The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1909-01-17
pURsuIT OF PULITZER.

pOHSUiT Or Full KEN.
President Roosevelt has compelled the
/ federal court in the District of Column
bia to take cOgnizance Of the charge
against the New York World of ma
/ ligning his majesty. The entire staff
of the World in Washington has been
summoned to appear before the grand
jury on Monday and testify in connec-
ton with the matter. In addition, Jerry
A. Matthews Of the New York Sun and
Harris NJ Crist of the Brooklyn Eagle,
have been subpoenaed.
This action in the federal court is
part of the general plan to harass Jo-
seph Pulitzer. Papers were recently
sent to New York for the purpose Of
having the owner of tine World and his
managers and editors tried for libel in
the state courts Just what phase Of
the case the Washington grand jury
will take up is a matter of conjecture,
unless it be that an attempt viii be
made to punish citizens of the United
States for lese majestic. The issue will
be welcomed by the newspapers of the
nation. 1t has long, been supposed that
this was a country of free speech and
free press; that the president was sub
ject to the same laws as other people.
If a distinction is to be made and the
temporary occupant of the White
Houes can assail the private character
and attempt to ruin the business Of any
individual. and be immune from criti-
cism, the sooner the fact is known the
better for all concerned.
The country has been kept in cease
less turmoil for seven long years, and
at the end of the term of Office of Theo-
dore Roosevelt how pitifully small he
appears to be, and it is probably we'll
for him that he is to go out of the
White House I'm the course of a few
weeks. Andrew johnson was brought
before the bar Of the senate forty years
ago for high misdemeanors in Office.
Tie tenth article of impeachment reads
as follows;
That said Andrew Johnson, presi-
dent of the United states, unmindful
of the high duties of his office and the
dignity and proprieties thereof and of
the harmony and courtesies which
ought to exist and be maintained be-
tween the executive and legislative
branches of the government OF the
United States, designing and intending
to set aside the rightful authority and
powers of congress, did attempt to
bring into disgrace, ridicule, hatred,
contempt and reproach the congress of
the United States and the several
branches thereof, to impair and destroy
the regard and respect of all the good
people of the United States for the con-
gress and legislative power thereof
(Which all officers of the government
ought inviolabiy to preserve and main
tain and to excite the odium and re-
sentiment of all the good people of the
United States against congress and the
laws by it duly and constitutionalIy en-
acted. Which said utterances.
declarations, threats and harangues.
highly censurable in any, are peculiar
~ indecent and unbecoming in the chief
magistrate Of the United States. by
means whereof said Andrew Johnson
has brought the high office of the pres
ident of the United States into con-
tempt. ridieule and disgrace, to the
great scandal of all good citizens
whereby said Andrew Johnson, presi-
dent of the United States. did commit
and was then and there guilty of a high
misdemesnor in Office"
In every essential particular Theo-
dore Roosevelts conduct has been more
unbecOming than Andrew Johnson's.
The latter escaped conviction by one
vote.
As to the prosecution Of the New
York World for libel or Iese majeste
it is doubtful if twelve men in the
whole country could be found who
would bring in a verdict of guilty. If.
however, a jury can be found in Wash
ington willing to attack the very foun-
dations of the government itself to
crafty the personal malice of the nres-
ident, il viii be time to take stock and
see what portion of the liberties guar
anteed by the constitution we have left
TAX AN .,ANLEs 0Dc