Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1908-12-24
The Press and the President.


President Roosevelt gets very little
comfort from the press in his virulent
ity to the alleged Panama canal scan
dal Even the stalwart republican pa
pers condemn the presidents special
message to congress, expressing their
profound regret that he should have
exhibited his anger and personal feel
ings in the way he did. The message
told congress and the country that the
attorney general is now taking the pre-
liminary steps toward the institution of
an action for criminal libel, not in the
name of the president as an individual
but in behalf of the government and
acting as a representative of the gov
erEment
The theory of this new and startling
proceeding is that the government is
assailed in the person of it's officials.
Mr. Roosevelt says that ''the American
people" are more smirched by the
story than are any of their official
representatives who were in any way
connected with the purchase of the
French company's interest in the ca
nal.
That stalwart republican paper, tie
Globe-Democrat of st. Louis, criticises
the president, and says that the Amer
lean people do not feel themselves
hurt or injured by the publication of
the alleged scandal. 1t says the pres
ident's denunciation of Pulitzer and
his order to the attorney general to
bring suit against the World editor
for criminal libel of the government,
sis certain to result in public disap-
proval of any plan to put the people
plainant against one man charged with
having libeled US in the person of our
chief magistrate The proposal bears
a close and dangerous resemblance to
lese majestic
The Des Moines Qowa) Register and
Leader, a leading republican journal
under the heading, For a Free Press
is very emphatic in condemning the
presidents attitude. Among other
things, it says:
IF any serious attempt is to be
made to bring criminal prosecution
against Joseph Pulitzer of the New
York World by the attorney genera
of the United States because the New
York World has published statement:
concerning the Panama canal which
the president believes or even know.
to be untrue, there should be a deter
mined resistance organized by the
newspaper press of the entire coun
try.
Free discussion, whatever length!
it may run to, is so much safer thai
publication censored from Washington
even under the most wise and mos
patriotic administration, that the PEG
iple cannot for one moment consent t
! see the criminal libel law made use o
| by the government to reach an indie
pendent and courageous newspa
per. 4
! "a free and untrammeled newspape
press in the United States will FIRE
lquently mean uncalled for criticism
lunmerited detraction, unwarranted as
lsertion. But before anybody become
too much disturbed at this prospect lie
him consider what it will mean t
have the government authorized t
bring criminal prosecution agains
,any newspapers that may excite tn
indignation of the president"
The Quincy Wing and the Ceda
Rapids Qowa) Republican, are bot
Istrong republican papers. The Viii
lsays the presidents assault on Pulitze
land the World "savors too much {
1.-THE usual denunciation of individual
lwho became over-angered at SOM
thing they see in print unpleasant col
lcerning themselves and straightawa
make denunciation of a newspaper {
1.-THE press in general in a wholesal
way and declares, it unpleasant
think that man in the great positio
iof president should have S
elevated Mr.. Pulitzer, even if ever
charge he makes against the latter
true" The Cedar Rapids Republica
, lalso strongly criticises the president
faction.
The expressions quoted are but sar
, lples of general equally strong condemn
ation of the course of Mr.. Roosevelt
(attacking newspaper editors, and TT
ing to browbeat them by threats, IL
!, lgiving publicity to current repor
about the Panama canal deal, in whit
. it was alleged that syndicate, inco
Injection with the purchase of Il
French compnay's interests, made m
lions of dollars at the expense of Il
UNITED States.
Mr.. Roosevelt is not the goyernmeI
: las he assumes, but only small pc
3 ltion of it; but even if the whole go
q lernment rested upon his shoulders.
would have no right to bulldoze eli
Izopc md fry IN rn111la fha rxrocc