The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1908-12-19

der the then attorney general, MI
Knox.
Pulitzer Denounced.
Now. these stories, as a matter OF
fact. 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 III
famous libels. In form they are IN
part iibels upon individuals-upon MT
Taft and Mr.. Robinson, for instance
,ss.f they are In fact wholly and IN
form psrtly q libel upon the Um'eu
states government. ! do not peileVe
we should concern ourselves win 'he
particular individuals who wrote pe
wing and libelous editorials, articles
from correspondents or articles IN 'ne
news columns. The real Sffender Is
Mr.. Joseph Pulitzer, editor ana pro
nrietor of the World. While the crimi-
nal offense OF which Mr.. Pulitzer mas
been guilty is In form q libel upon IN
dIyiduals. the great injury done is IN
blackening the good name OF the
American people. Ii should not DE
left to private citizen to sue MI
Pulitzer for libel lie should be prose
cuted for libel by the governinehiai
authorities. In point OF encourage
ment of inlquity. in point OF infainy'
of wrongdoing. there is nothing TO
choose between public servant VINO
betrays his trust. a public servant
who Is guilty Of blackmail or inert OF
financial dishonesty Of any Kind, ana
A man guilty as Sir. Joseph fuiitzer
has been guilty in. this Instance IL
is therefore high national d"ty 10
bring TO justice this viliher OF lhe
American people, this man who wan
tonly and wickedly and without one
shadow of justification, seeks TO
blacken the character OF repu1aOle
private citizens aud 10 convict the gov
eminent of his own country in the
ewes Of the civilized world or wrong
doing OF the basest and foulest klhh'
when he has not one shadow Of Justi-
fication Of any sort or description i'f
the charge he has made. The attorney
general has under consideration the
form In which the proceedings against
Mr.. Pulitzer shall be brought.
Meanwhile / submit to You all the
accompanying papers SO that you may
have before you complete Information
ON the subject. call your attention 10
nv communications In my messages
to the congress Of Jan. 20. 1902; March
II. 1908: Dec. 1909; Jan. 4. 1904. and
Dec. Il. 1906. in which set forth 81
length the history Of various phases OF
the whole transaction. recall your
attention to the report and opinion OF
the attorney general rendered 10 me.
dated oct -, 1902, with the accompa
nying documents and exhibits. call
your attention 10 the correspondence
OF the officers and agents OF the Pana-
ma Canal company with the president
and other officers Of the United States
printed in senate document No. "a, Dec.
10. 1902: also to the copy Of the Official
proceedings OF the New Panama Cana
company at Paris on the 30th OF De
cember. 1903. together with a report
Of the council OF administration of that
company printed in senate document
No. 1873. Jan. 2s. 1904 a.n,aa-to the copy
of the genera. Conveyance by the New
PAM Ma Canal company to the United
States; also copies Of certain kilograms
from the president Of the company
making an offer of sale and Attorney
General Knox's cablegram in response
printed in senate document No. 2S5,
March %. 1906
Whole Transaction investigated.
| call your attention furthermore to
the exhaustive testimony recorded In
public document Senate document No.
4O1. Fifty-ninth congress, second SEES
sion. which contains the searching in
yestigation into the whole transaction
made by the congress for its informa-
ton and fully considered by the con
gress before 1t took action.
In the act approved June 2S, 1902.
ito provide for the construction OF
canal connecting the waters of the At
lantlc and Pacific oceans" the congress
provided 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, iran
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
by the New Panama Canal Company
Of France on the isthmus of Panama.
all its maps. plans, drawings, records
on the isthmus of Panama and In Par
is, including all the capital stock, not
less. however, than 6S.S63 shares Of the
Panama Railroad company, owned by
or held for the use Of said canal com
pany, provided satisfactory title to
all of said property can be obtained"
1t thereupon became the duty of the
president In execution Of this statute
to purchase the property specified from
the New Panama Canal Company OF
France, provided he could obtain a sat
isfactory title. The department Of jus
tice was instructed to examine the
title, and after such an examination
Attorney General Knox reported that
a satisfactory title could be obtained.
Disposal of Price Frances Concern.
Payment of the purchase price was
thereupon made to the New Panama
Canal company, in accordance with
the act Of the congress, and the prop
erty was conveyed by that company to
the United States. 1t was no concern
Of the president or of any officer of
the executive department to inquire as
TO what the New Panama Canal COM
pany did with the money which 1t re-
ceived. AS a matter Of fact, the New
penama Canal company did distribute
the money between its shareholders
and the shareholders 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 re-