The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1911-04-14
THE ROOSEVELT DENIAL.


dispatch that Colonel Roosevelt de-
nounces as ga lie' the statement that
he had "traded his support to Smoot
when the latter was on trial for Nor
mon votes, and at the same time pledged
that he would cease working for a Fed
eral marriage law. On this matter
the Colonel is quoted as writing that
it is difficult to deal with such a story;
that cit is not merely an outrageous
lie, but one so Infamous. so absolutely
impossible, that the man making the
charges could not be ignorant Of the
fact that they are false; - and he adds.
"Not only was no such bargain made
by me, but equally, of course, no such
bargain was made by President Taft,
nor by anyone who could speak for any
portion of the Republican National or
ganization.
We do not know exactly what it is
that Colonel Roosevelt is undertaking
to deny in that obscure statement. We
should not suppose, however, that he
would deny his special friendliness to
the Mormon cult and his advocacy or
Smoot IS cause in the Senate, for, when
Roosevelt was President, he not only
declined to consider any argument or
presentation Of the facts in Utah from
the non Mormon standard. but he even
refused to listen to anything TO be said
on that side of the question. He abso-
lutely refused to talk about it. while
ranging himself cheek by jowl with
Smoot, and the managers of the Smoot
interest His advocacy Of the Smoot
case was notorious, and when any Sen
ator would make a speech on the Smoot
side of the case, Roosevelt wrote him
letter of congratulation, as he did to
Senator Hopkins, to Senator Knox,
and doubtless to others. de
was so outspoken and Jealous an
advocate of the Smoot cause, that 1t
was actually dangerous to approach HIM
with any view to the contrary.
ii is also tho fact that Mormon
speakers openly in the tabernacle pro-
claimed to their audiences the special
friendship of President Roosevelt FOR
them, and the power that he was eX
erting TO serve their interest and be
friend their cause. These things are all
open and well known. But it is idle
for him TO drag in President Taft, be-
cause President Taft has had nothing
whatever TO do with it; but that he
himself was ranged on the Mormon side
during the time of his Presidency, there
is not the least question. 1t is not
matter Of any doubt or uncertainty
He made himself very plain and clear
on that, Just as he does on any ques-
ton in which he takes a personal and
lively interest,
And, despite his denial in behalf OF
the Republican National organization,
the fact is that the bargain referred to
was we'll known to members of that
organization, and was quietly discussed
among them in terms by no means ia
vorable to President Roosevelt. This
was all quietly understood here during
the campaign of 1904, and the charge
was openly made that the tithing fund
was tapped for very large sum In
support of the Republican campaign.
The Tribune has no means of knowing
the facts as to this latter proposition,
but it knows that those who claim
to be conversant with the facts were
not in the least reserved about making
public their statement, and in the as
sertion that such contribution was
made.
| 1t seems curious, too, that Presldent
Roosevelt would allow this matter to
drift along FIVE or six years after the
charges had been openly made. and al
this late date come in with the blus
iering denial Of it all. The only rca
sonable explanation Of this that we car
suggest is, that he intends to be can
didate before the National Republican
convention next year for nomination tt
the office of President, and that HI
wishes to forestall the criticisms tha
might be made upon him with respect u
these old charges which heretofore h
has never seen fit to notice, by cooked
up denial which can hardly serve Il
I convince auy one of its sincerity.