The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1908-12-15

I i
| the story about Mr. Charles P. Taft, for
| instance. evidently supposed that at
some period OF the Panama purchase
MT w. II. Taft was Secretary of War,
whereas IN reality Mr.. W. II. Taft never
I became Secretary OF War until long
after the whole transaction I'm question
hau been closed. The inventor OF the
story about Mr.. Douglas Robinson had
nor taken the trouble to find out the
! Iact that Mr.. Robinson had not had the
shghtest connection. directly or indi-
fectly, Of any kind or sort with any
Phase OF the Panama transaction from
DeSinninR TO end. The men who at
( lacked Mr.. Root in the matter had not
! taken the trouble 10 read the public doc
! umehts which would have informed
them that Mr.. Root had nothing to do
win the purchase. which was entirely
! arranged through the Department OF
Justice under the then Attorney Cen
eral, Mr.. Knox.
ALL MADE PUBLIC.
Now, these stories as a matter OF
Tact need no investigation whatever
No shadow OF proof has been, or can
be- produced in behalf Of any OF them.
They consist simply Of a string Of in
famous h5els. In form. they are in
part libeis upon individuals. upon Mr.
Iait and Mr. Robinson. for Instance
But they are IN fact wholly. and in
form partly a libel upon the United
states Government. 1 do not believe we
should concern ourselves with the par
ucular Individuals who wrote the lviur,
ana libelous editorials articles from
correspondents, or articles in the news
coluIIilS- Inc real offender is MIR Joseuh
IllJZer' editor and proprietor OF the
NCIiu- Whlle the criminal Offense Of
NHlSh MT Pu!ltZer has been guilty is
IN form libel upon iudlvidlIaIs rbs
great INJURY done is In blackening the
good name or the American peopie II
should not be left to a private citizcn
~ que MT Fuhtzer Tor libel He should
De prosecuted for libel by the govern
mental authorities IN point OF encoiIr-
1Seihent OF lniQuity. IN point Of infamy.
OF Wrong-doing, there is nothine, 4,
SlIoose between public servant who
DeLdys ms trust, q public servant who
Is guilty Of blackmail or theft. or 5nan-
CIal dlsnoneSty OF any kind, and a ma,
guilty as Mr.. Joseph Pulitzer has becn
SuIlty IN this instance. It is Therefore
- l'-sn national duty TO bring TO jus-
ne Inls winner OF the American peopfe
IhlS man who wantoniy and UyicL,eriI,
ana without one shadow of iustifCatioT,
seeks TO blacken the character of rem
IIoIe private citizens and to couvict
ne Government OF his own country g.,
the eyes OF the civilized world 90 -, -
u1lhS OF the basest and foulest LliD1
Wnen he has not one shadow Of ms
SIIlcatlon or any sort or description
torne sIle c GiIaIge ne has made. Tie At
tEIHey General has under consideratIor
me form in which the nrOcaafifnssg
'S@iHst Mr.. Pulitzer shall be brought
SUBMITS PAPERS.
Meanwhile I submit 10 ,o,, ,14 .l,, 90.
companying papers, so that Won MAJ,
nave before YOU complete Information
on the subject. call your attention 70
my communications in nv messages 70
the Congress Of January 20 1902 March
H. IsJ5. December Z. 1913. January I. 1904
and December Il. 1905, in which set
forth at length the history Of various
phases OF the whole transaction re
call your attention 20 the report and
opinion OF the Attorney General rem
uered 10 me, dated October % 1902 with
the accompanying documents and - nj
DIS : call your attention to the cor
dependence of the officers and aeents
OF the Panama Canal ComDsny- v,,t h
the President and other officers of
the United States printed In Senate
document No -. December 10. 1902; also
20 inc copy OF the official proceedings
OF the New Panama Canal Company at
Paris on the Both OF December 1902 to-
gether with a report or the council Of
administration OF that company print
cd ~ senate Document No. 1913. January
q lsJ4' and u the copy OF the general
conveyance by the New Panama Canal
company 10 the United States also
copies of certain kilograms from the
president Of the company making an
01eT Of sale, and Attorney General
knoXs cableSram IN response printed in
senate Document No. 80. March D.
lSJ5- L call your attention Furthermore
u the exhaustive testimony recorded in
public document (Son- Doc No 40I. J9th
Cong, End sess.). which con-ains the
searching investigation into tue whole
transaction made by the Congress for
its Information and fully considered BY
the Congress before il took action.
RESULTED IN LAW.
In the act approved June IS, 1902, ITO
provide for the constr uctIon Of a canal
connecting the waters or the Atlantic
and Pacific oceans the Congress pro-
vided as follows:
That the President OF the United
States is hereby authorized to acquire,
for and on behalf OF the United States.
at a cost not exceeding forty millions
Of dollars, the rights, privileges, fran
chises, concessions. grants Of land, right
OF way, unfinished work, plants, and
other property, real, personal, and mix
ed. OF every name and nature, owned
nv the New Panama Canal Company.
OF France. on the Isthmus OF Panama,
and ali Its mans. plans. drawings. rec
ords on the Isthmus OF Panama, and in
Paris, including all the capital stock
not less, however, than sixty-eiCht
thousand eight hundred and sixty
three shares Of the Panama Railroad
Company, owned by or held for the
use of said Canal Company, provided
a satisfactory title TO all of said PROD
erty can be obtained"
1t theTeupOn became the duty OF the
President, in execution OF this statute,
70 purchase the property specified from
the New Panama Canal Company. of
France. provided ne could obtain
satisfactory title. The Department OF
Justice was instructed to examine the
title. and after such an examination
Attorney General Knox reported that a
satisfactory title could be obtained Paw
ment Of the purchase price was there
upon made to the New Panama Canal
Company, in accordance with the act OF
the Congress, and the property was con-
veyed by that company to the United
States. II was no concern Of the PreSi-
dent. or OF any officer Of the Executive
Department, to inquire as TO what the
New Panama Canal Company did with
the money which fl received. AS a mat
ter OF fact. the New Panama Canal
Company did distribute the money be-
tween its shareholders and the share
holders Of the preceding Panama Canal
Company in accordance with the decree
OF a French court, and the records Of
the French court show who were the
shareholders who received the money, I
but that is no concern Of ours