Waterbury evening Democrat., 1908-12-15

Ihey conSlSt hlIDply or stfing or lN' famous libeis. In form they are in part libels upon individuals upon Mir, Taft and Mir. Robinson, for instance, But they are in fact wholly and in form partly libel upon the United States government. l do not believe we should concern ourselves with the particular individuals who wrote the lying and libelous editorials. articles from correspondents or articles in the news columns. The real offender is Mir Joseph Pulitzer, editor and pro prletor of the World While the criml. nal offcnse of which MT. Pulitzer has been guilty Is in form libel upon In diyiduals, the great injury done is in blackening the good name of the American people. It should not be left to private citizen 10 sue Mir, Pulitzer for libel He should be prose- cuted for libel by the governmental authorities. In point of encourage ment of iniquity, in point of infamy, of wrongdoing, there is nothing to choose between public servant who betrays his trust, public servant who is guilty of blackmail or theft or financial dishonesty of any kind, and man guilty as Mir. Joseph Pulitzer has been guilty in this instance. It is therefore a high national duty to bring to justice this vilifier of the A tonly and wickedly and without one shadow of justification, seeks to blacken the character of reputable private citizens and to convict the gov ernmcnt of his own country in the eyes of the civilized world of wrong doing of the basest and foulest kind, when he has not one shadow of justi- fication of any sort or description for the charge he has made. The attorney general has under consideration the form in which the proceedings against Mir Pulitzer shall be brought.
 Meanwhile l submit to you all the accompanying papers so that you may have before you complete information on the subject. 1 call your attention 10 my communication in my messages to the congress of Jan. 20, 1902; March II. 1903; Dec. ', 1903; Jan. f, 1904, and Dee. IT., 1905, In which I set forth at length the history of various phases of the whole transaction. l recall your attention to the report and opinion of the attorney general rendered to me- dated Oct. 25 1902, with the accompa nying documents and exhibits. l call your attention to the correspondence of the officers and agents of the Pana- ma Canal company with the president and other officers of the United States printed in senate document No. 34, Dec 10, 1902; also to the copy of the official proceedings of the New Panama Canal company at Paris on the 30th of De cember, 1903, together with a report of the council of administration of that company printed in senate document No. 133, Jan. 2S, 1904, and to the copy of the general conveyance by the New Panama Canal company to the United States; also copies of certain telegramS from the president of the company making an offer of sale and Attorney General Knox's cablegram in response printed in senate document No, 2Sj, March 23, 1906.
 Whole Transaction Investigated.
 call your attention furthermore to the exhaustive testimony recorded in public document Senate document No. 401, t'ifty-ninth congress. second ses- sion. which contains the searching in vestigation into the whole transaction made by the congress for its informa- ton and fully considered by the con gress before it took action.
 In the act approved June 2S, 1902, ito provide for the construction of canal connecting the waters of the At lantic and Pacific oceans the congress provided as follows:
 That the president of the United States is hereby authorized to acquire for and on behalf of the United States
 
 of dollars the rights, privileges, fran chises, concessions, grants of land, right of way, unfinished work, plants and other property, real, personal and mix ed, of every name and nature, owned by the New Panama Canal Company of France on the isthmus of Panama, all it's maps, plans, drawings, records on the isthmus of Panama and in Par is, including all the capital stock, not less. however, than 6S,S63 shares of the Panama Railroad company, owned by or held for the use of said canal con- pany. provided a satisfactory title to all of said property can be obtained.'
 It 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 sat isfactory title. The department of jus tiCe was instructed to examine the title, and after such an examination Attorney General Knox reported that satisfactory title could be obtained.
 Disposal of Price Frances Concern.
 Payment of the purchase price was 3hereupon made to the New Panama Canal company. in accordance with the act of the congress, and the prop erty wns conveyed by that company to the United States. Ii was no concern of the president or of any officer of the executive department to inquire as to what the New Panama Canal com pany did with the money which it re- coiyad Ac a rontter of fact tha Nnu,