The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1908-12-23

been guilty Is In the form of a libel
upon individuals. the great injury
done Is in blackening the good name
Of the American people. 1t should not
be left to private citizen to sue Mr..
Pulitzer for libel. He should be prose-
cuted for libel by the government au-
thorities.
I'm point Of encouragement OF ini-
guilty. In point Of infamy, Of wrong
doing. there is nothing to choose be-
tween a public servant who betrays his
trust. a public servant who is guilty
Of blackmail Of theft or financial dis
honesty Of any kind. and man guilty
as Mr.. Joseph Pulitzer has been guilty
In this instance. 1t Is. therefore, a
high national duty to bring to justice
this villifier Of the American people.
this man who wantonly and wickedly
and without one shadow OF justifica-
tion seeks to blackmail the character
of reputable private citizens and to
convict the government of his own
country In the eyes Of the civilized
world OF wrong doing Of the basest
and foulest kind, when he has not one
shadow of justification for the charge
he has made. The attorney general
has under consideration the form in
which the proceedings against Mr.
Pulitzer shall be brought"
The president cites that Act Of Con-
gress by which he was authorized to
pay $4,000. 900 for the canal prop
erty. and says 1t was no concern Of
the president what the new Panama
Canal Company did with the money.
"The Panama canal transaction was
actually carried through, not by either
the Secretary Of State, Mr.. John Hay.
or the then secretary of war, Mr.. Eli
hu Root. both Of whom, however.
were cognizant of all the essential fea-
lures. but the then attorney general,
Mr. p. c. Knox. at present senator
from Pennsylvania directed or ap-
proved every action, and am RESPONSE
BILE for all that was done in carrying
out the will OF the congress; and the
provisions Of the law enacted by con-
gress after exhaustive examination and
discussion We're scrupulously complied
with by the executive"
The action Of the government, he
says, was wholly uninfuenced by any
question Of who were or were not
stockholders. either In the new or the
old company.
III, as matter of fact" he explains,
the canal companies. either or both.
had been owned by American citizens
or by citizens of any other nationality,
1t would not have altered In the slight
est degree the action taken by this
government. Our concern was to get
the canal property which was owned
by the French company, and to see
ahat the title was clear, Our trans
actions were carried on openly, and
were published In detail. and we dealt
solely ESQ far AS the interests OF the
old Panama Company were concern
ed) with the liquidator appointed by
the proper French governmental body.
the Civil Tribunal Of the Seine.
II wish to make as clear as possible
and as emphatic as possible, the state
ment that we did not have anything to
do with the distribution Of a dollar OF
the s40.000.000 we paid as regards any
stockholder or bondholder of the
French companies save that we fol-
lowed out the award Of the arbitrators
appointed In accordance with the de-
cree OF the French court. which had
dealt with the subject In awarding a
certain proportion to the old company
and certain proportion of the new
company.
AS a matter of fact, there is nothing
whatever In which this government Is
Interested to investigate about this
transaction. So far as this government
Is concerned every step Of the slight
est Importance has been made public
by Its executive. and every step taken
In France has there been made pub
lie by the proper officials"
The president submitted with the
message what ne said was a full list OF
the stockholders Of the new company
Numbering over 6.O0O) furnished by
Mr.. Cromwell. and other papers corro-
porative of his message.