The star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1908-1909, 1908-09-28
ROOSEVELT SENDS
BRYAN TART REPLY
TO HIS CRITICISM
President RidicuIes "Mere
Empty Handed Promises" When
Compared to Achievements.

WASHINGTON. Sept. 9S.-President
Roosevelt, replying to William j.
Bryan, says in part:
Dear Sir-I have seen your Litter.
As to most of what you say about me
personally 1 do not regard an answer
as necessary. +. . You have not an
swered the Hughes speech, and, in my
Judgment, you do we'll not to make the
attempt.
You say that your platform declares
In favor of the vigorous enforcement
of the law against guilty trust mag
mates and officials, and that the plat
form upon which Mr.. Taft stands
makes no such declaration. 1t was
not necessary. That platform approved
the policies of this administration and
promised to continue them, and here,
as usual, l have only to compare your
words with the deeds of the admins
tration n of Mr.. Taft. You merely
promise In your platform that you in
tend to do just what this administra-
ton has actually done and is do
ing. -
A regards suits to suppress rail-
way abuses, under the last Democratic
administration there were no indict-
ments against shippers for receiving re-
bates or secret rates. Under my adj
ministration there have been f~orty-nine
indictments for secret rebates, resulting
In eighteen convictions, and in only
four cases have these indictments failed.
The other twenty-seven cases are still
pending. Among the shippers thai have
been convicted are some of the greatest
| n0Tnnrntinna IN H. LII -
This is a record of actual
achievement, and beside it mere prom
1ses are empty indeed.
You state that the steel company.
with my express consent, purchased
one of its largest rivals and thus OBJ
tanned control of over so per cent. of the
total output. This action of the steel
company (Which increased its share of
the total output by only about 4 per
cent. and in no way altered the stand
ing of the company under the law
may have been a violation of your
plan. the absurdity of which has been
exposed by Governor Hughes. But
there was no violation of the law.
y 4
You would better understand the
principle on which l acted If you
would rid yourself of the idea that 1
am trying to discriminate for or
against any man or corporation be-
cause he or 1t Is either wealthy or not
wealthy. 1 regard such discrimination
in either direction as utterly incom-
patible with q spirit of honesty and
fair dealing. l base my distinctions on
conduct, not relative wealth.
Il would hold myself unfit to be Pres
ident If, because l prosecuted Mr.. Har-
riman where / thought he had broken
the law, I yet hesitate to do him jus
tice where I thought the facts required
that justice should be done him. In
exactly the same way I have acted and
shall act as regards the steel corpora
ton"
Referring to the Standard Oil Com
pany, the President adds:
"Our only concern was to punish any
guilty party. Our effort is to do equal
justice to all. and to exact Justice from
all alike. We are no more to be
swayed from this course by a desire
to punish a corporation than by a de-
sire to favor it, no matter whether It
is the Standard Oil or any other.
Governor Haskell, against the law
and against every principle of honesty
and fair dealing, disseminated in favor
of the Standard Oil corporation. Fail
ure to see the distinction between the
two cases indicates moral %obliquity
rather than mental obtuseness.
Il believe In radical reform n the
movement for such reform can be suc-
cessful only II 1t frowns on the
demagogue as 1t does on the corrupt
ZIONIST; IL 1t shows Itself as far re-
moved from government by mob as
from government by a plutocracy. OIL
all corruption the most far-reaching
for evil Is that which hides itself be-
hind the mask of furious demagogy,
seeking to arouse and to pander to the
lowest passions of mankind. No bet
ter exempllflcation of this type of cor
ruption could be found than in the case
of Mr.. Haskell.
you a v uttered no word of con-
demnation of Haskellism, as we thusl
see 1t. Yours truly,
THEODORE ROOSEVELT"