Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1908-12-18
NO BACKDOWN
BY TIE WORLD
Sticks TO Its Guns In Regards
to Panama Canal Story
FREEDOM OF PRESS MENACED

Newspaper Welcomes Suit For Libel
and Pays Respects to President In
No Uncertain Terms-Doubts We
racity Of Executive Who Has
Maintained Reign Of Terror and
Vilified Those Who Opposed Him."
New York, Dec. 16-The World,
in the course of its answer to Presi-
dent Roosevelt's references to that
paper in his special message to con-
gress, says:
"Mr. Roosevelt is mistaken. He
cannot muzzle The World. While no
amount Of billingsgate on his part
can alter our determinatin to treat
him with judicial impartiality and
scrupulous fairness, we repeat what
we have already said, that the con-
gress of the United States should
make a thorough investigation of the
whole Panama transaction, that the
full truth may be known to the
American people.
THE World fully appreciates the
compliment paid to it by Mr.. Roose-
welt in making it the subject of a
special message to the congress of
the United States.
The World likewise appreciates
the Importance and significance of
Mr.. Roosevelt's statement when he
declares to congress that the proprie-
tor of The World should be prose-
cuted for libel by the governmental
authorities and that the attorney
general has under consideration the
form under which the proceedings
against Mr.. Pulitzer shall be
brought.
This is the first time a president
ever asserted the doctrine of lese
majestic or proposed, in the absence
of specific legislation, the criminal
prosecution by the government of
citizens who criticised the conduct of
the government or the conduct of in
dividuals who may have had bust
ness dealings with the government
Neither the king of Great Britain
nor the German Emperor would VEN
ture to arrogate such power to him
self. John Adams attempt to en-
force the sedition law destroyed the
Federalist party in America. Yet
Mr.. Roosevelt, in the absence 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 libelled,
and he is the government.
at is true that The World print
ed the public reports concerning the
| Panama canal affair which resulted
from William Nelson Cromwell's ap-
peal to the district attorneys office
during the recent campaign to pre-
vent the publication of story which
was said to be in the hands of the
Democratic national committee. 1t
was Mr.. Cromwells own action
which raised the issue in the cam
pagn.
cuted for libel by the governmental
of inaccurate statement makes it
impossible to accept either his judg-
ment or his conclusions. In his
message he does not state correctly
even so simple a matter as the pre-
tended causes of his grievance.
"If The World has libelled anybody
we hope it will be punished, but we
do not intend TO be inundated by
Mr. Roostevelt's threats, or by Mr..
Roosevelts denunciation, or by Mr..
Roosevelts power.
mo other living man ever so gross
ly libelled the United States as does
this president, who besmirches con-
gress, bulldozes judges, assails the
integrity of courts, ISLANDERS private
citizens, and who has shown him
self the most reckless, unscrupuloul
demagogue whom the American
people ever trusted with great pow
er and authority.
= I'VE say this not in anger, but IL
sincere sorrow. The World has i'm
:, measurably more respect for the of
. fee of president of the United State
9 than Theodore Roosevelt has eve
q shown during the years in which h
v has maintained reign of terror an
q vilified the honor and honesty o
both public officials and private citi
zens who opposed his policies o
thwarted him in his purposes.
. $50 far as The World is concerne
S its proprietor may go to jail, If Mr.
Roosevelt succeeds, as he threatens
e but even in jail The World will nc
Q cease to be a fearless champion {