The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1909-01-28
jerome WILL ACT
IN CANAL LIBEL
READY TO BEGIN PROCEEDINGS
AGAINST THE WORLD.
IF ROBINSON CONSENTS
New York District Attorney Thinks
His inquiry Should Take Prece-
dence Over That Begun
by Government.


New York. Jan. 27.-The possibility
of the federal authorities having to
stand aside to permit the state and
county OF New York to proceed against
the publishers of the New York World
for the alleged libel in connection
with the Panama purchase, was made
apparent yesterday in letter written
by District Attorney Jerome to United
States District Attorney Henry L.
Stimson.
Provided Douglas Robinson, brother
in-law of the president, is willing to
appear as a complainant witness, Mr..
Jerome is ready, the letter states, to
begin action at once in the state
courts. II would be useless for him to
do so, however, he explains, If his in
curry Is not given precedence over
that begun before the federal grand
jury, as aoquittal or conviction in
one court would act as sufficient de.
tense in the other.
Mr.. Jerome's Opinion.
II have given the matter published
In. the New York World of Oct0oer 8,
1908, careful consideration" the let
ter says, "and am of the opinion that
1t is plainly libel upon Charles p.
Taft and Douglas Robinson, assuming
of course that it 10 untrue as to the
syndicate mentioned therein and their
alleged connection Herewith. Under
the law of this state its publication is
crime, and as it was published In
the county of New York, 1t is my duty
under certain circumstances to prose-
cute those responsible for the publ.
cation. ... r -.a.s
"The publication has much wider
general importance than is found In
most libels. II in substance charges
that by corrupt and dishonorable, If
not criminal means, the treasury of
the United States was depleted to the
extent of $36,500,00O through the con-
nivance, to give it no harshor descrip-
ton, of some of the chief officers of
the state and that this great sum was
divided among government favorites
In the world of politics and finance.
= Too Serious to Let II Pass.
Mr.! Jerome then voices his eonyic-
ton that so serious a charge should
not pass unchallenged and that ade-
quate justification should be shown or
those making it properly punished
$f'From this point of view" the letter
continues. .'the federal authorities, 1t
seems to me, have distinct interest
and positive duty to perform, and
from what You tell me, it would seem
that the jurisdiction of the federal
courts is adequate. There is another
point of view, however While the
whole people of the United States
have been injured by the publication
of such false and libelous matter, the
people of this state have received a
distinct and separate injury in that
one of it's citizens, Douglas Robinson,
has had false matter published about
him in the community in which he
lives and is respected, the direct pur-
pose and tendency of which is to
brand him as dishonorable and dis.
honest man and one who was willing
TO trade upon the honor of his brother
tn-law, the president of the United
States. Co.," o.
This offense am 10th to allow to
pass unpublished, or at least without
an effort to properly punish 1t. There
fore, should Mr.. Robinson express to
me his wish to have an action for
criminal libel instituted, shall insti-
tute such action, provided may do
so without an unwise Interference
with a matter over which the federal
courts have jurisdiction and in which
action has already been taken by the
federal authorities" " a.. s...-., .