The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1908-12-09

ernment. The mere supposition that
any American received from the
French government a rake Off is too
absurd to be discussed. It is an abom-
Unable falsehood and it is a slander,
not against the American government,
but against the French government. :.
The presidents brother-in-law wa:; in
volved In no scandal. Mr.. Delavan
Smith and the other people who re-
peated this falsehood lied about the
pre- sident's brother-in-law. but why
the fact that Mr.. Smith lied should be
held to involve Mr.. Robinson in a
scandal is difficult to understand. The
scandal affects no one but Mr.. Smith:
and his conduct has been not merely
scandalous, but infamous. Mr.. Robin.
son had not the slightest connection
OF any kind, sort or description at any
time or under any circumstances with
the Panama matter. Neither did
Charles TAFT. SO far as know
there was no syndicate there certain
~ was no syndicate in the United
States that, to my knowledge, had any
dealings with the government, direct
ly or indirectly; and inasmuch as
there was no syndicate Mr.. Taft nat
urally could not belong to it. TIE
Nsws demands that Mr.. Taft appeal
TO the evidence, by which 1t means
what 1t calls the records ..All OF
these documents that possessed any
Importance as illustrating any feature
OF the transactions have already been
made public. There remains a great
mass of documents OF little or no inn
portance which the administration Is
entirely willing to have published, but
which, because Of their mass and
pointlessness, nobody has ever cared
to publish. Any reputable man can
have full access to these documents.
Mr.. Delavan Smith is conspicuous
offender against the laws of honesty
and truthfulness. but he does not
stand alone. He occupies. for instance.
the same eminence with such men as
Mr.. Laffan Of the New York Sun, yedi-
torials Of whose paper you or others
have from time to time called to my
attention just as you have called to my
attention these editorials of the In
dianapolis News. ..Of the editorials
thus sent me. there is hardly one
which does not contain some wilful
and deliberate >perversion OF Afhe
truth"
Mr. Roosevelt quotes for an exam
pie' MS recent statement in reply to a
New York Sun story. entitled "Roose-
welt and Prairie OIL" and then con-
tinues:
THE fact is that these particular
newspapers habitually and continual
ly and as matter of business prac-
tice every form Of mendacity known
to man, from the suppression of the
truth and the suggestion Of the false
TO the lie direct. Those who write or
procure others to write these articles
are engaged In the practice Of menda.
city for hire and surely there can be
no lower form Of gaining livelihood.
Whether they are paid by outsiders
to say what "a false. or whether their
profit comes from the circulation of
the falsehoods is a matter of small
consequence. 1t is utterly impossible
to attempt to answer their falsehoods.
When any given falsehood Is exposed
they simply repeat it and circulate an
other. If they were mistaken in the
facts, II they possessed in their make
up any shred Of honesty, it would be
worth while to set them right. But
there is no question at all as to any
mistake or misunderstanding on
their part. They say what they either
know to be untrue or could by the
slightest inquiry find out to be un-
true... :.
Ordinarily I do not and can not
pay heed to these falsehoods. If 1 did
I would not be able to do my work
My plan has been to go ahead and do
the work, and let these people and
those like them yell; and to trust with
abiding confidence to the good sense
of the American people, in the assured
conviction that the yells will die out,
the falsehoods be forgotten and the
work remain. :.
There Is no higher and more hon.
orable calling than that OF the men
connected with an upright fearless
ana 'ruthlui newspaper; no calling in
which man can render greater SER