The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1908-09-26
Defends Himself Against the
Charges Registered Against
Him by William Randolph
Hearst.
CENSURES EXECUTIVE
IN TELLING OF CASE.
Says Roosevelt Should Not
Have Been So Anxious to
Take Up Charges-Explains
That $4,000 Check.

Cincinnati, o., Sept Ex-senator Jo-
seph B. Foraker has issued a state
ment in which he defends himself
from the charges of William r. Hearst
and arraigns the president and Mr..
Taft for acting on the accusations. He
goes into a review of his connection
with Standard Oil. denying any illegal
acts, denies all the Hearst charges,
and reviews his career in the senate.
He also mentions time when Roose-
welt, on Mr.. Taft's Endorsement, ap-
pointed a Standard Oil attorney to a
federal judgship.
Senator Foraker declares Mr.. Taft
accepts Hearst's charges as true with
out investigation, and that he will ac-
cept no proofs when offered. He ad-
mits he was employed by the Standard
Oil company, but adds that his employ
ment was confined to the affairs of the
company in Ohio and its reorganiza-
tion after the trust was dissolved by
order of the state supreme court, and
that his employment had no relation
to anything in which the federal gov
ernment was then interested. or with
respect to which the congress was then
| legislating. or at that time proposing
to legislate. and that the employment
was ended long before the company
was made the subject of any special at
tention In congress.
Foraker says his employment by the
Standard ended when that concern de-
cided to reorganize under the laws OF
New Jersey. which was before the an
thrust and rebate agitation began in
| the senate. That he was not influenc-
/ ed by his previous employment in
dealing with the trust regulation, he
says, was shown by the part he played
in that legislation.
Says He Aided Prosecution.
| He says he was one OF the subcom-
mittee of three-Senators Elkins and
Clapp being the other two members
who considered the Elkins bill In the
interstate commerce committee Of the
senate, and after making such amend
ments as In our judgment made 1t
more effective, reported 1t favorabiy
to the committee and then to the sem
ate, where 1t was passed.
| Under this statute the attorney gen.
eral brought, or caused to be brought,
all the prosecutions against the Stand
ard Oil company. including the case In
which Judge lands imposed the fine
of S2.24O.OO0.
Tells Of $4,000 Check.
He would not find 1t necessary even
to reply to Hearst's charge. Foraker
says, had not the reading OF the letter
concerning the Jones bill been coupled
with the one in which certificate OF
deposit for $4,000 was inclosed. Mr..
Foraker then repeats his reply made
earlier that the $4,000 was part pay
ment for the proposed purchase Of the
Ohio State Journal. That 1t could
have nothing to do with the Jones bill
incident is indicated, the senator says.
by the fact that the letter concerning
the $4,000, ante-dated the other by at
least one month.
The statement then quotes six let
ters, the correspondence between Sem
ator Foraker and Archbold concerning
the State Journal deal. These letters
published previously, show that 1t was
business deal pure and simple, and
the last letter shows the return Of the
draft to Archbold after the failure Of
the transaction.
Regarding the letter which Mr..
Hearst read In which Mr.. Archbold
called the attention of Foraker to two
bills introduced in the Ohio legislar
ture by Mr.. Price, Foraker says he
cannot recall ever having received any
such letter and can find no trace of IL
or answer to 1t in his letter files. Con.
. tinuing. he says: Il have not been
able to communicate with Mr.. Price.
who introduced tLe bills mentioned.
but he has stated in public interview
that he abandoned the bills because
Gov. Nash told him that Senator Han
| ma and I were both opposed to the
measures, and that we feared il might
damage McKinley's chances in the
national campaign. -. In any
event, / know | took no action with
, respect to II, nor on my own motion
with respect TO any other bill pending
in the Ohio legislature at that time OF
at any other time since I became 8
member of the senate. March 4, 1897"
Talks of Tafts Letter.
Mr.. Foraker then continues: Not
| withstanding the president says in his
answer to Mr.. Bryan of Sept % that
: was the representative and cham
! pion and defender of corporations in
the senate. there is not a word Of
, truth in any such statement. whether
; made by him or anybody else, and
: there is not scrap of evidence that