The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1909-02-18
ROOSEVELT IS AN
EPISODE, SAYS
N. Y. WORLD
GOVERNMENT PROSECUTION IN
CANAL DEAL THREATENS FREE
UTTERANCE AND PLACES PA.
PeRs AT merry OF AUTocRATIc
PRESIDENT.

WASHINGTON, Feb. ls.-The
World, referring to the indictments
that were returned by the federal
grand jury in Washington against the
Press Publishing Co.. OF New York.
and Joseph II. Pulitzer, proprietor OF
that concern, which publishes the
World. says the prosecution. II II sue
ceeds. will place every newspaper In
the country which circulates In Wash
ington AT ;he mercy OF an autocratic.
vainglorious president who is willing
TO prostitute his authority for the graf
ification OF his personal malice"
The grand Jury also indicted Caleb
VI. Hamm and Robert ii. Lyman, as
sociate publishers of the World with
Mr.. Pulitzer, and the owners OF the
indianapolis News, Delavan Smith and
Charles X. Williams, charging libel In
publications in connection with the
purchase of the Panama canal.
The World says today:
Under this procedure there is hard
ly an American newspaper proprietor
who would not be liable To criminal In
dictment in Washington II his newspa-
per printed something offensive TO the
president, even though the proprietor
HhNO DtCh tiOhouhNo VI liiiCo
from his Office at the time OF such
publication and known nothing what
ever about II. There is hardly an ed
itor or writer or reporter who would
not be similarly liable to indictment
at the within of a president. In ad-
dition to this, all OF them would like
wise be Liable criminal indictment.
MT Roosevelt is now abusing his
Lott
his political malice. These libel pro.
ceedings have no other object than
10 enable Mr.. Roosevelt to employ the
machinery OF the United States gov
eminent To satisfy his personal desire
for revenge.
we say this reluctantly, but we say
it without qualification, because it Is
true.
Mr.. Roosevelt is an episode. The
World Is an institution"
WASHINGTON, Feb. 1s.-Bench
warrants were issued yesterday for
the arrest OF Joseph Pulitzer, Caleb M
Van Hamm and Robert n. Lyman, o!
New York, proprietor and editors OF
the New York World. and for Della
van Smith and Chester r. williams
C"hOiS Va thS ihuidhapoiiS ANCWo, iot
criminal libel in connection with the
publication OF charges of Irregularities
In the purchase by the United States
government OF the Panama canal prop
erty.
The indictments were returned yes
terday by the United States grand
jury sitting in this city The warrants
are directed against all five OF the nat
ural defendants OF the newspapers
The summons requires the corporate
defendant, the Press Publishing Co. OF
New York, to appear In court forth.
with to answer TO the charges.
Theodore Roosevelt, William II. Taft,
Elihu Root, J. p. Morgan, Charles u.
Taft, Douglas Robinson and William
Nelson Cromwell are named as the
persons alleged To have been villified.
| Copies OF summons and OF the In
dictment were served upon the Press
| Publishing Co. by service on Otto
Carmichael, its agent In this jurisdic-
! ton.
II the defendants should take the
various appeals allowed them by law
at least a year probably will elapse be-
fore they can be brought before the
bar OF the district supreme court for
trial.
William Nelson Cromwell repeated
the story of alleged blackmail as mar
rated by Rep. Lowering In the house
o: representatives last week.