Taft and Mr.. Rob
inson for instance. But they are, II
fact, wholly, and in form partly,
libel upon the United States govern
ment.
'I do not believe we should con
Germ ourselves with the particular in
dividuals who wrote the lying anC
libelous editorials, articles from cor
respondents or articles in the new
columns. The real offender Is MI
Joseph Pulitzer, editor and propri
etor of the World"
Assumes Responsibility Himself.
/ The President says he alone Is re
sponsible for steps taken in obeyin
the will of Congress by the purchas
of the canal, and adds that the lay
) was strictly complied with. The ac
2 tual transaction was carried throug
= by p. G. Knox, of Pennsylvania, the
attorney general, through John Hay
then secretary of state, and Elih
Root, then secretary OF war, wer
cognizant of all the essential features
The President declares that WI
I liam Nelson Cromwell did not hav
] to give the names of his clients, an
acknowledges assistance from the
II gentleman in his recent investigate
of the whole affair.
The payments to the French owl
ers of the canal are also gone int
: in detail These were made unde
s the supervision of the Civil Tribun'
= of the Seine.