Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1912-08-30
MR.. ROOSEVELT ADOPTS THE
RIGHT COURSE.
Continued from Page A.

Archbold, the Standard Oils political
purchasing agent, can of himself and
by himself have very little standing in
court. He is an interested witness, a
witness whose company has old scores
to pay off and which probably fears the
future as wildly as it remembers the
past. Cornelius N. Bliss, whom he
quotes as authority for his statement,
is dead. Exclusive of Archbold, all but
one of the other Standard Oil officials
who are said to have known of the
transaction are dead, and the surviving
one is i'll and may not be available as a
witness.
In an ordinary case against a man of
reasonably good character we should
say what we say of this as it stands on
the official record, that it was obviously
weak and scarcely demanded more than
a bare denial. But this is not any or
binary case. 1t affects the standing
before the country of a former Presi-
dent, and a prominent candidate for the
Presidency in this campaign, a candi-
date, moreover, who processes to rep
resent not merely a progressive move
ment for better government, but a
movement to uplift and purify politics.
His candidacy is largely a protest
against the corrupt use of money in
politics, and is based on the pomise to
destroy that evil, root and branch.
While the charges relate to a campaign
of eight years ago and have no direct
bearing on the issues now before the
country, they reflect on the political
sincerity of one of the leading candi-
dates in this campaign, and the estab-
ishment of their truth or falsity will
help Lthe country to estimate the value
of the promises he is making low.
That Mr.. Roosevelt realizes all this
as clearly as anyone is shown by his
demand for a speedy opportunity to
testify. He can, of course, only repeat
what he has already said, and deny the
statements of Penrose and Archbold,
but his testimony will be given under
oath and under circumstances that
must strengthen it even in hostile
minds. When that has been done it
will become a straightout issue of
veracity between Penrose and Arch
bold on the one hand and Theodore
Roosevelt on the other, and with all his
faults of temper and temperament COM
paratively few Americans will believe
Mr.. Roosevelt capable of committing
perjury ever if some of them think he
might consider a campaign quible JUS
tiiable.
Everyone who can throw any light on
the Penrose-Archbold charges should be
Summoned before the committee.
Judge Parker and other persons have
been quoted on the subject, and what
ever they know should be made public
in a formal and official way. 1t is not
likely that any of them has any actual
personal knowledge of much value.
There is no doubt that corporations
have contributed heavily to Republican
campaign funds for many years, but
though it was an open secret it is one
of those secrets that it is hard to prove.
Nevertheless, it is due to the country,
even more than to Mr.. Roosevelt per-
sonally, that the charges should be
thoroughly sifted in an absolutely fair
and impartial spirit and without delay.
The country has a right to insist that
these statements shall either be con-
clusively proved, or that they shall be
thrown aside into the rubbish heap with
other old ISLANDERS, so that it may de-
vote it's attention to issues of a higher
character. Baltimore Sun.
CIVIC HONESTY LINDSEY'S PLEA.