Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-12-07
President Arraigns w. N. Laf-
fan and DeIavan Smith.
Comments on Articles in New York
Sun and Indianapolis News.
PANAMA SCANDAL DISCUSSED
Documents Accessible to Prove Falls
:ty of Charges, Says Mr.. Roose-
velt-Reply to Foulke.

HOT SPRINGS, Va. December T.
President Roosevelt in letter to Will
liam Dudley Foulke of Indiana, former
civil service commissioner, made public
here yesterday, increa sed the member
ship in the Ananias Club by adding these
names:
William NJ. Laffan, publisher. Of the
New York Sun.
Delavan Smith. editor Of the Indian
apQlis News.
Statements Under Structures.
The services which these men have
performed that have led Mr. Roosevelt
to characterize them as liars" are the
publication of articles in their respective
journals during the. campaign.
Mr.. Roosevelt says that the Sun lied
in articles concerning the grant of
federal charter to the Prairie Oil and
Gas Company in Oklahoma. which Gov.
Haskell of that state pretended to expose
after he had been deposed as treasurer
of the democratic national committee.
The President accuses the Indianapolis
News of lying in publishing articles
in which it was asserted that a syndi-
cate in which his own brother-in-law,
Douglas Robinson of New York. Charles
p Taft and others divided $4O,OO0,00O
paid by the United States for the Pan
anna canal. for which they had given
only $12.0Oo.000.
The charge made by the Indiana polls
News after the close of the campaign in
dicates that the President and the Vice
President are at odds. for the latter is
said to be interested in the Hoosier
paper. though he denies any financial in
terest.
Mr.. Foulke early in the pre-convention
campaign was supporter Of Mr. Taft,
Indianans call Mr. Fairbanks paper"
but restrained his indignation until what
he regarded as an opportune moment.
Mr.. Foulke's Letter.
Then he wrote this letter to Mr. Roose-
welt:
HOT SPRINGS. Va.
November %, 1908.
THE President:
Sir: The Indianapolis News, not only
during the campaign, but even after it's
close has been repeatedly and continu
ally making serious charges against your
administration. we'll as against Mr..
Taft. in connection with the Panama
purchase, as, for example. the follow
ing:
The Panama matter.-The campaign
Is over. and the people will have to vote
tomorrow without any official knowledge
concerning the Panama canal deal 1t
has been charged that the United States
bought from American citizens for $40
100000 property that cost those citizens
only $12.000,000. Mr.. Taft was Secre-
tary of War at the time the negotiation
was closed. There is no doubt that the
government paid s40.000,O00 for the
property. But who got the money? We
are not to know. The administration and
Mr.. Taft do not think it right that the
people should know
'Brother-in-law involved-The Presi-
dents brother-fn-law is involved in the
scandal, but he has nothing to say. The
candidates brother has been charged
with being a member Of the syndicate.
He has, 1t is true, denied it. But he re-
fuses to appeal to the evidence all of
which is in the possession of the admin
istration. and wholly inaccessible to out
siders. For weeks this scandal has been
before the people. The records are in
washington. and they are public records
But the people are not to see them-till
after election, If them
Even after the election this has been
continued. it being said that Mr. Taft's
weakness in Indiana (where he ran
many thousands ahead of any other re-
publican candidate) was due in great
measure to this alleged scandal
What are the facts in regard to it?
Where are these inaccessible records?
when did they come into the possession
or the government, and what do they
contain? If the statements Of the News
are true, our people ought to know it: if
not true. they ought to have some Just
means Of estimating what credit should
be given in other matters to a Journal
which thus disseminates falsehoods.
WILLIAM ! D our5i ro,r1.Kr.
The Presidents Reply.
Mr.. Roosevelt's answer is as follows:
white House.
washington. Dec 1, 1908.
MY Dear Mr. Foulke: I have received
your letter of the Goth ultimo. and have
read 1t in connection with your previous
letters. inclosing quotations from the In
dianapolis News, paper edited by Mr..
Delevan Smith. AS Mr.. Smith certainly
knew that all the statements he made
were false. both as to this Panama mat
ter and as to the other matters of which
you inclose me clippings. and inasmuch,
will not affect his future statements, I
am not very clear what good will result
from such exposure.
But. inasmuch you evidently
earnestly desire some answer to be made
and 1naSmuch as you say that some
reputable people appear to believe the
falsehoods Of the News and Mr.. Smith.
and inaSmuch as you seem to think that
his falsehoods as regards the Panama
matter are the most prominent, l will
answer them.
1.-THE News states In one of it's issues
that probably some Of the documents
dealing with the matter have been de-
stroyed. This is false. Not one has been
destroyed 1t states that the last docu-
ments were sent over in June of this
year. the object Of this particular false
hood being, apparently, to connect the
matter in some way with the nomination
Of Mr.. Taft.
LAS matter of fact, the last papers
that we have received of any kind were
sent over to us in May of 1904. and they
have been accessible to every human be-
ing who cared to look at them ever since
and are accessible now.
Documents Accessible to Reputable
Men.
ANY reputable man within or with
out Congress. republican or democrat has
now. and always has had. the opportunity
to examine any of these documents. You
quote the News as stating that the people
have no official knowledge concerning the
Panama canal DEAL The fact is that
the people have had the most minute
official knowledge: that every important
step in the transa ction and every important
document have been made public in COM
munications to Congress and through the