The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1911-07-28

l represented. | told him. according TO
our agreement. that ! represented myself.
But this didn't seem to satisfy him So |
sent for Charlie Taft and asked him to
tell his brother. the president. who It was
/ really represented. The president made
no further objection to my claim. Yours,
| DICK.
The postscript Is not now on the files
Of the department If 1t were. 1t would
be my duty to transmit II under this
resolution Who is really responsible
for its wicked fabrication, IL it ever ex.
listed. or for the viciously false state
ment made as to its authenticity Is
immaterial for the purposes of this
communication. The purport of the al
legged postscript is and the intention of
the fabricator was to make Mr.. Rich
ard s. Ryan testify through its words
to the public that although I was at
first opposed in the public interest to
granting the elimination which he re-
Quested, nevertheless through the un-
due influence Of my brother. Mr..
Charles p. Taft, and the disclosure of
the real persons in interest was in.
duced improperly and for the promo
ton of their private gain to make the
order.
The statement in so far as my brother
is concerned-and that is the chief
feature Of the postscript-is utterly un.
founded He never wrote 10 me or
spoke to me in reference to Richard S.
Ryan or on the subject Of Controller
bay or the granting of any privileges
or the making Of any orders in respect
to Alaska. he has no interest In
Alaska, never had and knows nothing
Of the circumstances connected with
this transaction. He does not remem-
ber that he ever met Richard s. Ryan.
He never heard of the Controller Bay
railroad until my cablegram Of inquiry
reached him.
Mr.. Ballinger says in a telegram In
answer to my inquiry that he never
received such a postscript and that he
was in Seattle on the date of July 13.
when it was said to have been writ
ten.
which he has sent me without solicita-
ton, says that he never met my broth
er, Mr.. Charles 2. Taft, and that so
far as he knows Mr. Charles p. Taft
never had the slightest interest in Con-
troller bay, in the Controller Railway
and Navigation company or in any
Alaskan company, and he utterly de-
nies writing or signing the alleged
postscript The utter improbability of
his writing such a postscript to Mr..
Ballinger at Washington when the
latter was away for his vacation for
two months must impress every one.
The fact is that MIR. Ballinger never
saw the letter Of July 13. 1910, to
which this postscript is said to have
been attached. 1t was sent to me by
Mr.. Carr. Secretary Ballingers pri-
vate secretary, at Beverly, on July
14-the next day. | read the letter at
Beverly in August with other papers
and sent them to the White House.
1t was placed upon the White House
files and remained there until April
80. 1911, when it was. by request of
Secretary Fisher, for use in connection
with his answer to a senate inquiry,
returned to the interior department,
and it was after this that the CORE
| lS Sulu " nave SSCn lllS lcI-
ter with the postscript attached Mr..
Carr saw no such postscript when he
sent the letter to me. did not see it
when l read 1t. No one saw it in the
executive office, but it remained to ap-
pear as a postscript when it is said
that the correspondent saw the letter
in April or May on the files Of the in
fnripr hnna arfI11nnf m nfhnra do.
MED the sight.
The person on whose statement the
existence of what has been properly
characterized as an amazing post
script is based is a writer for news
papers and magazines, who was given
permission by Secretary Fisher, after
consultation with me, to examine all
the files in respect to the Controller
bay matter, and this under the super
vision of Mr.. Brown, then private Sec
retary to the secretary of the interior
After the examination, at which it is
alleged this postscript was received
from the hand of Mr.. Brown, the cor
respondent prepared an elaborate arti-
Gle on the subject of this order and
Controller bay, which was submitted
to Mr. Fisher and which was discuss
ed with Mr. Fisher at length, but new
er In the conversation between them
or in the article submitted did the cor
respondent mention the existence of
the postscript Mr.. Brown states that
there was no such postscript In the
! papers when he showed them to the
, correspondent and that he never saw
: such a postscript Similar evidence is
} given by Mr.. Carr and other custo-
dians of the records in the interior de-
partment.
Stronger evidence of the falsity and
maliciously slanderous character Of
the alleged postscript could not be
had. It's only significance is the light
J it throws on the bitterness and venom
of some of these who take active part
in every discussion of Alaskan issues.
The intensity of their desire to be-
a,,.auoh al x,ybO ipuaSt in fhof dtctTint