Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1912-08-24
FORMER PRESIDENT MAKES VIC
oRous REPLY TO TESTIMONY
OF ARcAeoLD.
pEN,Eo ALL KNOWLEDGE OF
STANDARD OIL CONTRIBUTION
Declares That Attack on Bliss Should
Have Been Made Before His Death
and That Rogers, Also Dead, Can
Not Neutrality-suspicious. Vsraeity OF
Standard Oil Head.

Oyster Bay. n. Y, Aug. 24.-ColoneI
Roosevelt sat in the porch at Sycamore
Hill for an hour and a half last nlgnt
and dictated a statement in reply to
the testimony of John D.; Archbold
yesterday before the senate infest!gat-
ing committee.
He reiterated his declaration that he
knew nothing OF contribution by Mr.
Archooid or the Standard OH Company
to the republican campaign OF 1904;
declared ne oid not Tor one moment
believe that MIR. Archbolds testimony
is truthful; charged MIR. ArchDold with
a wicked assault on q dead man.
ADDED that during many calls which
mr. Arcnoolo MADE upon him while he
vas president to urge him not to pro-
secute the Standard Oil Company, Mr..
Arcnbold never referred to any con-
tribution to his campaign fund, and
concluded with the suggestion that the
senate committee should make Mr..
Arcnbold and Senator Penrose testify
at once. concerning their relations
while Mr.. Penrose was a member OF
the industrial commission.
In his last word Colonel Roosevelt
thanked both Messrs. Archbold and
Penrose for making it Clear beyond
possibility Of doubt that am the man
the Penroses and ArchDolds Of the
country most dread IN public life
Eoossve!t's Statement.
Colonel Roosevelt's statement fol-
lows:
In the first place, l wish to call at
tention to the fact that even If Mr..
Archbold's statements are true, they
amount only to saying, so far as l am
concerned. that Mr. Bliss told him that
l had knowledge of and approved re-
quest for $4,000 which was not
granted. This is a pure hearsay state
ment. and even if made in good faith
would be utterly valueless.
Not only did l never know any
thing of such a request being made,
but my published letters and tele-
grams show that when the rumor that
there had been a contribution reached
me I acted at once. reiterating my de-
lnand again and again that the money
should be immediately returned. if it
had been given, and being assured by
Mr. Cortelyou that the money had not
been received and would not be re-
ceived. Therefore. even on the as
sumption that Ny. Archbold is telling
the truth. his testimony. so far as
am concerned. consists of the repeti-
ton of hearsay assertions which were
instantly disnrovcd by the production
Of my letters and kilograms. l wish
to reiteratc that until Mr.. Penrose
made his speech never heard il sug-
gested that Mr.. Archhold had con-
;ributed TO the campaign or had been
the means thru which any contribution
had been made.
Questions Archbo!d's veracitr.
"Eut I 60 rot for one moment believe
that Mr.. Archho,d's .estirr ony is truth
full. He apparently possesses such a
moral stand that he does not under
stand the Infamous accusation he is
making against Mt Bliss. Mr. Bliss is
now dead. But during the seven years
that elapsed before Mr.. Bliss death.
after Mr. Archhold claims he made the
contribution in question, Mr. Arch
bold never brought up any statement
Of this kind
''He now says that Nj. R!iss warned
him that ne was making a serious mis-
take IN rot contributing the extra
amount Of money and that later on
when the administration began to dea'
with the Standard Oil PEOPLE. Nj Bliss
saiG il would have been different II
they had done as he asked them.
s. This is an assertion that Mr.. Bis:
has deliberately trying to hlackmai
| the Standard Oil into contributing. BY
I'D re n
would happen II they I'D not cortri.
;tute, and that Mt. Bliss in effect tolt
them afterwards that if they had con
! trsbuted the administration would no
/, have proceeded against t:.em for VIC
Hating the laU-for this was all the ad
| ministrat;on did.
! This Is wicked assault on tn
dead man. whose high assault ant
/ probity was such that no human be
| ing who was himself honest, woult
/ ever iinpute evil motives to him. M
Bliss was incapable of conduct sue.
as Mr. Archhold ir9Itcs to him. AM
II can not too strongly ccnounce tn
baaere=s CT making such an attacl
uron an honorable man who is nov
dead and whom Mr.. .Archhold neve
sentured to assail while living.
Moreover. Mr.. Archboid shows per
fectly clearly. as published report
say, that his corporation had con
tr!buted in order to get value for it
gift and that the gift was made wit
the expectation of receiving a prope
consideration.
Rogers Also Dead; Can't Testify.
| II do not for one moment believ
that Mr.. Bliss made any such remark
to Mr.. Archbold. as Mr.. Archbold say
For example, Mr.. Archbold states tina
he and the late H. H. Rogers visite
me at the White House and that the
remarked to them that there had bee
some criticism about contribution
This is a falsehood. Neither on tbs
occasion nor on any other occasion wa
ore word said either by me to NJ
Archbold or by Mr.. Archbold to n
about campaign contributions.
"Mr. Rogers and Mr.. Archbold Gale
on that occasion to protest against an
government action being taken again
the Standard Oil Company. There Wei
a number Of calls which Mr.. Archbol
made on me to try to prevent actio
against the Standard OIL Company
the bureau Of corporations under II
ldnv. r<vnnnt ~ Tho interior and by III