New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1908-12-07

--ske-osY' is too absurd to be discussed IL Is an
aborninable falsehood. and !: is SANDER, not
against the American government. but against
the French government The News continues,
saying thst the Presidents brother-in-law Is
involved in the scandal. but he has nothing 10
ssy' The Presidents brother-in-law was in
,olved in 10 scandal Mr.. Delavan Smith ana
the other people who repeated this falsehoco
lied about the Presidents brothsr-in-law; but
why the fact that Mr.. Smith lied should be held
TO involve Mr. Robinson in a scandal is olrlcuII
20 understand. The scandal affects no one but
MI Smith. and his conduct has been not merely
scandalous but infamous. Mr. Robinson had
not the slightest connection OF any kind. sort or
description at any time or under any crcum-
stances with the Panama matter. Neither did
MI Charles Taft The News says that MI
Taft was a member Of the syndicate 80 1ar
as I know there was no syndicate; there GER
tainly was no syndicate IN the United states
that TO NY knowledge had any dealings with the
government directly indirectly; and inasmuch
as there was no syndicate Mr. Taft naturally
could not belong 10 il. The News demands
that Mr. Taft appeal to the evidence by which
# means what IT calls the records'-that Is the
mass Of papers which are stored in the War De-
r,artraents save such SIS. because Of their tech
-licai character and their usefulness in the cur
rent work OF the canal, Il has been found ad-
visable to send 70 the isthmus. All OF these doc
uments that possessed any Importance as Illus
trating any feature Of the transaction have al
ready been made public There remains a great
mass of documents Of little no Importance
which the administration is entirely willing to
have published. but which. because Of their mass
and pointlessness nobody has cared TO pub
lish Any reputable man have full access TO
these documents II you, or MI Swift or Mr.
Booth Harrington. or NJ. George Ade-in short,
81 any reputable man-wiu come on here he
shall have free access 20 the documents and can
look over everything for himself Congress can
have them all printed If 1t wishes; but no Con-
gresham has ever so far intimated any desire
fhat this should be done; suppose because TO
print such q mass OF documents would be
great expense. and moreover an entirely use
less expense, unless-which is not the case
there some object in printing them.
WELCOME TO PRINT ANSWER.
Now my dear Mr.. Foulke, have answered
II detail your questions and the statements OF
The News YOU are quite welcome to print my
answer; but 1 must frankly add that I don't
think any good will come from doing so. Mr.
Delavan Smith is e conspicuous offender against
the laws Of honesty and truthfulness: but he
does not stand alone. he occupies, for instance
the same evil eminence with such men as Mr..
La1an. Of The New York Sum- editorials of
whose paper you or others have from time to
time called TO my attention, Just as you have
called 10 my attention these editorials Of The
Indianapolis News 1 never see an editorial in
any one OF these or similar papers unless for
some reason 81 is sent 10 me by you OF by some
one else; and Of the editorials thus sent me
there is hardly which does not contain some
~ilful and deliberate perversiOn of the truth.
Fer example. have just made public the fol-
lowing statement concerning a tissue Of utterly
false statements which appeared in Mr.. Laffan's
paper, The Sum:
AS The New York Sun" story entitled "Roose-
welt and Prairie Oil" has seemed TO deceive
number OF people, the following statement was
made public about it:
AS soon the story was brought 10 Presi-
dent Roosevelt's attention he not only called for
reports concerning the statements from the De-
partment Of Justice and the Department OF the
Interior, but also communicated with ex-Secre-
tery Hitchcock so as TO be sure that the Presi-
dents recollection was not at fault. The story
is false In every particular from beginning TO
END Not only is there no such report in the
Department OF Justice, and never has been. but
no such report was ever made In granting the
franchise Of the Prairie OH and Gas Company
the president simply approved the recommended
ton OF Secretary Hitchcock submitted 10 him
precisely as all other recommendations were sub
mitted- Moreover, IN every case referring to the
granting Of franchises the adoption Of regu-
lations regards oil and gas franchises in Okla
ho7na and the Indian Territory, the President
approved the recommendation of Secretary
Hitchcock, with the exception OF one small and
unimpor-ant grant 20 a Delaware Indian 10
whom tbs Delaware Indians, in recognition of
eight years Of services 10 the tribe, had voted
IN council O fee OF $4,000, which he had declined
10 accept and who was given twice the usual
amount OF land The statement about the al
legged promise &C the Western Senator is
ridiculous e falsehood the rest of the story"
PRACTISE EVERY FORM OF MENDACTTY"
THE fact is that these particular newspapers
habitually and continually and as a matter OF
business practise every form of mendacity
known 10 man, from the suppression of the
truth and the suggestion Of the false. TO the lie
direct Those who write or procure others 10
write these articles engaged IN the practice
OF n2endacity for hire and surely there be
no lower form OF gaining a livelihood Whether
thsy paid by outsiders to say what is false
o. whether their profit comes from the circu-
lation OF the falsehoods IS a matter Of small
consequence. 1t is utterly impossible to attempt
70 answer all OF their falsehoods- When any
given falsehood is exposed they simply repeat
II and circulate another. If they were mistaken
IL the facts. if they possessed in their makeup
any shred Of honesty, IL would be worth while
20 them right; but there is question at
ali as TO any mistake misunderstanding
their part. They state what they either know
to be untrue or could by the slightest inquiry
IND out TO be untrue
Il doubt Il they themselves remember their
own falsehoods for more than very brief
period. and ! doubt still more whether anybody
else does Under these circumstances it seems
hardly worth while single out for special
mention one two given falsehoods one par
bcular paper, the moral standard Of which is