Weekly Watertown leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1908-1909, 1908-12-18
PULITZER REPLIES
TO The PRESIDENT
EDITOR OF NEW YORK WORLD DE-
CLARES HIS PAPER WILL NOT
BE MUZZLED.
CALLS MESSAGE LESE MAJESTE
BuiIdozing of Judges and SANDER of Pr
vate Citizens Is Another Declara-
ton il Editorial.
IS NOT AFRAID TO GO TO JAIL.

NEW YORK, Dec. 16. Under the
prints the following editorial on Presi-
dent Roosevelt's Panama message:
MI Roosevelt eS Ielt is mistaken. He cannot
/ billingsgate on his part can alter our de-
( termination to treat him with judicial i'm
Partially and scrupulous fairness, we re
peat what we have already said-that the
| Congress of tie United States should make
thorough Investigation Of the whole Pa
mama transt ctiou that the full truth may be
known to the American people.
1t is a most extraordinary circumstance
! thar Mr. Roosevelt himself did not demand
6nfn an inquiry Al III his pp0testatiGns Of
/ cation and denunciation, end with the
| amazing assertion that there is nothing
/ whatever III which this government is inter.
/ eSted to investigate about this TRANSACTION"
World Returns Thanks
The World ftl!y appreciates the compli-
! ment paid to il by Mr.. Roosevelt in max
| ing it the subject of a special message to
I the Congress OF the. United States. In the
| whole history OF American government nc
| other President has ever paid such a tribute
! TO the power and influence of fearless, in,
! dependent newspaper.
! The World likewise appreciates the i'm.
| Portance and significance of Mr.. Roosevelt's
statement when he declares to Congress
be prosecuted for libel by the governmental
authorities" and that 1.-THE attorney gen.
| eral 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 lese majesty or
/ proposed in the absence of specific IegiSla-
! ton the criminal prosecution by the gov
| eminent of citizens who criticised the con-
duct Of the government or the conduct OF
! individuals who may have had business
dealings with the government. Neither the
King of Great Britain nor the German EN-
peror would venture to arrogate such pow
! force the sedition law destroyed the Fed
eralist party in America Yet Mr.. Roose-
welt in the absence of law officially pro-
| poses to use all the power of the greatest
! dom of the press on the pretext that the
! government itself has been libeled-and he
! Is the government.
Last Straw on His Back
We are aware that for many years Mr..
Roosevelt has been savagely displeased with
the editorial conduct of the World. 1t Is
true that we have criticised him sharply
and frankly whenever we believed the pub
! lie interest required, just as we have
heartily commended and supported him
whenever we believed the public interest
! would thereby be advanced. Mr.. RoOSe-
veltS attack on the World can be explained
! only on the theory that ne believes he can
| muZzle the paper, and our recent impeacn-
ment of his veracity seems to have been
! the last straw that broke his automatic
! back.
1t is true that the World printed the pub,
lie reports concerning the Panama canal
! affair, which resulted from William Nelson
! Cromwells appeal to the district attorney s
Office during the recent campaign to pre-
vent the publication of a story which was
/ said to be in the hands of the Democratic
national committee. 1t was Mr.. Cromwell s
own action which raised the issue in the
! campaign.
IF This Be Treason, Etc"
It is true also that when Mr. Roosevelt
made his attack upon Delayan Smith the
| World called attention to certain state
ments which Mr.. Roosevelt must have
| known to have been false misleading,
| and appealed to Congress to end all scan.
dial by a full and impartial investigation,
II this be treason, let Mr.. Roosevelt make
| the most of it.
Mr.. Roosevelt's lamentable habit of IN.
accurate statement makes it impossible to
accept either his judgments or his conclu-
| SionS. In his message he does not state
! correctly even 50 simple matter as the
/ pretended causes of his grievance
he says, for example, that the World
| on behalf of the government of the United
States" No such charge was made by tins
| newspaper
! He says it was asserted that there were
agents OF the government and outside per-
sous No such charge was made.
Denies Taft Charge
He says. that among those persons who,
! Charles 7. Taft, brother Of William Ii.
! TAFT, then candidate for the presidency,
and Douglas Robinson, my brother-in-law.'
! No such charge made.
| The World has never said that Charles
2. Taft or Douglas Robinson made any
profits whatever. Mr.. Taft denied that he
| was concerned in the transaction in any
| way, which denial the World published and
| accepted. 1t would have been equally glad
| to print Mr. Robinsons denial could it
| have succeeded i'll obtaining one from him,
| as 1t frequently attempted. The World has
no evidence that he was associated with
Mr.. Cromwell and would accept his word to
hDt Mn RnIi ic
able gentleman of high character whose
| reputation for veracity is infinitely better
than that of his distinguished brother-in-
| law.
"Not to Be Intimidated."
If the World has libeled anybody we hope
| it will be punished, but we do not intend
to be intimidated by Nh, Roosevelts threats
or by Mr.. Roosevei5's denunciation, or by
Mr. Roosevelt's power
Mr.. RooseveIt's seething indignation
about the Worlds libel upon the United
| States government is an exquisite indict-
ment, indeed, coming as it does from d
| President who less than a week ago of
tfeially insi4uated in hi. his message that the
| posed of scoundrels who amended an ap-
preparation bill because congressman did
not themselves wish to be investigated by
secret service men
No living man ever 50 grossly lfbeled the
United States does this President who
besmirches Congress, bulIdozes judges as
! sails the integrity of courts, ISLANDERS pr.
yate citizens and who has shown himself
the most reckless INSCRIPTIONS demagogue
whom the American people ever trusted
with great power and authority
We say this not in anger but in sincere
| sorrow. The World has UNNECESSARILY more
respect for the Office of President of the
| United States than Theodore Roosevelt has
ever shown during the years in which he
has maintained a reign of terror and Wilt
| fed the honor and honesty of both public
| officials and private citizens who opposed
his policies or thwarted him in his pur
poses.
SO far as the World is concerned, its pro
| prietor may go to jail if Mr.. Roosevelt sue
| ceedS. as he threatens; but even in Jail the
| World will not cease to be a fearless cham.
| pion of free speech, free press and a free
! people
| 1t cannot be muzzled.