The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1912-04-23
MIR. GARDENERS CHALLENGE.

The challenge of Representative Au
gustus p. Gardner Of Massachusetts 10
Col. Roosevelt is both direct and sug
gestive. 1t has n personal suggestive
ness also in that Mr.. Gardner is son
in-law of Senator Henry Cabot Lodge
of Massachusetts. who has been such a
staunch and firm friend and supporter
hitherto of Col. Roosevelt,
1t seems from Representative Gard
ncr's challenge, that there has been cor
respondeuce between Col Roosevelt and
President Taft bearing upon the LORI"
mer investigation. Mr.. Gardner asserts
that this will disprove entirely the
charge that Senator Lorimcr had any
assistance or support from Mt. Taft. 1t
has not been publicly known hereto
fore that there was such direct corre-
President Taft on this matter, but the
public has had the benefit for good
while Of President Taft's disclaimer of
any interference in the Illinois Sena-
torial election, either for or against
Senator Lorimcr. This correspondence,
tHcIeiOlC- NOulQ bG VI no Pai ItNuiai
enlightenment to the public, but it
would be direct proof that Col. Roose-
welt knew personally when he was max"
ing his charges against Lorimer IN his
campaign in Illinois and coupling Pres
ident Taft with Lorjmer, that he was
doing a false thing. not only in fact,
but to his previous friendship for and
confidence in President Taft.
Representative Gardner challenge
to Col, Roosevelt fatty contradlcts the
Colonel where he states that. President
Taft alienatcd the Roosevelt respect
"by his subscrvicncy TO great inter
csts. This Representative Gardner
denies, and nc points TO the record that
President Taft has been active in pros
ccuting all offenders whose offenscs
were brought to notice in transgression
of the law. stating further that the
President has "mado no exceptions on
account Of expedlency." And then
Representative Gardner pertinently
asks. "Can you say as muchV He
thereupon proceeds to charge Roosevelt
with making exceptions for his favor
tics sometimes under the allegation
of tcchnicalities, sometimes for rca
sons unknown )"
The Representative further chal.
lcngcs the Colonel ''to produce the
suppressed reportp of his own Com
missioner Of Corporations, the Hon.
Herbert Knox Smith, with regard to
the Harvester Trust. Mr. Gardner as
serts that ''this report explicitly shows
that the Morgan interests always fav-
orcd the Roosevelt administration, "
and The Representative challenges the
Of copies Of these sup
pressed papers, or if the possession of
them is denied, then he demands that
the Department Of Justice proceed
at once to discover them
The special significance in this ar
raignment Of Col, Roosevelt by Rep
resentative Gardner is undoubtedly
that it means a return fight by the Taft
forces against Col. Roosevelt. The lat
ter has had it pretty much all his own
way so far. has charged through the |
country. vomiting forth his spleen,
falsehoods. vitupcration, and untruth-
ful statements. But now he is brought
to book, The challenge of Represents
tive Gardner is one which he can hard. |
" afford to ignore, and the public viii |
be immensely curious TO SEQ what he
has to say about it.