The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1908-12-23
proceedings against Mr.. Pulitzer shall

proceedings against Mr.. Pulitzer shall
be brought
This Is the first time a president
ever asserted the doctrine of lese ma
jeste or proposed, in the absence of
specific legislation, the criminal prose-
cution by the government Of citizens
who critized the conduct of the gov
ernment or the conduct Of individ-
uals who may have had business deal
ings with the government. Neither
the King Of Great Britain nor the
German Emperor would venture to
arrogate such power to himself. John
Adamss attempt to enforce the Sc
dition law destroyed the Federalist
party in America. Yet Mr.. Roosevelt,
in the absence Of law, officially pro-
poses to use all the power Of the
greatest government on earth to Grip
pie the freedom of the press on the
pretext that the government itself has
been libelled-and he is the govern
ment.
ut is true that the World printed
the public reports concerning the
Panama canal affair which resulted
from William Nelson Cromwells 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.. Cromwell's own action which
raised the issue in the campaign.
1T is true also that when Mr..
Roosevelt made his attack upon De-
lavan Smith The World called atten-
tion to certain statements which Mr..
Roosevelt must have known to be
false or misleading, and appealed to
congress to end all scandal by a full
and impartial investigation. II this
be treason. let Mr.. Roosevelt make
the most of it.
Mr.. Roosevelt's lamentable habit
of inaccurate statements make it i'm
possible to accept either his judg-
ments or his conclusions. In his mes
sage he does not state correctly even
so simple matter as the pretended
causes Of his grievance The World
has never said that Charles p. Taft
and Douglas Robinson made any
profits whatever. Mr.. Taft denied
that he was concerned in the transac-
ton In any way. which denial The
World published and accepted. 1t
would have been equally glad to print
Mr.. Robinson's denial could it have
succeeded in obtaining one from him.
as 1t frequently attempted. The World
has no evidence that he was associated
with Mr.. Cromwell, and would accept
his word to that effect, for Mr.. Robin
son is an estimable gentleman of high
character. whose reputation for We.
racity is infinitely better than that of
his distinguished brother-in-law.
If The World has libelled anybody
we hope 1t will be punished, but we dc
not intend to be intimidated by Mr..
Roosevelt's threats or by Mr.. Roose.
velt's power.
mo other living man ever so gross
ly libelled the United States as does
this president, who besmirches the
congress. bulldo2es judges, assails the
integrity Of courts. slanders private
and who has shown himselt
the most reckless, unscrupulous dema.
gogue whom the American people eve,
trusted with great power and authori.
ty
I'VE say this not in anger, bur in
sincere sorrow. The World has i'm
measurably more respect for the Office
OF president of the United States than
Theodore Roosevelt has, ever shown
during the years in which he has
a reign Of terror and yilli-
fled the honor and honesty OF both
public officials and private citizens
who opposed his policies or thwarted
him in his purposes.
so far as The World is concerned
lts proprietor may go to Jail, If Mr..
Roosevelt succeeds as he threatens:
but even in Jail The World will not
cease to be fearless champion of free
speech, free press and free peo-
ple."