Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1911-07-27

sent for Charlie Taft and asked him to
| tell his brother, the president. who 1t was
! 1 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 it were, it would
| be my duty to transmit 1t under this
resolution Who is really responsible
for it's wicked fabrication, If 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 the4ntention OF
the fabricator was TO make Mr.. Rich
ard s. Ryan testify through its words
to the public that although 1 was at
first opposed in the public interest to
granting the elimination which he re-
Quested, nevertheless through the I'M
due influence of my brother, Mr..
Charles P. Taft. and the disclosure of
the real persons in interest l 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 I'M
founded. He never wrote to 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-
| Der that he ever met Richard s. Ryan.
He never heard of the Controller Bay
railroad until my cablegram of inquiry
reached him.
| Mr. BaIlinger 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 ID,
when it was said to have been writ
| ten.
Mr.. Richard S. Ryan, In a letter
which he has sent me without Solicita-
| ton, says that he never met my broth
er, Mr.. Charles +. 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-
MES 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 Mr.. Ballinger never
saw the letter of July Is, 1910, to
which this postscript is said to have
been attached. Ii was sent to me by
Mr.. Carr. Secretary BallingeFs prt-
vate secretary, at Beverly, on July
1.-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
%, 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
spondent is said to have seen the let
ter with the postscript attached Mr..
Carr saw no such postscript when he
sent the letter to me. l did not see it
when | read it. No one saw it in the
executive office. but it remained to APP
pear as a postscript when it is said
that the correspondent, saw the letter
in April or May on the lilies of the in
terror department. All others were de-
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
-csrv Tor LACh Tor
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
rotary 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-
dams of the records In the interior de-
partment
Stronger evidence Of the falsfty and
maliciously slanderous character OF
the alleged postscript could not be
had Its only significance is the light
1t 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-
smirch all who invest in that district
and all who are officially connected
with its administrati ton operates upon
the minds of weak human instru-
ments and prompts the fabrication of
such false testimony as this post
script 1 dislike TO dwell upon this
feature of the case. but it is so fun of
a lesson that ought to be taken to the
heart Of every patriotic citizen that /