New-York tribune., 1909-02-18

Persecution" publishes the following editorial this
morning:
Mr.. Roosevelt is mistaken. He cannot muzzls
order the Infamous sedition law which DESTROYED
President Of the United States.
Although the indictments returned by the grand
allege that criminal libel was committed against
The9sdoTe RooseyeIt Willlam h Tart Ehp hoot
Robinson and William Nelson Cromwell, the case
Mr. sssnst the 9Wo great
n ths NGGss 6e Tfh sf s the
AS he said in his special message of December
Of the panama Canal they are in fact Wholly and
in form partly, , libel bel upon the United States gSy
Joseph Pulitzer % editor and proprietor Of The
for libel by the government authorities and that
the Attorney General has under consideration the
form form In which the proceedings against Mr. Pulitzer
have Se6 oSed With it t this sTc fe the S s 6s mst
What Elihu Root himself described in the case of
law against which Erskine fought in the days Of
! power as President Of the United States to use
this ''st me arbitrary and odious law" to smother
This perSecution: Il i succeed will place every
bI ~ oonc oS ,at rev 0 at me-
who is willing prostitute his authority for the
4 Papers make large profits Most Of them could be
ruined financially by the legal expense Of defend.
Of publication and against the tremendous resources
Under this procedure there is hardly an American
newspaper proprietor who would not be liable TO
paper printed something offensive to the President
eEs9 THOUGH the propTeto@E @ might have been thou,
| publication and known nothing whatever about it.
would not be similarly liable to Indictment at the
whim OF a President. In addition to this. all OF
ment, as District Attorney stinson declares. in
af is OF n S9 irsdcoE f of ali te @ go7
ernnent reservatlons IN winch COPIES OF me news
If proof were needed that these indictments are
| in reality political proceeding instituted by Mr
eesssp on,Y Nv 10 Review his conduct during that
ne6fesf The articles chiefv oompiained Of ap
peared in the news columns Of The W3rld be be
/ Mr.. Roosevelt was the actual manager Of the Re
SoroTeTses Tg su With ie MI RTvan Gov
| ernor Haskell and various other opponents. If ne
| worid'' and .'The Indianapolis Nevs'' were libel
upon the United stafes 1 or HpSn him him
that was the time Join the issue and submit 1t
polls Yet. although Mr Roosevets political activ-
tiles were unceasing never once dd ne refer to this
| Panama matter. never a complaint old he make
in regard these articles never did he challenge
m suppoTe4s to meet this issue Of Criminal libel
| which he now raises on the eve of mis- retirement
Even in his letter Of December to william D.
efhe indianapolis News had printed about the
Panama I afaT NJ R9oseysit s MADE aSI no &C. charge
| body had been Hbelled On the contrary. he was
to s2en san that IN this s G2ga prefer to Daa n s
said. has been to go ahead 70 do the work and let
until Tire World in its issue Of December
attac npon on Mr. smith and Mr Laan, and Urged
! Congressional Investigation TO establish the full
| raised the question OF "a libel upon the United
ss m ana to Te m Mn PfzeP
prosecuted libel by the governmental authori-
2g nsinted p tas as fssR sasR
/ He had already Slandered
citizens and Congress and the courts An assault
next step In the gratihcation of his revenge upon
yDToe o Or prpose AND in carrying out bis
scheme to employ the government of the United
criticised him he has let # be known. in the words
9aersI ocehoiders charged with these proceedings
will his gratitude IL their efforts are success
The formal charges II the 1 indictments bear only
idant nei11 seeks 10 prosecute The real offence of
'The World is that for years it has consistently
miiitarisn his usurpations. his centraizing poll
lie '-oyernmen+ by denunciation and meyer hesi-
tated to tell the blunt truth about him whenever
the be euSi Fsa oanGs 81 Re Indianapolis News
st fan sreby 20 costing the indiana
| fbe Governor. United States Senator. the state
eTess IN that closely debatsbe state Mr. Roose-
@ 1o5tiD is n9 a6gsih his S great Fe sho as Prsden
| to exploit his political malice These libel pro
ooss3et TO empoy the machinery Of the Tinted
States government TO satisfy his personal desire
/ for revenge.
1 We saw this reluctantly hut say il without
| o,aIiScafioD because II Is true. And we saw fur
| fher that whatever indictments Mr. Roosevelt may
| cause 20 be brought. in however many distinct
| ard Independent Jurisdictions, against The
World against Mr. Pulitzer or against editors
NJ .sTThe World he viii not irtimidste this news
ra.,er or II In the slightest degree from the
| performances of its public duty.
| Mr.. Roosevelt is an episode The World, is
fnsffttion Long after Mr.. Roosevelt Is dead, long
after Mr. Pulttzer is dead. long after ai the pres
| ert editors cf this paper are dead. The World"
| ufl StI go or as a great independent newspap per-
| ,1nn1iIzzled undaunted and unterrorized