Daily Kennebec journal., 1908-12-16
THE PRESIDENTS MESSAGE.
Continued from Page One.)

that apparently they represent in part
merely material collected for campaign
concocted with view of possible black
all. The inventor of the story about Mr..
Charles P. Taft, for instance, evidently
supposed that at some 2H perlod. OF the na pana
tary of War. whereas in reality Mr.: w.
H. Taft never became. Secretary Of war
until long, after the whole transaction IN
vi the story about Mr.. Douglas Robinson
had not taken the trouble to find out the
fact that Mr. Robinson had not had the
slightest connection, directly or indirectly
of any kind or sort with any phase or the
Panama transaction from beginning to
end. The men who attacked MI Ro1t m IN
the matter had not taken the, trouble to
read the public documents which would
have informed them that Mr.. Root had
nothing to do with the purchase, which
partment Of Justice under the then At
torney General. Mr. Knox, =. <.o+
Now. these stories as a matter OF tact
duced in behalf of any of them. They
consist simply Of string. of infamous
ihcls In form they aTe M II aft naft and INF Mr
Robinson I,i for instance. But they are in
fact. wholly, and in form partly. libel
upon the United STATES shed Toyereh concerns our
selves with the particular individua.ls who n.
wrote the lying and libelous editorials.
articles from oa or dfender afe,cier
is Mr.. Joseph Pulitzer. editor and pro,
prietor of the World. While the criminal
offense of which Mr.. Pulitzer mas oeen
the great injury done is in blackening the
good name of the American people: ~ II
should not be left to q private Gi,,I Gll%e,In ', 10
prosecuted for libel by. the governmental
authorities In point Of announcement OF
iniauity. in point Of infamy, OF wrong
doing, there is nothing to choose between
public servant who betrays his MS .,1n; trust,
public servant who Is guilty. or Dlickc
mail or theft, or financial dishonesty OF
kind and hae man tw THin IN ai this
1t is therefore a high national duty TO
bring to Justice this vilifier of the Amerl,
can people. this man who .,,d WantonlE amo ;,,S
tfication seeks to blacken the character
of reputable private citizens and to con-
yict the Government Of l,i his own r,n c",mnt.X cf
wrongdning of the basest and fouiest
kind. when he has not one shadow of jus
tfcation Of any sort or description foi
the charge he has made. The Attorney
General has under consideration the form
in which the proceedings against Mr..
Pulitzer shall he brought.
Meanwhile 1 submit to you all the ac-
companying papers, SO that you may have
before you complete information on the
subject. I call your attention to my my
congress OI JdHudiS ~, I'VG, 1hhiSu IL
1903, December Z, 1903, January 4. 1904, and
December II. 1906, in which set forth at
length the history Of various phases of
the whole transaction. recall your atten-
ton to the report and opinion of the At
torney General rendered to me- adted Oc-
toher %. 1902 with the accompanying docu-
merits and exhibits. I call your attention
to the correspondence of the officers and
agents, Of the Panama Canal Company
Mltn the President and other officers OF
the United Stotes rrinte.t 1r Serafe .oc"%-
ment No. "a, December 10, 1902; also to the the
copy OF the Ctfclai proceedings OF the
New Panama Canal Company at Paris
+"e Noth fav of December. 1908: TO-
sethar with a report of the Council of Ad.
ministration Of that company, printaeae
..--.~ Do!,-n.n. Nc. las, January 2s
veyance Of certain kilograms from the
president Of the company making an Of
fer of sale, and Attorney-Genera Knox
eablegram il response printed ,ods is Senate a11
Your attention furthermore to the exhaus.
tive testimony recorded in public do document anae
which contains the searching investiga-
| ton into the whole transaction made by