The Cairo bulletin., 1908-02-10
TEDDY MAKES A
FORC[FUL REPLY
TO STATEMENTS THAT ne USED
UNDUE pRESSUE IN
TAET's INTEREST.
FOR THE NOMINATION
For Observation-Disclosures Had Said
Ne Had Appointed Men to
Offices in Return For
Support. M

| ---------- aiS2N
Washington. Feb, o. President
Roosevelt today made answer to the
recent public statements that he has
made use OF federal patronage to fur
ther the presidential interests Of Sec.
retary Taft The answer is In the
J form of Letter addressed to William
IDudley Foulke of Richmond, Ind. and
/ includes a letter from Mr.. Foulke to
the president suggesting the need OF
Isuch statemnt
The correspondence In part fol-
lows.
/ Mr.. Foulke says:
"On January 18th, laid before you
ar article In an indianapolis news
paper supporting the candidacy of
Mr.. Fairbanks. accusing you Of using
federal patronage to secure the nomi-
nation of Mr. Taft, and naming the
pcstoffice in particular.
"On my return home | observed
other articles making similar charges,
I IN various papers, for instance the
following in the New York Evening
Post of January 18th.
I'VE are now getting daily lessons
in civil service reform from the
White House which ought to attract
national attention. The appointment
|of Taft workers to the postoffiee In
Ohio nnd Of the totally unfit George
w, Wanamker as appraiser Of this
port IL now followed by the presi.
dents refusal to reappoint good
Hughes man collector OF customs at
Plattsburg.
"0n January II, an article charging
YOU with similar abuse Of patronage
appeared in the indianapolis Star, a
paper also supporting Mr.. Fairbanks,
and reputed to owned principally by
Daniel G.. Reid. gentleman repre-
stnting important Wall street inter
cats This article sent you.
TO this you answered:
"Will you produce the name of al
single man whom have coerced or
Influenced, will You give me the
rame of any official who has been
controlled by threat or implied threat
Ct dismissal or from whom have
demanded support for Taft.
lyon cannot do so. and as yau can
not why do you repeat this challenge
to the newspaper in question. assert |
that these words are absolutely false
and challenge them to make good"
Il accordingly wrote to the Star, |
asking IL to name single case of the |
coersion referred to in its previous |
issues. 1t published an answer to !
my letter. but failed to name any in
stance of the kind, though It still con
tinues to repeat its general charges |
of abuse of patronage. These charges |
also continue to be circulated by |
other newspapers in all parts of the
country"
The president replies:
The statement that I have used |
Offices to nominate any presidential
candidate is both false and malicious. |
II is the usual imaginative invention
which flows from a desire to say
injurious. Remember that
those now making this accusation
we're busiiy engaged two months ago
in. asserting that I was using offices
tc secure my own denomination. This
Kind of accusation for the next few
months will be rife. This particular
sIanderer will be used until exploded.
and when exploded. those who have
used it will probably invent another.
IF such assertions as these papers
made are in good faith, on knowledge
,; facts, and with any other purpose
han to produce a political effect by
nent without knowledge. let those
making them produce the specific
,sses TO which they refer.
Not an appointment has been
made that would not have been made
{ there had been no presidential con-
est impending. and in no case has
here ebn a deviation from the course
hat would have pursued had none ,
4 those who actually are candidates 5
or the nomination been candidates. :
Tor has single onIceholders been
emoved or threatened with removal Z
II coerced in any way to secure his
upport for any presidential candi- I
late.
in fact the only coercion that II
lave attempted to exercise was to I
orbid officeholders from pushing my I
'wn denomination.