The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1908-06-12
ROOSEVELT AND TAFT SAY ELEc.
TioNs MUST be FAIR. 8
NOTIFIED OFFICIALLY
United States Will Intervene BY What
ever Force = Necessary Unless
Government Gives Election Maci,ln.
cry Into Impartial Hands.

e1Au s00CISLhly 1dLLl nave nOLlneQ the
Panama government that elections in
that republic must be conducted fair.
".
The circumstances attending this
warning were given out for publica.
tion as is in preparation for active in.
tervention on the part Of the United
States by the use of whatever force
shall be necessary to make it effect-
i've.
Letter to President Amador. sS
Secretary Taft in letter delivered
to President Amador In person and
dated May IL, suggested that two
years ago, when charges Of fraud were
made concerning congressional cleo
tion at Panama, it was not thought
best to do more than to urge fairness
in the administration of election laws,
Some very weighty evidence was
adduced,' he continues, ito show
that there were many who had been
deprived of their constitutional rights
to vote in that election and there was
much evidence Of violence and repeat
ing by the police in the cities of Pan
ANA, Colon and elsewhere. No active
intervention, however, was attempted
by the United States government. It
was hoped that the irregularities Of
the last election were due merely to
the fact that the election laws were
new, the republic was young and that
at more important election like the
presidential election to follow, great
er care would be taken to preserve the
rights Of the citizens.
Y. s. Guarantees Integrity Of Panama.
The interest of the United States
in the fairness OF the election Of the
republic is manifest. The United
States guarantees the integrity Of the
republic and this involves a recogni-
tion Of lawful government by It, The
United States cannot look upon any
election which is not conducted on
fair lines and is sure to lead to vio-
lence, with anything but the utmost
concern, and 1t has direct interest
in case Of threatened fraud IN an cleo
tion to interfere to prevent it, and IN
case the fraud is carried out, to inter-
vene to prevent the succession Of
those officials in whose election there
was not the free choice of the peo.
ple.'
lmpartiality Demanded.
After reciting some of the specific
charges Of fraud he suggested that the
registration lists should all be opened
in order that voters should not be de
prived Of the right to cast their bal
lots.
ut goes without saying he added,
sthat the United States will be most
reluctant TO interfere with the. inter
national. affairs Of the Republic Of
Panama, but for the reasons have
given. should the occasion arise, 1 do
not see how It can be avoided. ven
ture to suggest to your excellency
therefore, that in view of the changes
which have been made, the wisest
course for your government to take is
to give into the hands Of q person adj
mittedly impartial as between senor
Arias and Senior Obaldia, the admin
istration of the inter-department hav-
ing control Of the election machinery :
Mr.. Taft included in his letter q dis.
patch he received from President
Roosevelt as follows:
"You are authorized to say to Presi-
dent Amador that the government Of
the United States will consider any
attempt at the election OF q successor
by fraudulent methods which deny to
9 large part Of the people opportuni-
ty to vote, constitutes q disturbance
of public order which under Pana-
mas constitution requires interven-
tion and this government will not per
NIT Panama to pass into the hands OF
any one so elected. =
The failure which you describe to
comply with the laws assuring to the
people Of Panama the opportunity to
have their names entered in the reg.
istration books appears in advance to
be suficient to invalidate the election
and II the facts are as they have been
represented to you, wrong already
done must be redressed and fair reg.
istry lists made up. In case we find