The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-04-26
Talk About Sup ression
Is Nonsense, Says
Roosevelt.
COURSE BACKED
BY His CABINET
If Good Will CT Morgan Inter
ests Resulted, Colonel Declares,
TAFT Was Benchciary-Raps
President for Not Taking
UP Matter Before
This Time.

. oyster Bay. X y. April 25.-"The
talk about the suppression of the re-
port is nonsense. SAID Colonel Roose-
velt tonight. III "a statement aettins
: forth mis- connection with the lnterna-
ional Harvester Company case Col
onel Roosevelt asserted t"at at "a meet
!! Ing w!th his cabinet. at w"ich ME-
ilait was present, it VAS decided that
the Bureau of Corporations be Va
I 5tructed to complete its investigation
( II the Harvester Company before any
Z suit was Instituted, following the
I usual course a! procedure in such
/ cases. Sir. TAFT. he added. concurr.d
| IL this decisiun.
! During the remainder OF mis- ai
ministrat!on. n period OF Il yeay and
! Ii naif. Colonel Roosevelt said. the
| Commissioner OF Corporations was un-
! able to complete his investigation. lie
SAID mat IN The three years OF the
| present administration Mr. TAFT AT any
time could have ordered the Attorney
General TO bring suit against the iiar-
vcster Company, or could nave
| quested the Commissioner OF Corpora
lions TO hasten his investigation. but
| that Mir. TAFT had taken no action. 'eX-
ccpt that now taken five days before
the Massachusetts primary"
! Colonel Roosevelt also said that
/ when the Northern Securities suit was
I brought against the Morgan interests
| in 1905, he was expecting TO run for
! President. but That when the iarv-s-
/ ter Company matter came UP in 1901.
/ he knew lie would not be a candidate
( the following year, so that II the ac-
/ ton taken in this case did secure the
: good VIII "of any of the Morgan In
/ terests for anybody, IT secured their
| good Will for Taft"
| Colonel Roosevelt then refers in de-
ta'I TO correspondence regarding the
\ ~
sell Charles j, Bonaparte. Attorney
General under President Roosevelt
and Herbert Knox smith, then and
now Commissioner OF Corporations.
hoose,cits Position.
The Colonel then sums up as fol-
| lows:
! 4. took precisely the action in
4 the Harvester trust case that / took
! In all similar cases.
! am entirely responsible for tn.
: action taken, but it was taken with the
iuIl approval OF the entire Cabinet. m
Guiding NJ. Taft, who was then Il mem
! Der Of the Cabinet.
! ;. There remained at the time less
Z man u year and half OF my admins
/ tFation. During this time, for the rea-
! sons given by Dir. smith. he was not
aoIe to hn!Sh the report ordered by the
! Senate. During this period. as Mir.
I go ..N's' nv liIt On4S instructions
| gave him In regard TO tn. report
| We're orders intended TO facilitate IT'S
! PREPARATION and publication.
- Over three years have clans I'd
| since Mr.. Taft became President Dur
! ing this entire time the letter Of Mr.
| smith mas been in the office of the At
torheE GENERAL. and Mr.. Taft Cam ii
nave forgotten the debate about IL in
the Cabinet; meeting when he was a
member of he Cabinet. and in which
! he took part. During thes. three wears
| MF' tait could at any time have or
| uered the Attorney General 10 proceed
against the Harvester trust. without
| esard 10 the report or have REQUEST
cd the Commissioner of Corporations
either 10 hurry up the report or TO Civ.
| MN the reasons why IL was imposes bic
| 10 hurry II up.
% Not only did not suppress sny
/ papers connected with the case. but I
, lett every paper on hlc either I'm the
! department OF Justice or in the Bureau
"i IoFp"rations' and IL anything wrong
| mas Hesn done. either i'll the way of
omission or commission. the admins
| tfation mad three years and two months
III Which 10 correct the wrong
o. Mr.. Taft has been over three
years in the White House. During ;hat
period he has had ample time either 10
| publish the facts or To tnI,,. aci,,
l.. Ia
taken no action except that now taken
I hve days before the AIassachusetts
primary. -
=. ihis matter was brought, I'm
IN the senate on the motion OF senator
Johnston. who, as a member Of both
committees TO investigate AR Lcrimer.
mas been his earnest supporter and al,
vocate The circumstances under which
IT was passed and responded to give
ground for the belief that the pre-ar
3, ranged purpose was to show that for
some improper reason l had favored
the harvester trust, and the Morgan
interests. When under my administra-
iion inc northern Securities suit was
brought against Mr.. MORGAN. I wos av-
pectinG TO run. as matter of fac,
did run. for President. III 1904 When
/ this harvester trust matter came IN II
was certain that wax not going Ia
run. and Mr.. Taft expected to run. ami
1 expected that he would run i'm 1905.
| Tho action that l took against Mr.
Morgan was taken when personally
was 10 pay for any consequences re-
sulting from Mr.. Morgan's i'll viii. If
the action taken in the harvester trust
did secure the good will of that trust.
or any of the Morgan interests for
anybody. II secured their good will for
! Mr.. Taft.
! Did Not Consider Support.
| but as matter OF tact, in neither
case did I consider In any way whether
any support would be gained for or
alienated from either nc or Mr.. Taft.
In both cases. and in all ether cases of
the kind. considered nothing out
what was demanded by right and JUS
| tice."
Colonel Roosevelt spent most of the
afternoon in preparing MS statement,
Il have just begun to hght." he said
hn T.
y CONTINUED On Ninth Page.)