The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1908-12-28
NEW YORK WORLD
AFTER ROOSEVELT
metropolitan Journal Makes
Hot Retort and Throws
Down Gage.

NEW YORK. December 15.-Th
World in the course of its answer t,
President Roosevelt s reference II
that paper in his special message tt
Congress today says:
"Mr. Roosevelt is mistaken. h
can not muzzle the World.
"While no amount Of 'billingsgate
on his part can alter our determine
ton to treat him with judicial impair,
TALLY and serupulous fairness, we re-
peat what We have already said, that
the Congress of the United States
should make thorough investigation
/ of the whole Panama transaction, that
the full truth may be known to the
American people.
'The World appreciates the impor-
tance and significance of Mr.. Roose-
Welt s statement when he declared TO
Congress that the proprietor of the
World should be prosecuted for libel
by the governmental authorities and
that the Attorney General has under
consideration the form under which
the proceedings against Mr.. Pulitzer
shall be brought
"This is the first time a President
ever asserted the doctrine of Iese
majestic or proposed, in the absence of
specific legislation, the criminal prose
cution by the government of citizens
who criticized the conduct of the gov
eminent or the conduct of individuals
who may have had dealings with the
government. Neither the King of
Great Britain nor the German Empe-
ror would venture to arrogate such
power to himself.
"'John Adams attempt to enforce
the sedition law destroyed the feder-
alist party in America. Yet Roose-
welt, in the absence of law, officially
proposes to use all the power Of the
greatest government on earth to Grip
pie the freedom of the press on the
pretext that the government itself has
been libeled-and he is the govern
ment.
cit is true that the World printed
the public reports concerning the Pa
mama Canal affair, which resulted from
William Nelson Cromwell g appeal to
the district attorneys Office during
the recent campaign to prevent the
publication of story which was said
to be in the hands of the Democratic
National Committee.
Tt was Mr.. Cromwell IS own action
which raised the issue in the cam
paign. Tt is true also that when Mr..
Roosevelt made his attack upon Della
van Smith, the World called attention
to certain statements which Mr.. Roose-
welt must have known to have been
false and misleading, and appealed to
Congress to end all scandal by full
and impartial investigation. IF this
be treason. let Mr.. Roosevelt make the |
most of it.
"Mr. Roosevelt's lamentable habit |
of inaccurate statements makes it i'm |
possible to accept his judgments or
his conclusions. In his message he |
does not state correctly even so sim
pie a matter as the pretended causes
Of his grievance.
Presidents Word Challenged.
s'The World has never said that
Charles p. Taft or Douglas Robinson
made any profits whatever. Mr.. Taft
denied that he was concerned in the
in any way, which denial
he World published and accepted. 1t
would have been equally glad to print
Mr.. Robinson IS denial had it succeed
d in obtaining it from him, as it fire.
attempted. The World has no
that he was associated with
Ir. Cromwell and would accept his
word to that effect; for Mr.. Robinson
$ an estimable gentleman of high char
cter, whose reputation for veracity
S infinitely better than that of his
distinguished brother-inlaw.
Roosevelt Called Demagogue.
eff the World has libeled anybody :
We hope it will be punished, but we
o not intend to be inundated by
threats or by Roosevelt S
or by Roosevelt s power.
Z" No other living man ever SO gross
' libeled the United States as does
his President, who besmirches Con-
ress. bulldozes judges, assails the in
pgrity of courts, ISLANDERS private cit
,ens and who has shown himself the 1
lost reckless, INSCRIPTIONS dema-
ogue whom the American people ever
rusted with great power and au-
lority. T
'sWe say this not in anger, but in I
ncere sorrow. The World has inn Z
easurahlv more respect for the office
{ President of the United States than =
heodore Roosevelt has ever shown =
uring the years in which he has
aintained a reign of terror and Will
ed the honor and honesty of both
lblic officials and private citizens
no opposed his policies or thwarted
IN in his purposes.
$50 far as the World is concerned
5 proprietor may go to Jail if Roose-
,lt succeeds, as he threatens; but !,
zen in Jail the World will not cease -
be a fearless champion of free -
,eech, free press and free people. -
--a-@-a~--
THE GEM