Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1908-12-18
.FLAYS PUBLISHER
President Sends Hot Message
to Congress.
PURCHASE Of PANAMA CANAL
Executive Brands the neWsDapel
Charges as False.

Washington, Dec. 15.-Presfdent
Roosevelt today transmitted to con-
gress special message regarding the
charges published by certain newspa-
pers that several Americans profited
by the purchase of the property of the
Panama Canal company of France.
The message, in part. follows:
In view Of the constant reiteration
of the assertion that there was some
corrupt action by or on behalf of the
United States government in connec-
ton with the acquisition Of the title
of the French company to the Pan
ANA canal, and of the repetition of the
story that a syndicate of American
citizens owned either one or both of
the Panama companies, deem it wise
to submit to the congress all the in
formation have on the subject. These
stories were first brought to my at
tentiOn as published in paper in In
dianapolis. called the News, edited by
Mr.. Delavan Smith. The stories were
scurrilous and libelous in character
and false in every essential particu-
lar. Mr.. Smith shelters himself be-
hind the excuse that he merely &C
cepted the statements which had ap-
peared in paper published in New
York, the World, owned by Mr.. JOS
eph Pulitzer.
It is idle to say that the known
character Of Mr.. Pulitzer and his
newspaper are such that the state
ments in that paper will be believed
by nobody; unfortunately, thousands
of persons are i'll informed in this
respect and believe the statements
they see in print, even though they
appear in a newspaper published by
Mr.. Pulitzer. A member of the con-
Gress has actually introduced a ceso-
luton in reference to these charges
and I therefore lay all the facts be-
fore you.
Sums Up Newspaper Charges.
The story repeated at various
times by the World and by its fol-
lowers in the newspaper press is SUBJ
stantially as follows: That there
was corruption by or on behalf of the
government Of the United States in
the transaction by which the Panama
canal property was acquired from its
French owners; that there were i'm
proper dealings of some kind be.
tween agents of the government and
outside persons, representing or act
ing for an American syndicate which
had gotten possession of the French
company; that among these persons,
who, it was alleged, made huge
Profits" were Mr.. Charles P. Taft, a
brother of Mr. William H. Taft, then
candidate for the presidency, and Mr..
Douglas Robinson, my brother-in-laW;
that Mr.. Cromwell, the counsel for
the Panama Canal company in the
negotiations, was in some way impl;-
Gated with the United States govern
ment authorities in these important
transactions: that the government
has concealed the true facts and has
destroyed, or procured or agreed to
the destruction of, certain documents;
that Mr.. w. H. Taft was secretary Of
war at the time; that by an agree
ment between the United States gov.
eminent and the benef1ciaries of the
deal all traces thereof were wiped
out" by transferring all the archives
and secrets to the American govern
ment just before the holding of the
convention last June and at which
Mr.. Taft was nominated. The state
ments are false in every partic-
ular from beginning to end. The
wickedness of the ISLANDERS is only
surpassed by their faulty.
String Of Infamous LibeIs.
Now, these stories, as a matter of
fact. need no investigation whatever.
No shadow Of proof has been. or can
be. produced on behalf of any Of them.
They consist simply Of string of in
famous libels. In form they are in
part libels upon individuals, upon Mr..
Taft and Mr.. Robinson for instance.
But they are in fact wholly and in
form partly a. libel upon the United,
States government do not believe
we should concern ourselves with the
particular individuals who wrote the
lying and libelous editorials, articles
from correspondents, or articles in
the news columns. The real offender
Is Mr.. Joseph Pulitzer, editor and
proprietor of the World While the
criminal offense of which MIR. Pulitzer
has been guilty is in form libel upon
individuals the great injury done is =.
blackening the good name of the
American people; it should not be left
to the private citizen to sue Mr.. Pulit-
ger for libel He should be prose-
cuted for libel by the government au-
thorities. In point of encouragement
nf ini int .af inf Of