The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1912-10-10
BULL MOOSE BELLOWS.


During his recent testimony before
the Senate Investigating Committee,
Colonel Roosevelt was asked by Sena-
tor Fomercne, "Does your campaign
favor tho publication of campaign con
trihutionS before clcction'' To this
Roosevelt answered. eyes. and NC
have done IT, - The Senator then
asked "'Why did not such rule
exist in loOl!" 10 which Roosevelt
replied. Because | have educated the
public mp to it since then. This is
an impndeut assumption Of tho usual
meudacious order which Roosevelt SO
often has imposed upon The public dur
ing this campaign; for during the most
Of these years he has constantly on.
posed the publication Of campaign con
tributious. fomr years ago he de
nouBced Bryan $ proposal 10 make
public the campaign contributions ne.
fore election in that year, telling
Bryan that the adoption OF his pro.
posals would give to every man who
cared merely for partisan success the
chance to create the false impression
that it was discreditable TO contribute
to campaign expenses. And Roose.
welt added, "No stronger argument
against your proposition has vet been
uuconsciously advanced yourself. -
From which il appears that the Colonel
for long time Jagged behind in. this
very matter which he now claims he
educated the country up to; for four
years after the time that those contri-
buttons were received in 1904, he was
still denouncing Bryan and controvert-
ing his arguments in favor of the pub
lication Of campaign contributions be.
fore election. Yet now he has the gall
to say that he has "educated the
country up to it!N The truth is that
Roosevelt, when he saw his chance TO
be a third-term candidate. using the
Progressive sentiment which Bryan, La
Toilette, and others had worked up,
quickly changed his opinion on this
having so suddenly changed that opin-
ion it now seems impossible for him
to remember time when he held the
opposite view.
During the same testimony, Roose-
welt Informed the committee that "it
is true that neither Bliss nor any other
| human being had the slightest in.
fuence with me so far as getting me
to refrain from prosecuting any
corporation or individual for breaking
the law is concerned There I was
and am adamant.
And vet we all remember how easily
Messrs. Gary and Frick, after their
big contributions to his campaign FUND
in 1904, swayed him to their purpose
of getting a pledge that he would moi
prosecute them for breaking the Law
in absorbing for the Steel Trust The
| Tennessee Coal and Iron Company
Roosevelt not only refrained from
prosecuting the Steel Trust for tbui
breaking the law, but he gave the ac
tive spirits in that lawlessness def
uite and personal pledge of immunity
There does not seem to have been yer,
much adamant about that
When charges were made in 100
Of rebating by different railroads con
trary to law, (then) President Roose
welt appointed commission to in
vestigate. Mr. Paul Morton was def
nitely and specifically found guilt.
Of that rebating, contrary to law
Roosevelt not only refused 10 prose
cute, but proclaimed his perfect conf
dence in and friendship for Mr., MOI
ton The adamantine quality Of tbl
action on President Roosevelt's par
was against the law and not for it, An
vet he now has the effronterv to sa
that with respect to prosecuting corpc
ratious or individuals for hreakin
the law, ne is adamant! A queer sor
of adamant that is that ranges itsel
in direct opposition TO the law, an
that in the one case gives assuranc
of protection and immunity TO thos
who 90 TO him with the propositio
that they want 10 break the law fc
the purpose Of establishing the Stet
Trust, and In the other case where
crony of his is absolutely, specifically
definitely, and certainly found guilt
Of breaking the law. so found by
commission Of his own appointment, h
stands by the law. breaker and again:
the law. The fact is, that he has Il
WAYS shown contempt for any la
that stood in the way Of what
wanted to do.
Surely the people of the Unite
States by this time ought TO be abl
to sound the depths of hypocris,
treachery, impudence, and false pr'
tense which permeate the character {
ColopaI Poosoyalt