The Washington times., 1912-09-02
ROOSEVELT MEETS
ISSUE SQUARELY IN.
REPLY TO ENEMIES
Denies Archbold Penrose
Charges and Denounces
the Latter.


President. has made his answer to the
charges leveled at him by Senator PEN
rose of Pennsylvania, and John d.
Archbold, of Standard Oil, with refer
ence to campaign contributions.
The answer of Colonel Roosevelt, a
document which is bound to become
historic, and which Is one of the most
important contributions to the pending
campaign, is not only a sweeping denial
of the charges Of his enemies and de-
tractors, but 1t goes far beyond the
Penrose and Archbold charges. Accusa-
tions outside of those made by Penrose
and Archbold are squarely met. More
over, in his usual spirit of aggressive
ness, Mr.. Roosevelt is not content to
remain on the defensive. He delivers
hard counter attack at Penrose and,
charging the Senate committee with ig-
noring what is the more direct charge
In the controversy, AYERS that Penrose
not only took $4,000 from the Standard
Oil Company, but did 1t about the time
he was a member of the industrial COM
mission and when "he was in constant
communication with Mr.. Archbold on
the subject and had submitted TO him
for approval in advance a copy Of the
report of the commission of which he
was a member
Calls Penrose Unworthy.
Colonel Roosevelt says II the evil
dence against Penrose is true he Is
unfit to hold his seat in the Senate.
AS to the statement of Archbold that
Cornelius N. Bliss, treasurer in 1904
of the Republican national committee,
with the knowledge and consent of
Mr.. Roosevelt, solicited and accepted
100000 for the Presidential cam
paign, this is denounced in the reply
as IAN unqualified falsehood"
The reply Of Colonel Roosevelt con-
sists of forty-two typewriter pages.
1t was made public last night in New
York. 1t includes copies of letters
and kilograms to George b. Cortelyou,
then national chairman, and a copy
OF the famous letter to Vice President
Sherman. Copies of correspondence
a copy of the statement given out
from the White House in reply to
Judge Parker in 1904.
Colonel Roosevelt SAYS he demanded
chairman. though tho committee
wanted Penrose. because he wanted
a man sin whose probity as head of
the committee l had entire conf
dence"
Praise for Mr.. Perkins.
Much space Is devoted to the Harri-
man controversy. The statements of
Penrose and Archbold as 10 this matter
are called "monstrous' and "atrociously
false" Colonel Roosevelt says former
Representative Sibley of Pennsylvania
and Senator Jonathan Bourne are the
only members of Congress who ever ap-
preached him in behalf of the Standa rd
Oil Company. Colonel Roosevelt praises
arSt Itch he
letters, and says he has done a public
service
AS to George w. Perkins, Colonel
Roosevelt says he never talked about
campaign contributions with him until
the testimony before the Senate COM
mittee. He says he always supposed
Mr.. Perkins had contributed, intimates
amounts of contributions will later be
published. praises Mr.. Perkins warmly
and pledges himself anew to the cause
of the people.
Merely repetition of Injurious sossir
of what dead man is alleged to have
said about me-" Is the way Colonel
Roosevelt characterlzes the statements
OF Penrose and Archbold.
Unqualified Falsehood
Tho letter. in part, follows:
THE charge against Mr.. Penrose was
a direct charge. This charge was not
merely that he took $4,000 from the
Standard Oil Company, but that at OF
about the time Of his taking 1t, while
a member Of committee of the Sen.
ate which was formed to investigate
industrial affairs in the United States
he was in constant communication with
Mr.. Archbold on the subject and that
he submitted to Mr.. Archbold for his
approval in advance a copy of the re.
port Of the commission. If these state,
tG ne Mr naf
10 unfit to represent the people in the
United States Senate; and the testi,
mony against him Is direct. Apparently
however, the committee is Investigating
not this charge against Mr.. Penrose
which was sustained by direct evidence
but Mr.. Penrose's counterCharge which
was sustained by no evidence at all anC
only by the repetition of secondhand
gossip.
Prohibited Oil Money.
LAS regards the statements of Mr.
Penrose and Mr.. Archbold that witt
my consent or knowledge Mr.. Bills!
asked the standard Oil people for $780,
900, or other sum, or received such sun
from them. it is an unqualified false
hood.
"If any request for funds was mad,
from the Standard Oil Company, or /
any funds were received from tn
STANDARD Oll Company Dy Mr.. Bliss q
any one else connected with the ma
tional committee in 1904 1t was no
merely done without my knowledge, bu
was done against my express direction
and prohibition and in spite of the fac
that ! was assured that no such reques
had been made and that no such con
tribution had been or would be re
Ceived."
In support of this statement Colone
Roosevelt includes here his letters an,
telegram to George b. Cortelyou, tn
Republican national chairman, of Oc
Sober 26, q, and %, 1904, respectively
Those letters, which were made publ
recently, called Mr.. Cortelyou's atten
ton to a report that Standard Oil In
terests had . contributed 100000 to tn
Roosevelt campaign and directed tha
the money be returned If the repor
were true The telegram was one ask
ing If this had been done and addin
that there should be no delay in 5
doing.
Cortelyou's Denial.
subsequent to this telegram MI
Loeb, my private secretary, called MI
Cortelyou up on the telephone" the lei
ter continues, "and later / did so my
self. He notified me first through Nj
Loeb and then directly that no sue
contribution had been received or woul
be received. He tells me he saw MI