The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1912-09-05
OFFICIAL COUNTY PAPER
ROOSEVELT BAREs THE RECORD

~ 6AhEb li1E
Mr.. Roosevelt's letter to Senator
clapp, chairman Of the Senate inves-
tigating committee, in answer to the
penrose and Arcbbold charges that
he caused the solicitation of a can-
paign contribution from the oil trust
for his candidacy in 1904. was
made public in yesterday mornings
papers. II is an exceedingly lengthy
document. filling about twelve col
umns OF small newspaper type.
Col. Roosevelt's reply Is exhaust
i've and will leave no doubt In the
mind OF any unbiased man That the
on trusts attempt to blacken Roose-
welt by its own finger marks was ma
licious and the expression of a de-
( liberate f%alsehood.
Roosevelt publishes two letters and
I telegram to Chairman C%ortelyou in
1901, stating 1t had been rumored
that the Standard Oil had contrib
uted to the campaign and directing
that X this had been done, the money
should be returned. In addition, both
he and Secretary Loeb called Cortel-
you on the telephone and Cortelyou
said that he had not and would not
take any money from the oil trust.
Col. Roosevelt also refers to his
relations with Senator Penrose in the
1904 campaign. The national COM
imittee wanted to make Penrose chair
man, but Roosevelt says he positively
refused to consent to 1t, az he knew
little of Penrose and wanted in that
position q man whose probity was
unquestioned. The only letter to
Penross commenting upon campaign
contributions, says Roosevelt, is one
With reference to Penrose's request
that Roosevelt retain the services of
one OF Penrose's henchmen, who had
been recommended for removal by
the clvil service commission for col
lectlng political contributions from
su~bordinates In the %postofice. To
this Roosevelt repried that he could
mot consider leaving the man in the
service, because there was no doubt
Of his guilt.
The e%x-president again goes In de-
tail into the charges made some six
years ago that he had collected u
campaign gift from u. II. Hartman.
Harriman's letters to him show that
his interest was entirely In the New
York state campaign, and a state
ment by National Treasurer Bliss,
published in the New York Herald
last December, shows that Bliss him
self asked Hartman for this money
and that 1t was used entirely in the
New York state campaign. Said Mr..
Bliss:
Mr.. Hartman certainly was in
terested In raising perhaps $500, 900,
not for the national committee, but
for the state committee: not at the
request of President Roosevelt, but
at my request; not for the national
ticket, but for the state ticket, In
which Mr.. Hartman, as Gov. Odelps
particular friend, was interested
shove almost any mi else"
Another paragraph In this state
ment by Mr.. Bliss Is particularly sig
nific&nt in view Of the charges lately
made by Archbold that he gave Bliss
100000 for the national campaign
In 1904 at Roosevelt's request. Since
Bliss is dead, these words from the
grave are the only REPUTATION that
can now come from him of the In
famous story told by Archbold:
FINALLY, I will say that there
never was conducted in this country,
no matter what may be said. a clean
er or more honorable campaign than
that made by the republican national
committee In 1904. Certain rules, to
the highest credit OF MIR. Roosevelt
Send Mr.. C~ortelyou and myself, were
laid down. and they We're vigorously
followed"
MI. Roosevelt publishes again the
letters that passed between him and
Hartman In the fall OF 1904, in
which Hartman wanted Roosevelt
~ modify HIS recommendation Of
more power for the Interstate COM
merce commission and which Roose-
Volt politely but firmly told him he