The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-12-16
Tells Roosevelt That He Can't
Muzzle the Press.
Accuses the President of Prac-
ticing Lese Majesty.
CRIES: HDEMAGOGUE."
Editor PuIitzer's Comment on
the Special Message.
Says Threats of Libel Won't In
timidate Paper.

New York, Dec 16-The World in the
course of it's answer to President
Roosevelt's references to that paper in
his special message to congress says:
Mr. Roosevelt is mistaken. He can
not muzzle the World.
While no amount of billingsgate on
his part can alter our determination to
treat him with judicial impartiality
and scrupulous fairness, we repeat
what we have already said, that the
congress of the United States should
make a thorough investigation of the
whole Panama transaction, that the
full truth may be known to the Ameri-
can people.
1.-The World fully appreciates the
compliment paid to it by Mr.. Roosevelt
in making it the subject of a special
message to the congress of the United
States.
THE World likewise appreciates the
Importance and significance of Mr..
Roosevelt's statement when he declared
to congress that the proprietor of the
Tor 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 lese ma
5esty. or proposed in the absence Of
specific legislation, the criminal prose-
cutfon by the government of citizens
who criticised the conduct of the gov
eminent 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 aErogate such
power to himself
John Adams attempt to enforce the
sedition law destroyed the Federalist
party in America, yet Mr.. Roosevelt in
the absence of law officially proposes to
use all the power of the greatest gov
eminent on earth to cripple the free
dom of the press on the pretext that
the government itself has been Hbelled
and he is the government.
'It is true the World printed the
public reports concerning the Panama
canal which resulted from Nelson
Cromwelps appeal to the district attor-
news office during the recent campaign
to prevent the publication of a story
which was said to be in the hands of
the Democratic national committee. 1t
was Mr.. CromwelPs own action which
raised the issue in the campaign.
1T is true also that when Mr.. Roose-
Welt made his attack upon Delavan
Smith, the World called attention to
certain statements which Mr.. Roose-
welt must have known to have been
false or misleading and appealed to
congress to end all scandal by a full
and impartial investigation. If this be
most of it.
Mr. Roosevelt's 1amentable habit of
Inaccurate statement makes it impossi-
bic to accept his judgments or his con-
clusions. In the message he does not
state correctly even so simple a matter
as the pretended causes of his griev-
ance.
THE World has never said that Chas.
p. 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 pub
hshed and accepted. Tt would have
been equally glad to print Mr.. Robin
sons denial had it succeeded in
obtaining one from him, as it frequent
ly attempted. The World has no evil
dence that he was associated with Mr.
Cromwell and would accept his word
TO that effect; for Mr.. Robinson is an
estimable gentleman of high character,
whose reputation for veracity is infin-
dtely better than that of his distin-
guished brother-in-law.
IF the World has llbeled anybody we
hope it will be punished but we do not
intend to be intimidated by Mr. Roose-
velts threats or Mr.. Roosevelt's de-
nunciation or by Mr.. Roosevelt's pow
mo other living man ever so gross
1y Hbeled the United States as does
this president who besmirches congress,
bulldozes judges, assails the integrity
of courts, ISLANDERS private citizens and
who has shown himself the most reck-
less, interruptions 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 Uni
ted States than Theodore Roosevelt has
ever shown during the years in which
he has maintained reign of terror and
vilHf1ed the honor and honesty of both
public officials and private citizens, who
oppose his policies or thwarted him
in his purposes.
so far as the world is concerned its
proprietor may go to Jail if Mr.. Roose-
Welt succeeds as he threatens; but even
in Jail the World will not cease to be
a fearless champion of free speech. a
free press and a free people.
$50 far as I am personally concerned
I was at sea during the whole of Octo-
Der and in fact, practically for two
years have been yachting on account of
my health. never read a word or
syllable of this Panama story, was not
in connection with the paper and had
nothing to do with 1t. Mr.. Roosevelt
knows all this perfectly. He knows 1
am chronic invalid and mostly abroad