The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1908-01-27
In an Interview to the Boston
Transcript He Says That
He Is Not Attempting to Aid
Taft as His Preference.
fOULKE'S CONTENTION Is
SUBSTANTIATED BY PAPER
The Transcript Attempts to
Show That Charges Made
Against President Are False
Indiana Situation.

In the light of the controversy
which has arisen between William
Dudley Foulke of this city and the In
dianapolis Star, as to whether or not
federal patronage is being given TO
aid the candidacy Of Taft the invcsti
cation of the question by the Boston
Transcript, is particularly interesting
as il further strcngt hens FOulkc's con
tentions. The transcripts article is
inspired by the attacks that have been
made on Roosevelt by the Indianapolis
paper. The article deals particularly
with the Indiana situation wherein it
IS asserted District Attorney Healing
is working in actively for Fairbanks.
Tie article i'll question says:
Washington, Jan. 22.-"It is all un-
qualified lie"
This is the reply of President
Roosevelt to the charge that he is
using the federal offices to bring
about the nomination of William II.
Taft for the presidency. 1t is contain
ed in letter written TO. . close friend
in Indiana; it has been repeated to
those who have been to the white
house in search of the facts. From
time to time in these dispatches the
statement has been made that Secre
tary Taft would prefer to forfeit the
nomination for the presidency rather
than receive it through the use OF
federal patronage. His views ON this
point are in absolute harmony with
the weltknown attitude of President
Roosevelt who long before he entered
the white house was a champion of
civil service reform.
1T is about time that the public
heard some facts on the subject. 1t
was in search of the facts that the
Boston transcripts correspondent
called on the president, and the sub
stance OF the information obtained. in
formation which is q matter of official
record. will be set forth in this dis
patch. What the Transcript CORE
spondent learned and the facts he OBJ
tanned will be given 10 any honest and
sane minded man who goes to the
white house. The president. however,
will moi waste his time discussing the
matter with materially dishonest pol
iticians or intellectually dishonest
Cranks.'
Several newspapers have printed
the stories that federal PATRONAGE is
used to aid Taft, but their charges are
not sustained by a scintiIla OF evi-
dence, nor can any be Produced
Those acquainted with the facts un-
hesitatingly challenge any newspaper
bringing the charge TO cite single
instance of the use OF federal offices
10 nominate Mr.. Taft or of the cOer-
clon of ofticehOders in his behalf
The only coercion with which the
president can be charged is the step
he took to prevent any officeholder
from working or advocating his re-
nomination for a third term. Although
the issuance of his circular letter to
this effect was a violation of the civil
service law the president deliberately
did this in the belief that he was iusti-
fied in preventing his own appointees
10 office from putting him in a false
night by urging his denomination after
he had declined TO accept a third term.
That letter was addressed TO the cab
met and made public Dec 10 by order
OF the president, 1t was as follows:
have been informed that certain
oInceholders in Your department are
proposing to so to the national con-
Nent'on as delegates in favor OF re-
nominating me for the presidency. or
are proposing 10 procure my indorse-
ment for such denomination by state
conventions. That must not be. |
wish You 10 inform such officers as
You may find il adyisabla or neces-
sary TO inform III order to carry ont
the spirit of this instruction that such
advocacy OF my denomination or nc
Ceptance OF an election as delegate
Tor that purpose will be REGARDED as n
serious violation of official uropriery
and will be dealt with accordinglv.
1t is possible that in issuing this
circular letter the president was not
acting IN strict accordance with those
provisions of the civil service law.
Wh1ch declare, first that no official is
under any obligation to render any
pohucaI service and will not be pre-
JUDGED for refusing 10 do so: and.
second, that no person in the service
has any right 20 use his authority or
influence TO coerce the action of any
person or body
What are the facts about the led,
eral officeholdeTs in Indiana? So far
as tSe administration Is aware. the
United Skates district attorney of thar
state. MIR. Healing, is the chief work
er on behalf of the Fairbanks canvass