Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1912-05-21
"DESPIcABLE AND DEGRADING"
HumiIatins Characterization of Pres
ident's Attitude to Alleged Truth.

A statement containing portions Of
a letter from Attorney General Bona
parte, in which he says that Mr.. Taft,
as secretary Of war, took part in the
cabinet meeting at which it was de-
cided to withhold prosecution Of the
International Harvester company be-
cause Of the bureau or corporations
investigation, was issued by Senator
Dixon from the Roosevelt national
headquarters. The statement was in
answer to that issued from the White
House last night by Charles d. Hilles,
secretary to the president.
| Nothing more despicable and de-
grading has ever occurred in the his
tory of American politics." says the
statement, than the attempt Of Mr..
Taft through deliberate, knowing and
sustained falsehood to misrepresent
the facts regarding the case Of the
International Harvester company and
to avoid personal responsibility for
non-action in the courts by the gov
ernment against that company. The
statement issued at the White House
last night is but q piece Of men
dacity that has characterized the en-
tire Taft utterance on this subject.
"The facts themselves Of which Mr..
Taft is undeniably aware, and which
are CdpdDIG VI COlllplclC uculOll5ll a
ton, show:
ii. That Mr.. Taft was present at
the cabinet meeting where the matter
was discussed and the final decision
reached, and that he not only had full
knowledge of the matter, but took a
deciding part in the determination.
"2. That the senate, upon being
made aware Of the situation by Sena-
tor Hansbrough, distinctly refused to
stop the investigation by the bureau
of corporations and permit the depart
ment Of justice to go ahead with Its
prosecution.
"3. Senator Hansbrough, an invet-
crate opponent Of the Harvester COM
pany, was the first man to be advised
Of the situation by the attorney gen.
ed to secure action by the senate
which would permit the department
to begin court proceedings"
Mr.. Bonaparte, according to the
statement, declares that Mr.. Taft,
when the Harvester case was being
considered at the cabinet meeting, ex-
pressed q very decided opinion that
the suit should not be brought until
the bureau Of corporations had COM
pleted its Investigations.
The statement concludes:
"Mr. tart ana MS managers nave
sought mendaciously to escape respon-
sbility for Mr.. Taft's part in this mat
ter through the false pretense that.
because Mr.. Taft was out of the coun-
try in the fall of 1907, he was not in
position to know about or have any
thing to do with the matter. 1t is
not only an affront to the intelligence
of the American people for him to
say to them, as he does, that man
occupying the position in the admin
istration which he then occupied
would not of necessity be throughly
informed upon a matter Of such i'm
portance, but it is positive false
hood. Mr.. Taft returned to the Un-
tied States from his trip around the
world in December, 1907. He was
present at the cabinet meetings in
January, 1908, and as Mr.. Bonaparte's
letter specifically shows. he not only
took part, but the deciding part in the
determination Of the cabinet to post
pone prosecution Of the Harvester
company pending the investigation
by the bureau Of corporations"