The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1911-08-09

charge that Miss Abbott was misquot-
ed by those muck-rakers who assumed
to interview her. That is the most
charitable thing that can be said.
No Such Letter.
In light of what President Taft said
) in his message to Congress, and in
b. light of the corrobative evidence
which he submitted, it is ludicrous to
presume that the "Dick-to-Dick" let
ter was ever in the files of the Interior
Department, or that such a letter was
written by Ryan to Secretary Balling-
er. Then where did Miss Abbott get
it; where did she see it, or did she
imagine it? No one who has seen
Miss Abbott is inclined to believe she
imagined this letter; rather the pre-
sumption is very general that she was
used as a tool by the muck-rakers who
instigated the Controller Bay fiasco to
injure President Taft She undoubt-
eddy was furnished a copy of what pur-
ported to be this postscript and was
induced to make notes on the alleged
letter, said notes being on Interior De-
partment letter-heads, and then gave
out not facsimile of the "Dick-to-
Dick" letter, but a facsimile of her
notes, and that facsimile was publish
ed in the Portland Journal, as well as
other papers, but always in papers of
the undertaking persuasion.
Now as to the letter itself Miss Alb
bolt, in story and interview, declared
the "Dick-to-Dick" letter was attached
to a typewriter letter from Ryan to
Secretary Ballinger; it was on a sepa-
rate sheet, and contained only seven
ty-three words. The original and au-
thentic Ryan letter to which this was
said to be a postscript was typewrit-
ten, and on two sheets of paper. There
was not to exceed two inches of type
writing on the second sheet, and there
fore plenty of room for a seventy-three
word postscript, and the most natural
place to put a postscript is at the bot
tom of a letter, if there is room. On
this letter there was more than
enough room. But it is said the post
script was on a separate sheet.
The Two Dicks.
Another thing: Dick" Ryan has de-
clared that he did not know Secretary
Ballinger intimately enough to adj
dress him as Dick, or to sign himself
Dick" Sea etary Ballinger sustains
this; so does Ashmun Brown, who has
known both men for years. Moreover,
if Ryan had been intimately acquaint-
ed with Ballinger, and had been col
laborating with him to commit
wrongful act in the Interior Depart
ment, he certainly would not, if in
possession of his full senses, address
ed an discriminating letter to Ballinger
in Washington at a time when Bal
linger was in Seattle.
Chairman Graham has refused to
uncover the real facts as they con-
Germ Ryan's activity in acquiring
rights on Controller Bay for his rail
road-admitted the main point at is
sue But President Taft has furnished
complete evidence in that matter, and
| Mr.. Graham need not C. ncern himself
/ further about developing those facts
| they are now fully developed and of
| record, and the record, taken in con-
| nection with the Presidents state
ment, is convincing. But Chairman
/ Graham still has a duty to perform in
running down the "Dick-to- Dick" let
: ter, inasmuch as his committee once
= placed great stress upon that faxed
|, paper and really gave it national
prominence. In all decency and fair.
ness he must clear up the one thing
the President did not clear up. Will
he do it? He will not, unless he is
compelled to.
0 A Vicious Fake.