The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1908-12-07
SMITH IMPALEO
ON ROOSEVELT'S
RED HOT TRIDENT
Continued From Page One.)

property that cost those citizens only
10000. 900.
THE statement is false The United
States did not pay a cent of the S40,
100000 to any American citizen. The |
News says that there is no doubt that |
the government paid S4O,OOOOO0 for |
the property, and continues, 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
Calls Charge ludicrous.
Really this is so 1udicrous as to |
make one feel little impatient at hav-
ing to answer it. The fact has been |
officially published again and again !
that the government paid S40,o00,000
and that it paid this O,O00,OO0 direct |
to the French government, getting the
receipt of the liquidator appointed by
the French government, to receive the
same.
The United States government has
not the slightest knowledge as to the
particular individuals among whom
the sum. This was the business of
the French government.
THE mere supposition that any
American received from the French
government a 'rake-off' is too absurd
to be discussed. 1t is an abominable
falsehood, and it is a SANDER, not
against the American government, but
against the French government.
The News continues, saying that
the presidents brother-in-law is in
volyed in the scandal, but he has moth
ing to say
The Presidents brother-in-law was
involved in no scandal. Mr.. Delavan
Smith and the other people who re-
peated this falsehood lied about the
presidents brother-in-law.
Conduct "Scandalous and Infamous"
But why the fact that Mr. Smith
lied should be held to involve Mr.. Rob-
inson in a scandal is difficult to I'M
derstand. The scandal affects no one
but Mr.. Smith; and his conduct has
been not merely scandalous, but infa-
nous. Mr.. Robinson had not the
slightest connection of any kind, sort
or description at any time or under
any circumstances with the Panama
matter. Neither did Mr.. Charles P.
Taft
Smith a "Conspicuous Offender"
MIR. Delavan Smith is conspicuous
offender against the laws of honesty
and truthfulness; but he does not stand
alone. He occupies, for example, the
same evil eminence with such men as
Mr.. Laffan of the New York Sun, edi-
torials of whose papers you or others
have from time to time called to my
attention, just as you nave called to
my attention these editorials of tn In
dianapolis News. | never see an edi-
torial in any one of these or similar
papers unless for some reason it is
sent to me by you or by some one else;
and of the editorials thus sent me
there is hardly one which does not
contain some willful and deliberate
perversion of the truth.
Mendacity for Hire.
THE fact is that these particular
newspapers habitually and continually
and as a matter of business practice
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 mendac-
ity for hire; and surely there can be no
lower form CT gaining livelihood.
Whether they are paid by outsiders
to say what is false, or whether their
profit comes from the circulation of
the falsehoods, as a matter of small
consequence. 1t is utterly impossible
to answer all of these falsehoods.
When any given falsehood is exposed
they simply repeat it and circulate an
other. If they were mistaken in the
facts, if 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 state what they eth
er know to be untrue Or could by the
slightest inquiry, find out to be I'M
true.
Il doubt if they themselves remem-
Der their own falsehoods for more than
a very brief period; and l doubt still
more whether anybody else does.
Under these circumstances it seems
} hardly worth while to single out for
special mention one or two given false
hoods or one particular paper, the NOR
al standing of which is as low. but no